Descent of Shadows: Project Shadow Returns [Archive]

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-08, 04:54 PM

Reserved for Descent of Shadow interaction with PHB races, both how they function in a descent of shadows subcampaign and giving racial variants more suitable to the environment.

Descent of Shadow and Common Races:

In a descent of shadows campaign, all races generally adapt. How they do so, however, differs from race to race. Few races are as optomistic of the future and a few are quite a bit more paranoid. Longer-lived races tend to adapt slower to the new situation than others. As a model of how races might change in a campaign, I have written up interractions between this sub-campaign setting and each race from the PHB. Included with each one is a racial variant for these hard times. Not all members of a race need to be of these varients when you play but as time goes on, it makes sense that they become more and more common.

Humans: When put into a difficult situation, humans simply try to adapt. Due to their relatively short lifespan, they do so faster than many other races. The problem with humans is that there is no guarantee to just how they will react. Because they are less likely to persecute others, great divides can form within a community without having it collapse upon itself. Unfortunately, especially in their darkest hours, humans often try to solve their problems with rule of law, opening up the way for corrupt officials and oppressive governments.

Darktime Humans:
In times of darkness, there are small towns and hamlets far out of the way. In such a place, where disease can start at a moment’s notice and the town walls are always doubted, some humans are simply better built for their environment. Resistant to harm, Darktime humans are the last and only defense that their home truly possess.
Darktime human Racial Traits:

Medium: as medium creatures, darktime humans have no special bonuses or penalties due ot their size.
Darktime human base land speed is 30 feet
Always Ready: darktime humans gain a +2 bonus to initiative checks and only needs 6 hours of sleep each night.
Resist Hardship: at first level, a darktime human selects a single save (fortitude, reflex, or will). They gain a +2 bonus on all saving throws using that save.
Battle Training: darktime humans gain proficiency with one martial weapon of their choice.
Automatic Languages: Common. Bonus Languages: any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic).
Favored Class: Any

Half-Orcs: when things turn grim, suspicion often runs high, and Half-Orcs often become the focus of this suspicion. When in human society, half-orcs are often ill-treated and there may be laws passed to restrict their freedom. In addition, there is always the chance that the Half-Orcs will become a pariah if the situation should go from bad to worse.
When with orcs, half-orcs are still doubted. Orcs doubt not the Half-Orc’s loyalty, however, but their ability to fight complete their missions. These Half-Orcs are often grouped into crude companies and are often marched into the battle first. After all, if the mutts aren’t fit enough to survive in battle, there is no point in keeping them around.

Darkhide Half-Orc:
Half-Orcs always struggle to survive, even in the best of times. When the times are dark and desperate, things only get harder. Wherever they go, they are mistreated and abused. After generations of this abuse, however, some of them are bound to adapt.
Darkhide Half-Orc Racial Traits:

+2 Con, -2 Dex, -2 Cha. Though weaker than other orcs, Darkhide half-orcs are smarter and more resilient. Their thick hides, however, make them clumsy.
Medium: as medium creatures, Darkhide Half-Orcs have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Darkhide Half-Orc base land speed is 30 feet
Low-Light Vision
Thick Skinned: Darkhide Half-Orcs gain a +2 bonus to their natural armor.
Inured to Pain: Darkhide Half-Orcs gaina +4 bonus to AC against attacks dealing nonlethal damage.
Survivalist: Darkhide Half-Orcs gain a +2 bonus to survival checks. Survival is always considered a class skill for them.
Orc Blood: For all effects related to race, a darkhide half-orc is considered an orc. They are, for example, just as vulnerable to special effects that affect orcs as their orc ancestors are, and they can use magic items that are only usable by orcs.
Automatic Languages: Common and Orc. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Giant, Gnoll, Goblin, and Abyssal.
Favored Class: Barbarian

Half-Elves: While half-orcs are usually persecuted in the societies of their parents, half-elves are usually accepted. In darker times, however, things may change. When suspicions are high, resources are somewhat scarcer, and travel is more dangerous, diplomats such as the half-elves are both vital and superfluous. On one hand, the rulers of kingdoms, to keep vital relations alive, may keep a few half-elven diplomats handy and may even pull a half-elf from the streets to make an appearance with him if it helps to smooth over ties. On the other hand, as the roads become too dangerous to send ambassadors along and market prices slowly rise, many citizens wander why someone gets a favored position just due to their race or why such individuals might be paid from the taxes of the populace (if the taxes in the kingdom/town work in such a way). In addition, if relations between elves and humans are failing, half-elves may find themselves needing to answer for their second heritage to either parent race. In the worst cases, half-elves may find themselves persecuted just as badly as half-orcs.

Halfshroud Half-Elf:
Throughout time, there have always been half-elves that others have said look more like one parent than the other. Usually, these comments are either brushed off entirely or used as complements. When tensions run high, however, all that some people can see in a half-elf are the less favorable qualities of its other parent. As a result, unless they are needed as ambassadors or diplomats, the only real choice for a half-elf is to blend in with their current environment. This is not always easy, even for the special half-elves that emerge from this need, the halfshroud half-elves, dedicated to shrouding one aspect of their heritage.
Halfshroud Half-Elf Racial Traits:

Medium: as Medium creatures, halfshroud half-elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Halfshroud half-elf base land speed is 30 feet.
Burst of Talent: halfshroud half-elves gain 4 bonus skill points at 1st level.
Elven resistance: halfshroud half-elves gain a +2 bonus on saves against sleep and enchantment effects.
Social Awareness: halfshroud half-elves gain a +2 bonus on disguise and gather information checks.
Sleep Adaptation: halfshroud half-elves can choose to either sleep like a human or enter trance like an elf. Halfshroud half-elves that spend get 4 hours of trance do not dream and are fatigued for two hours after waking up. A halfshroud half-elf that gains 8 hours of sleep is immune to fatigue (but not exchaustion) for two hours afterwards, allowing them to sleep in medium or heavy armor without penalty.
Elven Blood: For all effects related to race, a halfshroud half-elf is considered an elf. They are, for example, just as vulnerable to special effects that affect elves as their elf ancestors are, and they can use magic items that are only usable by elves.
Automatic Languages: Common and Elven. Bonus Languages: Any (Other than secret languages, such as Druidic).
Favored Class: Any

Gnome: Gnomes are funny beings, able to get through life through improvisation and wit alone. They are respected by their peers and live in pleasant little burrows amongst their own kind. Unfortunately, when times grow dark, the larger and more numerous creatures lurking about fail to respect the bite-sized gnomes in such a fashion. For the sake of personal defense, some gnomish communities build battlements around themselves until they look like a large military camp. Others are forced to move into nearby cities where their skills are in demand and act as virtual refugees. In such an environment, an every-gnome-for-itself philosophy is more common, leading to the existence of many more evil gnomes than normal, although truly malicious ones remain (fortunately) rare.

Rubyheart Gnomes:
In the face of darkness, a gnome’s personality is forced to change, although it may take awhile for the long-lived gnomes to fully adjust. Practical jokes are usually frowned upon in the face of despair, illusions possess only limited usefulness, and their pleasant life in the mountains has most likely been ended one way or another. Instead, some gnomes choose to keep their traditions alive through stories, stories that gnomish bards have kept around for awhile. These stories of old times swim about every tavern and inn where gnomes can be found, inspiring some gnomes in the younger generation to support each other and become brave. These new gnomes, taught the practicalities of this new, darker age but remembering the morals of the old golden age, are the rubyheart gnomes.
Rubyheart Gnome Racial Traits:

+2 Constitution, -2 Strength: rubyheart gnomes are just as tough as normal gnomes. Their size, however, hinders their strength.
Small: As a Small creature, a rubyheart gnome gains a +1 size bonus to Amor Clss, a +2 size bonus to attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but he uses smaller weapons than humans use, and his lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium creature.
Rubyheart gnome base land speed is 20 feet.
Low-Light Vision
Weapon Familiarity: rubyheart gnomes may treat gnome hooked hammers as martial weapons rather than exotic weapons.
Great Inspiration: whenever a rubyheart gnome grants an ally or themselves a morale, competence, or dodge bonus through a spell or ability, increase that bonus by +1
Gnomish Senses: rubyheart gnomes gain a +2 bonus on listen checks and Craft (Alchemy) checks
Fearless: rubyheart gnomes gain a +4 bonus to saving throws made against fear effects.
Duck and Weave: rubyheart gnomes gain a +2 dodge bonus to their AC against creatures at least two size categories larger than themselves.
Automatic Languages: Common and Gnome. Bonus Langauges: Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Goblin, and Orc. Unlike other gnomes, rubyheart gnomes have lost the power to speak with burrowing mammals.
Spell-like Abilities: 1/day—Prestidigitation (1 minute duration)
Favored Class: Bard

Dwarf: Dwarves are one of the least adaptive races in existence, just as they were meant to be. They live almost as long as the elves, possess less of the elves’ wanderlust, and are bound by strict traditions and laws of their clans. Furthermore, their home in the mountains is in most cases rather immutable. To top it all off, they rely on very little magic, allowing most changes in the flow of magic to simply get shrugged off. However, the dwarves are not ignorant. If they notice that the nearby orcs have started acting up, the caravans passing the mountains have had extra guards, or that the local priest has had some problem casting spells, they are going to be curious if not slightly troubled. More than can be said for other races, however, the changes to the dwarves are indirect, the result of changes in other races. However, in extreme situations, cataclysmic events may change the landscape, rearranging the tunnels in mountains if not caving them in or reducing the entire mountain to rubble.

Darktunnel Dwarves:
Although the dwarves are rarely affected directly by changes in the world, the advent of a Descent of Shadows sometimes changes the landscape. Among the less noticeable changes (to nondwarves) are the tunnels within mountains. Yet, for dwarves, such changes to the tunnels can be devastating. Furthermore, some mountains seem to conduct unstable shadow magic better than others, leading to some that shift their tunnels on a regular basis (if not continually). To cope with such changes, some dwarves are forced to develop an amazing senses of direction and general awareness.
Darktunnel Dwarf Racial Traits:

+2 Constitution, -4 Charisma: Darktunnel Dwarves are still stout and tough but the dark times have left them more withdrawn than other dwarves.
Medium: As Medium creatures, darktunnel dwarves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Darktunnel dwarf base land speed is 20 feet. However, darktunnel dwarves can move at that speed even when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carriying a medium or heavy load (unlike other creatures, whose speed is reduced in such situations).
Darkvision: Darktunnel dwarves can see in the dark up to 60 feet away. Darkvision is black and white only, but is otherwise like normal sight, and dwarves can function just fine with no light at all.
Failing Sight: Darktunnel dwarves trust vibrations far more than their own sight. As such, their vision has started to fail. When making spot checks, they take a –2 penalty (instead of the normal –1 penalty) for every 10 feet of distance.
Tremorsense out to 20 feet.
Stonecunning: This ability grants a darktunnel dwarf a +2 racial bonus on Search checks to notice unusual stonework, such as sliding walls, stonework traps, new construction (even when built to match the old), unsafe stone surfaces, shaky stone ceilings , and the like. Something that isn’t stone but that is disguised as stone counts as unusual stonework. A darktunnel dwarf who merely comes within 10 feet of unusual stonework can make a Search check as if he were actively searching, and a darktunnel dwarf can use the Search skill to find stonework traps as a rogue can. A darktunnel dwarf can also intuit depth, sensing his approximate depth underground as naturally as a human can sense which way is up.
Weapon Familiarity: Darktunnel dwarves may treat dwarven waraxes and dwarven urgroshes as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.
Stability: Darktunnel dwarves are exceptionally stable on their feet. They gain a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped when standing on the ground (but not when climbing, flying, riding, or otherwise not standing firmly on the ground)
Internal Map: When wandering through networks of tunnels, building internal maps comes naturally. Darktunnel dwarves always treat survival as a class skill. Furthermore, they always know which direction they’re facing and can retrace their steps without fail. Finally, darktunnel dwarves are immune to maze effects.
Stone Knowledge: darktunnel dwarves have a +2 racial bonus on appraise and craft checks related to stone or metal. They are familiar with such items and are skilled at building them.
Automatic Languages: Common and Dwarven. Bonus Languages: Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, Terran, and Undercommon.
Favored Class: Fighter

Elf: The long-lived elves, much like the dwarves, take a while before they decide to react to the emergence of a Descent of Shadows campaign. This delayed reaction occurs for a very different reason, however. While dwarves can live their lives as normal without so much as acknowledging that anything has happened, elves simply know that something is only worth worrying about after it has persisted for a certain length of time. After it becomes clear that the problem is ongoing (which can take up to a century in some communities), the elves still maintain their composure better than most, simply adapting however they are forced to.

Longshadow Elves:
Whenever any race is forced to adapt, there are always a few individuals who do so with greater ease. Following this model, some elves learn to hide in the lengthening shadows of the trees. Though their senses aren’t as sharp, these elves often learn the secrets of shadow magic, becoming quite adept at the art.
Longshadow Elf Racial Traits

+2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution: like other elves, longshadow elves are graceful but frail.
Medium: As Medium creatures, longhsadow elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Longhsadow Elf base land speed is 30 feet.
Sleepless: Longshadow elves are immune to magic sleep effects.
Superior Low-Light Vision: A Longshadow Elf can see four times as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
Longshadow Stealth: Longshadow Elves gain a +2 racial bonus on hide and move silently checks.
Shadow Resistance: Longshadow Elves gain a +2 racial saving throw bonus against mysteries and spells of the shadow subschool.
Automatic Languages: Common and Elven. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, and Sylvan.
Favored Class: Shadowcaster

Halfling: By nature, halflings are wanderers. Their curiosity of the world and insatiable wanderlust simply makes them more prone to moving about. However, when dangers are more numerous in the world, it is difficult to keep moving. Although some caravans carry on, each member carrying some fortifications upon their back, many simply dig into the surrounding area and wait for the dark skies to pass. The few halflings that do leave often feel more vulnerable, inspiring them to join the first group of travelers that it encounters.

Moonstrider Halflings:
Though most halfling caravans stop when things get dire, some are determined to continue. They do so wisely, however. They follow a set path year after year, moving from one safe place to the next under the light of the moon. Members of such caravans are taught to sneak and climb far better than their cousins. Those who fail to learn are doomed to an early demise.
Moonstrider Halfing Racial Traits:

+2 Dexterity, -2 Strength: Moonstrider Halflings are just as quick as their cousins but share a lack of strength due to their small frames.
Small: As a Small creature, a moonstrider Halfling gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but she uses smaller weapons than humans use, and her lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
Moonstrider Halfling base land speed is 30 feet.
Moonstrider Halflings have a climb speed of 10 feet. They gain a +8 bonus on climb checks and may take 10 on climb checks even under stressful situations.
Moonstrider Training: Moonstrider Halflings gain a +4 bonus on Jump and Move Silently checks.
Halfling Weapon Training: Moonstrider Halflings gain a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls with thrown weapons and slings.
Augomatic languages: Common and Halfling. Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, and Orc.
Favored Class: Rogue

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-08, 04:55 PM

Reserves for Descent of Shadows interaction with Classes: how they work in a descent of shadows campaign, possibly with a magic item, feat, or similar peace of crunch associated with each class.

Barbarians:
When times grow hard, barbarians adapt in a number of ways. Some tribes simply become stronger. Though their members possess more injuries than most, they intend to ride out the times. Others are driven to greater extremes, such as raiding towns or other villages. Indeed, wars between barbarian tribes become far more common.
Some wise tribes, however, simply decide to disperse. They either disband altogether or, more likely, they split into several tight-knit groups, each striking out on their own to find better land or a place in society.
Civilization looks differently upon barbarians. They have far less tolerance for their explosive tempers and disregard for established law. On the other hand, the labor they provide may be close to priceless for them. Each town has its own laws and restrictions on barbarian activity, among which the following may be found:

Punishment for open displays of rage (whether or not they lead to damage).
Quotas on barbarian workers, only letting in a certain number at a time.
Barbarians must report to the garrison when entering town so the sheriff will recognize their face.
Barbarians are only allowed in if someone else vows to take responsibility for their actions.
Only barbarians from specific tribes are admitted, usually due either to a real or imagined mellowness of the tribe or to an old treaty.
Barbarians must surrender all weapons at the town gate.
All barbarians wishing to enter must serve a period of time (ranging from 1 day to 1 week) performing manual labor.

Cloak of Shadow's Rage:
Price: 50,000 gp
Body Slot: Back
Caster Level: 11th
Aura: Moderate; (DC 21) transmutation
Activation: Free action (mental)
Weight: 1 lb.

Upon this plain black cloak, several arcane runes are written in primal warpaint.

Whenever you use your rage or frenzy class feature, you may activate this item to imitate the effects of the Beast Within mystery for the duration of your rage or frenzy.
The Cloak of Shadow's Rage can be activated 3 times per day.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Beast Within
Cost to Create: 25,000 gp, 2,000 XP, 50 days.

Bards:
When the world goes sour, many rely on entertainment to keep themselves sane. Bards around the world find larger audiences and greater demand for their performances.
On the other hand, bards are likely to find that money doesn't flow as it once did. Even if a street performer attracts an audience twice as large, they may still make only half-as-much money as usual.
As such, many bards look for practical jobs, working in the military or for another arcanist in need of an assistant. Those who wish to keep their jobs as performers have to move from town to town, searching for places where coins flow.

Dance of Shadows [Bardic Music]
Your performance can control the shadows around you.
Prerequisites: Perform 6 ranks
Benefits: As an immediate action, you may expend two daily uses of your bardic music ability to make shadows dance about all allies within 20 feet (including you). This grants a 20% miss chance against attacks for 1 round.

Clerics:
In a bleak world, clerics are affected in a variety of ways. For one thing, the proportion of deities worshipped shifts. Some communities flock to deities of good and bounty. Others, believing their worship has gotten them nowhere, start to lose faith in their god. More so-called cultists worship dark gods promising salvation. Also, more clerics start worshipping concepts, following the train of thought that a raw ideal is more reliable than the gods who promote it.
The ability of clerics to heal the wounded, cure the sick, and create food and water are often in high demand. If they can meet the demand placed upon them, clerics may find themselves in places of honor or even in positions of power. If they fail, however, citizens start to lose their faith. Even worse, paranoid citizens may believe the clerics are saving their spells for the rich alone.

Secrecy Devotion [Domain]
You can conceal yourself with the power of secrecy.
Benefits: Once per day as a swift action, you can shroud yourself in a veil of mystery. This effect renders you immune to spells and abilities that detect your alignment or read your thoughts. In addition, the spellcraft skill cannot be used to identify your mysteries and/or spells as they are being cast. This veil lasts for 1 minute/level.
Special: You can select this feat multiple times, gaining one additional daily use each time you take it.
Special: If you have the ability to turn or rebuke undead, you gain one additional daily use of this power for each two daily turn or rebuke uses you expend.

Druids:
Unlike other classes, druids are relatively unaffected by changes in society. The changes to the world itself, however, impact them greater than anyone else. The very nature they have tried to guard has been altered.
Given the crisis, most druids are forced to ask themselves if the changes to the world can be counted as natural. If they decide it is so, they continue guarding the dangerous land, even as it shifts beneath their feet. If they decide to the contrary, they treat the changes as abberations, fighting each change to the land as it comes. Some more powerful druids manage to maintain order in their groves by the virtue of powerful magic.
Depending on their views of the world, druids could earn reputations as fierce crusaders or as vindictive hunters. Either way, they only rarely act as wisemen or healers, preferring to hunt or battle.

Night Crystal
Price: 300 gp
Body Slot: --
Caster Level: 3rd
Aura: Minor; (DC 17) transmutation
Activation: Free action (manipulation)
Weight: --

This violet crystal seems to glow in even the slightest of shadows.

If you crack open this crystal and activate your wildshape class feature, you gain the dark template for the duration of your wildshape.
This effect only works at night.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Hunter of the Night
Cost to Create: 150 gp, 12 XP, 1 day.

Fighters:
In a dangerous world, the life of a warrior becomes far more interesting. Some governments start compulsory battle training, recruiting average citizens as fighters. More successful cities may want their citizens to forget about outside woes, something hard to do when a battle-scarred man with a greatsword on his back walks by.
Fighters usually find their talents in high demand. Some travel from town to town, helping however they can (for a certain price if they are mercenaries). Otherwise, they may be conscripted into service by a desparate government. Either way, in a desperate world, a fighter is likely to see more battles. Lofty ideals of mastered fighting styles are pushed to the wayside so survival can continue.

Darksighted
Price: +750 gp
Property: Weapon
Caster Level: 3rd
Aura: Faint; (DC 17) transmutation
Activation: --

This item possesses a slightly darker hue than normal.

Many magic items shed light, illuminating the area. Though useful to see what one is doing, such items are anything but ideal for stealth and scouting. Darksighted weapons, when firmly grasped, allow you to see through nonmagical darkness out to a distance of 60 feet, as if it were brightly illuminated. Unlike darkvision, you even see color.
Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor; darkvision
Cost to Create: Varies.

Monks:
Monks are more or less self-sufficient. They do not rely on fickle societies and do not revere the changing landscape. The path to enlightenment is an internalized one, free from many changes in the world.
Of course, some exceptions exist for every rule. Some monasteries are funded by churches or politicians, making society far more important. Monks that leave their monasteries to travel through the wilderness do indeed mind the changes in the world around them.
Outside of these exceptions, the biggest difference is in the training of monks. When food grows scarce, monks work harder to hunt or begin fasting more often. When laborers can't fix a monastery, the job falls upon the monks themselves. Mundane (if difficult) tasks are incorporated into a monk's everyday life and are coupled with their normal training. The concept of rest is often forgotten by such monks. After all, one must survive to achieve enlightenment.

Fight the Unseen
Your senses have been perfected, honed to fight even unseen foes.
Prerequisites: Purity of Body class feature, Listen 6 ranks, Spot 6 ranks
Benefits: Attacks made against you by foes you cannot see do not get a +2 bonus. Furthermore, you retain your wisdom modifier to your AC against such attacks (you still lose your dexterity modifier).
Furthermore, you gain blindsense out to 5 feet.

Paladins:
More than anything else, paladins tend to find themselves in over their heads. The undead need to be sent back to their tombs, abberations need to be shown their place, and the corruption of humanoids needs to be kept in check. Paladins take it upon themselves to eliminate all threats.
Even with this mindset, paladins find themselves changed in harder times, often with grim and unsettling views of the world. Blessed with limited healing power, some are forced to choose on a weekly (or even daily) basis who shall live and who shall die. Furthermore, as threats begin to loom on the horizon, many paladins gain a more pragmatic view of the world. Many will ignore or even add to a moral wrong for the sake of the greater good. Others lead blind crusades in opposing nations, sacrificing the innocent to ensure the guilty are punished.

The Greater Good
If forced to break your code of conduct, you are granted a bit of leniancy.
Prerequisites: Code of Conduct requiring a specific alignment.
Benefits: If you break your code of conduct during an encounter, you ignore any penalties for doing so until the end of the encounter.
In addition, if a spell or affect compels you to act against your alignment, your alignment doesn't change.

Rangers:

Rangers occupy an interesting place in the world, neither fitting into the hustle and bustle of city life but lacking the devotion to nature that druids possess. Even while the world turns sour, they can get along without any big changes to their lifestyles.
Even so, the world changes around them in a way they can't thoroughly ignore. Hungry peasants may try their luck at hunting in forests, putting them in competition with a ranger for food. A ranger's favored enemy may find itself in power as the balance of power stabilizes. Bountyhunters may be seen as luxuries by desperate nations.
Many rangers are forced to wander about through the world, searching for those that can use thier talents and hunting wherever possible. It is a hard life but one that most rangers adapt to with ease.

Night Prowler
This pitch-black concoction is an alchemic solution made by crushing together various roots and leaves from the wilderness. Once imbibed (a move action), the drinker's senses become more sensitive, granting them low-light vision and scent for 30 minutes. After this time, however, the drinker's sensitivity to light increases, granting them light sensitivity for one hour.
Price: 1,500 gp
Weight: -

Rogues:

Nobody relies more on the well-being of society than its thugs, muggers, conmen, and thieves. When things go downhill, people have less money to steal and guard what they own with greater fierceness. If theives start targetting nobles, laws can be passed overnight to make even common theft a dire offense.
To handle these changes in society, crime becomes more organized. Everything from black markets to smuggling rings to theif guilds pop up wherever there is room. Sometimes, multiple organizations operate in the same city, normally managed by a single "undergovernment".
Of course, some thieves always slip between the cracks, escaping guild membership. Though more free in their actions, both guards and guilds want them slain, making their life a living nightmare.

Ghost in Darkness
Even if they hear you, enemies never know where you are.
Prerequisites: Hide 4 ranks, Move Silently 6 ranks
Benefits: Any listen check made to pinpoint your location takes a -10 penalty.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-08, 04:57 PM

Reserved for Descent of Shadows interactions with political systems and religion.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-08, 04:58 PM

Reserved for descent of shadows interaction with the campaign world at large and other planes.

might be consolidated into previous post (if it can fit)

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-08, 05:00 PM

Moving right along...

If you don't own the book:
I guess that I should anticipate the issue of someone reading this but not owning the proper book.

As most should know, the Shadowcaster is from the Tome of Magic.

What could I give away about the class safely...?

Basically, they use mysteries instead of spells, which start as arcane spells, turn into spell-like abilities, and then turn into supernatural abilities. They gain only 1 per level.
In addition, they gain supernatural fundamentals (think cantrips) as they level up, which they can eventually use at will.
Finally, they gain bonus feats, darkvision, and eventually ignore metabolic needs.

I should also list the classes shortcomings that led to this addition:
1. Mystery-using is reliant on both charisma and intelligence.
2. Shadowcasters gain only 1 mystery per level.
3. Mysteries are taken in sequential groups of 3 mysteries called paths. For example, you have to take the 1st level mystery of a path before you can take that path's 2nd level mystery.
5. There are only 60 mysteries in existance + 9 fundamentals. This list has been expanded officially once in a cityscape web enhancement, raising the count to 69 + 9 fundamentals.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-08, 05:05 PM

Links:

Here are some links that I have found to WotC boards, as well as to the only web enhancement that furthers the shadowcaster in any way (crossing fingers and praying to god that I've learned how to make links.) Anyways, feel free to submit links to other things that you've made or discovered.

Cityscape Web Enhancement (holds 3 shadow magic paths) (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070307a) – Ari Marmell
More Path Mastery Feats (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=110123) - Peacenlove
Two more master paths (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=110455) - Peacenlove
A martial master path (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=119634) - Peacenlove
Disciple of the Void (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84320) - Krimm Blackleaf
Harbinger (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71926) - Kellus

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-08, 05:06 PM

Shadowgaunts
Shadows may be related by others to darkness, negativity, and evil, but to some, it they are representative of neutrality and sanctuary. At least, so thought the like-minded ancestors of the Shadowgaunts. Centuries ago, on the plane of shadow, the metropolis of Gengardon was established. As soon as it became inhabited, however, it isolated itself, for quite a few centuries. When at last a gigantic shadowquake tore Gengardon apart, the only survivors within it were the Shadowgaunts, a race of people adapted specifically to the plane of shadow, and more specifically, for shadow magic.
Although the Shadowgaunts have made their presence known, very little is known about their exact origins. Although they often said to resemble elves or the enigmatic ethergaunts (from which their name was drawn), this is completely superficial. The most popular theory is that they are closer related to the treacherous mongrelfolk, having had their blood mixed both through interspecies breeding and extended contact with the morphic plane of shadow. Another theory places them as a creation of the founders who destroyed their creators. Either way, the shadowgaunts aren’t shedding any light on the matter.
Personality: Most shadowgaunts have a very mixed and confused personality, in which emotions are hardly noticeable from one another while they shift through their emotions incredibly quickly. Although some would call this a disorder, it appears quite natural among the shadowgaunts.
Physical Description: A shadowgaunt looks lithe and moves with a wavering motion, as if about to fall over. They range from just under 5 feet to just over 6 feet, and weigh between 85 and 140 pounds. Males and Females, if there is such a distinction, are not sexually dimorphic, looking exactly the same. Their skin, along with most of their preferred clothing, is a deep shade of grey. Their faces, if they can be considered as such, are distorted patterns upon their head. A small mouth is visible, along with a couple of pitch-white eyes; eyes that are incapable of seeing in color. Their arms sometimes hang by their feet but it appears they can extend and contract them at will.
Much like elves, Shadowgaunts do not sleep. Instead, they go into a state they call deanimation for 8 hours each week (fit into the week however they please), in which they appear completely dead to anyone who fails on a dc 20 heal check (although creatures eating them can tell the difference). If a week passes without deanimation, the Shadowgaunt enters the state without meaning to, and cannot be awoken for 8 hours.
Relations: Although Gengardon was torn apart nearly a few centuries ago, the Shadowgaunt effort to rebuild it has only lost steam within the last decade or so, and the Shadowgaunts are just beginning to leave the plane of shadow. As such, other races are still not quite sure what to make of them. Of their half-hearted trading attempts, most have been made with humans, who are currently trying not to judge by appearance. The race’s supposed similarity in appearance to the elves, combined with their penchant for shadow magic, makes elves and half-orcs alike somewhat uneasy in their presence. Gnomes and Halflings have had the most success communicating with the Shadowgaunts, so long as they watch what they say. Meanwhile, the rigidity of dwarven culture seems to baffle the Shadowgaunts, who seem to think that the traditions are made for them as well, earning them many a snide remark from dwarves, although when precious ore from the plane of shadow is at hand, they are smart enough to still their tongues.
Alignment: Shadowgaunts are unique, perhaps, in that they are unaware of how they are expected to act in the world. They seem chaotic by nature, stealing food and ignoring inconvenient laws, but they also seem to make earnest attempts at lawfulness, such as dragging a criminal to a garrison. On the good-evil axis, they seem to make intermittent attempts at each, as if to test them out. The ultimate decider of what alignment they take is what they attempt more (and, logically, enjoy more).
Shadowgaunt Lands: Despite its broken state, the majority of Shadowgaunts yet live in the ruins of, or at the outskirts of, Gengardon. The ones to have moved away since then have made other small claims on the plane of shadow and even on the Material Plane.
Religion: Religion, and especially consistency in prayer, appears to be a new concept to Shadowgaunts, and one they have yet to fully grasp. Clerics placed in charge of them must make sure they don’t travel to a church of an opposed clergy the next day.
Language: Perhaps most strangely of all, Shadowgaunts don’t appear to have spoken any language before the breaking of Gengardon, despite their lack of empathy or telepathy of any kind. They still appear able to nonverbally communicate, but in a way no one else can quite understand. They have began to speak other languages, but they still have difficulty pronouncing some sounds.
Names: As the concept of language is new and names are unnecessary within groups of Shadowgaunts, the few to have adopted them live in the material plane. They are often monosyllabic and simple to pronounce. They never possess more than one name, however.
Shadowgaunt Male Names: Sou, Gon, Ter, Shar, Brig, Crag, Pur, Gus, Bob, Wok, Rob, Vor
Shadowgaunt Female Names: Sou, Ti, Ter, Boor, Shar, Cav, Pur, Rew, Wok, Cris, Vor, Wew
Adventures: Shadowgaunts, more than anything else, seem to travel on whims. It is possible for a Shadowgaunt to feel fully committed to their missions, but this is exceedingly rare. They travel where they want and seem to do what they want.
Shadowgaunt Racial Traits

-2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -4 Constitution, +2 Intelligence: Shadowgaunts are surpisingly nimble and intelligent, but lack physical strength and have poor health.
Medium: As medium creatures, shadowgaunts have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Shadowgaunt base land speed is 20 feet.
Darkvision: Shadowgaunts can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and shadowgaunts can function just fine with no light at all.
Low-light Vision: Shadowgaunts can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. Unlike normal low-light vision, Shadowgaunts are unable to discern color in any degree of illumination.
Extended Reach: Shadowgaunts can extend their reach by 5 feet for the purposes of making touch attacks only. Their strength and coordination is not enough to wield a weapon at this extended range.
Add +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against mysteries or spells with the shadow subschool cast by the Shadowgaunt.
+2 racial bonus on hide checks. The grey skin of the shadowgaunt is hard to see when they attempt to hide.
Automatic Languages: None. Bonus Language: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic)
Favored Class: Shadowcaster. A multiclass shadowgaunt’s shadowcaster class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing. Shadowgaunts, due to such long exposure to the plane of shadow, are made for shadow magic.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-08, 05:08 PM

Reserved For Blots

Self Reminder/spoiler: Blots are shadowstuff given mind and form.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-08, 05:10 PM

Reserved For 3rd PC race. If nothing else, the croob or loress go here.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-08, 05:11 PM

THE CULTIST
“Poor fool…I’m afraid that my patron grants me the grander power.”
-Erica Bensen, Cultist of Wee Jas

http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/3573/cultistkr1.png

Divinity is unwavering and undeniable but that does not mean that it isn’t misplaced. Any object, person, or concept can be worshiped as a god, and yet everyone chooses to attack the few individuals willing to go against the flow. Everything has power to grant, in its shadow if not in itself. In addition, even divinity and worship has their own shadows, equally powerful for those willing to seek it out.

Cultists understand this concept, worshipping dubious sources and taking from this worship the power of the shadows in which they must hide themselves. The Cultists wield this new magic tenderly, less their actions arouse the attention of others.

MAKING A CULTIST
A Cultist can use some potent magic but her abilities are even more tightly focused than those of the Shadowcaster. They are stronger combatants but their penchant lies in stealth, using the shadows to hide themselves. Their exact role, however, inevitably relies on the mysteries they learn.

Cultists rely on quick wits and quicker reflexes to keep both themselves and their allies secret. However, this means foregoing more physical forms of training, leading to a meager fortitude.

Cultists almost never try to take command, even if they are charismatic enough to do so. Rather, in true cultist spirit, they try to approach command and subtly alter decisions to their benefit.

Abilities a Cultist needs both wit and personality to force their mysteries into existence. In addition, they often end up more violent missions, making a high strength score an asset.

Races: Surprisingly, there are less human Cultists than there are in most civilized races, probably due to an unusual open-mindedness among them, making cultists to all but the most taboo or extreme causes/objects unneeded.

The most common sources of Cultists come from races with active racial deities, such as gnomes, dwarves, elves, and orcs. In many of their societies, the mere failure to worship their racial deity may mark them as an outcast, a heretic, and a possible Cultist (some cultists do give normal worship to non-racial gods).

Alignment: Surprisingly, despite their shadowy powers and usual hate by the public clergy, a Cultist need not be evil. Some see their persecution as a divine test and others just want to remain along and unnoticed, keeping them a neutral party.

Others choose to worship lesser celestial beings, noble (if questioned) ideals, and people of objects of great good (including deities, which they may worship in their own unique way). These cultists remain misunderstood but deal with it through seclusion and let themselves be recognized only by the subtlest signs as they direct those around them towards (their interpretation of) their worship’s designs.

Of course, these few are far outnumbered by those who worship devils, demons, and other dubious sources of power, some far worse. These few individuals, hiding in damp catacombs and forming insidious cabals, give the more lighthearted Cultists an even worse name.

Starting Gold: 4d4X10 (100 gp)
Starting Age: As Rogue

The Cultist Hit Die: D8

Level Base Fort Ref Will Special
Attack Save Save Save
Bonus
1. +0 +0 +2 +2 Fundamentals of Shadow, Apprentice Mysteries, Trapfinding
2 +1 +0 +3 +3 Patron’s Gift, True Believer
3 +2 +1 +3 +3 Expanded Faith
4 +3 +1 +4 +4 Shadow Guardian (hidden faith)
5 +3 +1 +4 +4 Influence Undead
6 +4 +2 +5 +5 Fundamental
7 +5 +2 +5 +5 Expanded Faith
8 +6/+1 +2 +6 +6 Shadow Guardian (immune to disease)
9 +6/+1 +3 +6 +6 Shadow's Call
10 +7/+2 +3 +7 +7 Fundamental (supernatural fundamentals)
11 +8/+3 +3 +7 +7 Expanded Faith
12 +9/4 +4 +8 +8 Shadow Guardian (immune to poison), Initiate Mysteries
13 +9/+4 +4 +8 +8 Influence Outsider
14 +10/+5 +4 +9 +9 Fundamental
15 +11/+6/+1 +5 +9 +9 Expanded Faith
16 +12/+7/+2 +5 +10 +10 Shadow Guardian (deathward)
17 +12/+7/+2 +5 +10 +10 Wings of Faith
18 +13/+8/+3 +6 +11 +11 Fundamental (extraordinary fundamentals)
19 +14/+9/+4 +6 +11 +11 Expanded Faith
20 +15/+10/+5 +6 +12 +12 Shadow Guardian (mind blank)
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, x4 at 1st level): Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Disable Device, Forgery, Hide, Intimidate, Knowledge (Religion), Knowledge (The Planes), Move Silently, Search, Spellcraft, Use Magic Device

CLASS FEATURES
Your class features represent your constant need for stealth. You manipulate shadows as well as you can hide within them, protecting yourself from those who do not understand.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: You are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, along with light and medium armor and light shields.

Fundamentals of Shadow (Su): As a Cultist, the first powers that you find in your worship are basic. These powers, called fundamentals, function as spell-like abilities usable at will. You begin play with 1 fundamental and gain an additional one at 6th level and every 4 levels afterwards. At 10th level, all fundamentals become supernatural abilities. At 18th level, all fundamentals become extraordinary abilities.

Mysteries and Paths: Rather than casting spells as other do, you invoke the power of mysteries through your prayer. You know one mystery at 1st level, one at 2nd level, and one at every even level afterwards. Each such mystery is usable twice per day. Up to 10th level, you may only learn apprentice mysteries. Starting at 12th level, you may learn initiate or apprentice mysteries

A Cultist, by gaining their power through worship (or worship’s reflection), skips much of the thought and effort that a shadowcaster needs to cast their mysteries. As a result, they need not learn paths in order, as long as they know at least two mysteries of a previous level. On the other hand, you can always select the first mystery in a path of a category you have access to, even if you didn’t complete the lower category paths.

Mysteries are often new tools for a Cultist and take awhile to cultivate. However, consistent prayer and dedication can eventually bring them closer to their abilities. Cultists originally cast mysteries as divine spells. They have somatic components and are subject to interruption but do not have an armor-based spell-failure chance. Whenever a mystery is cast, their shadows are subtly altered, noticeable through a dc20 spot check.

Whenever a path is completed, however, all mysteries in that path become spell-like abilities and doubles their daily use of all mysteries in that path.
Each mystery learned is a new part of their worship, and thus cannot be learned more than once at any time. However, at 12th level and every odd level afterwards, you may replace one mystery known with another mystery of the same or lower levels, so long as the sacrificed mystery was not used as the prerequisites for any feat, prestige class, or other mystery, although all prerequisites for the new mystery must be met.

Unlike spellcasters, you don’t get bonus mysteries for a high ability score. Although you do not prepare spells, you must rest for 8 hour and prey for 15 minutes to regain your daily use of mysteries.

In order to cast a mystery, you must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the mystery’s level. The save DC for your mysteries equals 10 + mystery level + your Cha modifier. Even though as a Cultist you do not “cast spells” in the traditional sense, your levels in this class count for the purpose of determining your overall caster level.

You gain two daily uses of any mystery cast as a divine spell or four daily uses of any mystery cast as a spell-like ability.

Trapfinding: You learn that the world is not a pleasant place for an outcast, and have worked on detecting the traps of others. You gain the Trapfinding class feature (see Player’s Handbook, page 50).

Patron’s Gift (Su): Starting at 2nd level, you learn how to manipulate the forces of life and death through the shadowy reflections of each. As a swift action, you may sacrifice a daily use of a mystery. If you make a successful touch attack before the end of the round, you may heal or damage the target by an amount of damage equal to twice the level of the mystery sacrificed, depending on whether negative or positive energy is used. This ability may be used to channel positive or negative energy, as chosen by you each time this ability is used.

If the cultist uses this ability to heal themselves, they may instead grant themselves fast healing equal to the spell level of the sacrificed mystery for a number of rounds equal to one-half of their class level.

True Believer: At 2nd level, you gain True Believer as a bonus feat.

Expanded Faith: At 3rd level, and every 4 levels afterwards, a Cultist learns to expand their studies from the shadows into the divine. At each of these levels, the Cultist may learn one spell from the Cleric list of up to the highest spell level available to them, although they may not choose any spell requireing a material component or XP cost. These spells are usable once per day, as if they were mysteries. 0-level spells are treated as fundamentals. 1st-3rd level spells are treated as apprentice mysteries. 4th-6th level spells are treated as initiate mysteries.

Shadow Guardian (Su): Eventually, the shadows you hide behind show you favor, protecting you and your mind. At 4th level, you gain immunity to all effects that detect your alignment or faith.
At 8th level, you gain immunity to all diseases (supernatural or otherwise).
At 12th level, you gain immunity to poison.
At 16th level, you are continually protected by a deathward effect.
At 20th level, your mind is continually protected by a Mind Blank effect.

Influence Undead: At 5th level, you gain some sway over the undead. A number of times per day equal to the Cultist's charisma modifier, you may make a turning against the undead as if a cleric of the same level. If you would deal enough damage to turn or rebuke the undead, they are dazed for 1 round and can't percieve you for 1 round/level or until you take an offensive action against them. If you would deal enough damage to destroy or control the undead, the durations of these abilities are doubled. Uses of Influence Undead count as uses of Turn/Rebuke undead for the purposes of divine feats and all other feats associated with the turning/rebuking of undead.

Shadow's Call: At 9th level, once per day, you can summon an outsider with up to 1 hit dice/2 levels to your service for 1 hour. You may attempt to summon creature's with more hit dice but for each hit dice added, there is a cumulative 10% chance that the attempt is wasted with no effect. The summoning process takes one minute to complete and provokes attacks of opportunity. The creature summoned must be within one step of your alignment and gains the dark template for the duration of its stay. The summoned creature attacks any who attack you and leaves you and your apparent allies alone if you cannot communicate with it. If you share a language or can communicate telepathically with it, you can command it to undertake different actions on your behalf.

Influence Outsider: At 13th level, your ability to sway the undead can now spreads to a more universal level. You may now use a daily use of Influence Undead to instead influence outsiders, who suffer from the same effects if you should succeed. A single use of Influence Undead cannot be made to affect both an undead and an outsider, you must determine which version of this ability you utilize with each use.

Wings of Faith: At 17th level, you are granted wings of shadowstuff, which take on strange texture between feathery and membranous. While using these wings, you gain a fly speed of 60 feet (average manuverability). You may suppress or release these wings as a swift action.

PLAYING A CULTIST
You are not a Shadowcaster. Where they see the power in opposing extremes, you draw power from the links between those extremes. While your mysteries may be drawn from some of the same power as divine spellcasters, you have warped it beyond recognition. The object of your worship, or at least the source from which you claim your power, may or may not even be aware of your presence, let alone grant you their support. Either way, the power you gather shields you from those who would take it away.

The reasons for a Cultist’s adventures greatly vary. Some do so to gain personal wealth, power, or, perhaps in some limited degree, respect and acceptance by those around them. Others adventure to uphold their beliefs, whatever they may be. Others still travel out of necessity, for without a “stable” cult or cabal to hang onto, remaining in one place remains a tricky proposition.

RELIGION
Almost all Cultists display some degree of religiousness, worshiping their source of power, or at least their perceived source of power. Others adopt this class for a simpler way to manipulate divine power, treating it as just another tool in their repertoire. However, your beliefs are invariably at odds with others, at least at the start. Your beliefs may clash with those of the local populace, the official view of the nation, or even the item of your worship. This is not to say that you won’t find a place where you will fit in, but rather to say that you grew up needing an alternate road to worship. Indeed, in some evil, neutral, and even good towns, Cultists like you are praised as healers and wise men.

OTHER CLASSES
You tend to view other divine classes as misguided, but envy them nonetheless. Their ability to walk in the daylight is to be envied, most certainly, but their powers do not protect them as personally as yours protect you. You know, however, that they are likely to view you with anger or distrust, due to your contrary nature. You view other spellcasters as useful allies, able to step in should your personal defenses fail you. You respect, and perhaps have a lot in common with both the warriors in the battlefield and the rogue sneaking amongst the shadows, but you know that they are gifted with far different abilities.

COMBAT
Much like a Cleric, you possess formidable skills on the battlefield, albeit less armored. You are capable of wading into battle and either damaging your foes or controlling the battlefield through the use of your mysteries.

Alas, the most powerful of mysteries are forever outside of your grasps. In return, your shadows have given you personal protection beyond that which other mystery-users such as shadowcaster’s receive, protecting both their bodies and minds.

ADVANCEMENT
Maintaining faith in the face of adversity is a daunting task. You must seek out your divine energies through prayer, keep the ideals of your faith alive, and hide your presence all of the while. Unlike Clerics, who can simply pick and choose what spells they want on a daily basis, you are far more restricted in your actions, rarely, if ever, changing what you can do with the powers given to you. As such, the decision to sink or swim rests solely upon your own shoulders.

Mechanically, you should increase both your Wisdom and Charisma as you attain higher levels. Beyond this, focus on feats and skills that enhance your mysteries, combative abilities, or stealth capabilities, as you choose.

DWARVEN CULTIST STARTING PACKAGE
Armor: Padded Armor (Speed 20 ft.)
Weapons: Light Mace (1d6, crit X2, 4 lb., light, bludgeoning).
Light Crossbow (1d8, crit 19-20/X2, range inc. 80, 4 lb., piercing).
Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 2 + Int modifier

Skill Ranks Ability Armor Check Penalty
Concentration 4 Con —
Hide 4 Dex —
Intimidate 4 Cha —
Move Silently 4 Dex —
Search 4 Int —
Spellcraft 4 Int —

Feat: Improved Initiative
Fundamentals Known: Arrow of Dusk (Spell-like, at will)
Mysteries Known: Steel Shadows (Spell, 2/day)
Gear: Backpack with waterskin, one day’s trail rations, bedroll, sac, flint and steel. 4 torches. Case with 10 crossbow bolts.
Gold: 1d4X10 gp.

CULTISTS IN THE WORLD
“Bit of an oddball, that one. He claims that he worships the reflection of worship itself, or some such rubbish. How the Nine Hells would that work?”
-Canan Gropsmit, Cleric of Moradin

The power of shadow magic is indeed a frightening, its users perhaps more so. Their powers are strange and alien to most individuals, and can confuse the oldest of sages. At the same time, it is easier to feel both sympathy for their plight and anger at their “false faith” (imagine how a cleric feels when attacked by a Cultist of the same deity). This class adds a whole new dimension to shadow magic, perhaps placing a few emotional ties onto this new form of magic.

DAILY LIFE
When not adventuring, Cultists spend much time in meditation, prayer, and contemplation. The more Intellectual of Cultists often research the mechanics of their newfound power, unwilling to leave anything to faith alone. Aside from these pursuits, Cultists often spend much of their time in seclusion, either to avoid the prying eyes of those who would persecute them or to plot against their enemies. The day-to-day activities, of course, depend on several factors, including the open-mindedness of the community, the force with which local churches resist them, the presence of allied/enemy cults and cabals, and even the presence or absence of good friends.

NOTABLES
There is no such thing as a famous cultist. By nature, they work behind the scenes, with others much like them if possible. Most cults are arranged so that even their leaders are faceless parts of a machine, recognized by few and recognizing fewer. In most cases, if a Cultist were to land a position of fame, they would displace it onto another. After all, they prefer to remain anonymous.

Although it is hard to believe, there truly is no famous cultist, thoughout all of history, despite its considerably longer history than “traditional” shadow magic. What is known about are smaller “cults” of evil divine casters, claiming themselves to be cultists. True cults and cabals are rarely discovered.
It is possible for a Cultist to gain notoriety, but they would have to defeat the class’ natural disposition towards anonymity and be willing to fight off the endless string of enemies likely to follow.

NPC REACTIONS:
By definition, a Cultist is forced into secret worship. Based on their varied (and quite controversial) religious doctrine alone, they are often mistrusted at best and weeded out at worse. Of course, if their particular nature is not revealed, they may be treated neutrally by others, as any other individual of the facade the Cultist works to maintain.

When their true nature is revealed, however, matters become even worse. The concept of a “divine shadow” is considered utter blasphemy by followers of most churches (especially those dedicated to deities of the sun or illumination), but the Cultist remains there all the same. When others dive in even deeper, they see that this divine shadow actually grants the Cultist favor, protecting them from harm. Due to the utter blasphemy of a Cultist’s religious beliefs and powers, most divine casters are unfriendly or even hostile towards them (with the exception of those who worship deities of darkness or shadow). Among arcane casters, the situation does not improve by much, due to the general distrust of shadow magic. A good-hearted Cultist can always hope for sanctuary, but they must put forth effort to ever hope to find one.

CULTIST LORE
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (religion) or Knowledge (the planes) can research Cultists to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including the information from lower DCs.
DC 15: Cultists are heretics who utilize the powers of shadows and darkness.
DC 20: The shadows that a Cultist calls upon defend them, body and mind.
DC 25: Cultists draw their power from the shadowy reflections of divinity and worship on the Plane of Shadows, the very concept of which is considered blasphemous.
A DC 30 Gather Information or Knowledge (religion) check in a high-magic community, or one in which a god of darkness or night is worshipped, will reveal the existence of Cultists.
A bardic knowledge check and reveal the same information as these sill checks, but in each case the DC is 5 higher than the given value.

CULTISTS IN THE GAME
In an ongoing game, cultists perhaps play out best as enemies. Perhaps only one or a select few cults even exist. Otherwise, perhaps none has ever been discovered before player interference. As they utilize reflections of divinity from the Plane of Shadows, it would not be unreasonable for one or more cults to hide themselves within the plane’s natural shadows

If you have a player with a cultist PC, allow them to show off their versatility. They may be more subtle than others but they possess combative capabilities, along with stealth and spellcasting. As the cultist is not truly superior in any of these three areas, they are only able to shine when given varied situations

ADAPTATION
While the Cultist’s power comes from the Plane of Shadow, other options exist. It is possible, for instance, to “skip the middle man” of the Plane of Shadows, as it were, gathering extra divine energy directly from the Material Plane. It is also possible for them to gain energy directly from outlawed deities (including any evil deity).

SAMPLE ENCOUNTER
Encounters with Cultists should show the mysterious nature of their magic while trying to establish a sympathize-antagonize relationship with the class as a whole. An encounter with an entire cult can make for an interesting, if deadly, encounter.
EL 5: Korena Gondshor was abandoned at and raised in a temple of Pelor as a prodigy. After a midnight encounter with a charming devil, however, she found herself enamored with devilkind as a whole. Over time, her and a few like-minded acolytes were provided with the tools and knowledge to become cultists by more devils. After a violent raid against the temple, the cult retreated into the deep heart of the city, ready to open for “business”. She may be looking for new potential recruits, desecrating a holy sight, or trying to con honest civilians out of their hard-earned pay.

KORENA GONDSHOR CR 5
Female human cultist 5
NE Medium humanoid
Init +2; Senses Listen +2, Spot +2
Languages Common, Infernal
AC 14, touch 12, flat-footed 12
hp 21 (4 HD)
Fort +2, Ref +7, Will +7
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee +1 Dagger +3 (1d4)
Ranged Masterwork Sling +5 (1d4)
Base Atk +3 ; Grp +2
Special Actions Patron’s Gift, True Believer, Still Mystery, Extend Mystery, Shadowcast
Combat Gear orb of shadow (apprentice 1st), 2 potions of cure light wounds
Mysteries Known (CL 5th)
Apprentice paths:
2nd— piercing sight (spell, 2/day)
1st—bend perspective (spell, 2/day), carpet of shadow (spell, 2/day)
Fundamentals
0—umbral hand (spell-like, at will)
Abilities Str 8, Dex 14, Con 11, Int 13, Wis 15, Cha 14
SQ Trapfinding, Shadow’s Guardian (hidden faith)
Feats True Believer, Still Mystery, Extend Mystery, Shadowcast
Skills Bluff +6, Intimidate +6, Move Silently +6, Hide +6, Search +9, Spellcraft +9
Possessions combat gear plus +1 dagger, masterwork sling with 20 rocks, +1 padded armor, Cloak of resistance +1, Elixir of Hiding, Elixir of Sneaking.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-08, 05:17 PM

The Hollow

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/9245/darkknightgd6.png

“Shadows are fickle things. You can try to grasp at them or trap them, but you’ll only discover that you’re already ensnared,”
-Beregn Featherfoot, Hollow

It is the philosophy of shadowcasters that everything emerges from shadow, and to shadow all will return. Although the shadowcasters demonstrate the former, drawing strength and power from the shadow, their counterpoint, the individual fed back to the shadow, is often ignored. These rare individuals, tortured by their own decaying existence, gain powers mockingly similar to some of the shadowcaster. While the shadowcaster pull the shadows to themselves, however, this rare breed is forcibly tugged into the darkness. These strange aberrations, pulled ever closer to the darkness, are known collectively as the Hollow.
The transformation of the Hollow is a topic of limited discussion amongst other shadow magic users. The transformation robs them of their memory and identity. In addition, the prolonged exposure to the shadows changes them. The most disturbing aspect of the Hollow is that their connection to the darkness not only tugs on them but eventually pulls on those around them. As the psychological changes usually drive a Hollow to apathy, they are left alone on the whole.
Somewhat ironically, almost all Hollow make the conscious decision to follow that path, simply looking for the tether that ties them to the shadows and following it back towards its origin. Although such an act may come across as insane or suicidal, a simple fact forces some to disregard all reason. Although most shadow-magic users need to study magical theorems for years, the power of the Hollow is almost automatic, learned by pure instinct and accessible to anyone who wishes it.
Many following the path of the Hollow foolishly pursued it under the belief that they could manage the link between them and the shadows and almost all are drawn to its promises of quick and easy power. A few, however, seeking to forget some terrible experience or punish themselves for some great wrong. When these individuals realize that their memories have shed away their memories, they may, in time, become grateful for having pursued the life of a hollow. There are also a few muttered whispers of individuals or entire families who are pulled down the path involuntarily at certain points in their lives.

Making A Hollow
The Hollow is a bit of an enigma. They possess a bit of shadow magic, but not enough to rely on it alone in combat. They possess martial prowess, but this ability continues with almost minimal aid. Furthermore, the Hollow has a bit of a hard time getting along in groups. Their body refuses many bonuses that others would grant them and the pull that the shadows exert upon them actually leeches power from those close by. Furthermore, the Hollow’s personality rarely takes a turn for the better when their metabolism starts shutting down.
The Hollow, to resist the pull of the shadows for as long as possible, fortifies themselves to the utmost of their capabilities. Although it is too late to remove the shadow’s claim to their soul, a Hollow can put up a remarkable fight and delay the transformation for centuries or longer. As such, Hollows build up their fortitude and will.
Few Hollows choose to be leaders of adventuring groups. Deprived of their memory and most of their personality, Hollows are not known for their charisma. Instead, they are more likely to tack themselves onto an existing group or organization, even one much stronger or weaker than itself, because the life of a follower saves the Hollow from the difficult decision of how to live the remainder of their torturous life.
Abilities: Although Hollows lack personality, this only serves to accentuate their common sense and pragmatism. Hollows rely heavily on their Wisdom scores, the force that allows them to pull forth mysteries from the shadows and that allows the shadows to siphon off the Hollow’s surroundings with equal force. At the same time, the Hollow is heavily reliant on their Constitution score, which is both integral to their mystery-casting and allows them to resist the punishment that they take casting said mysteries.
Races: In truth, there are no real racial demographics for hollows. The entire class is made up of the hopeless, the desperate, and the foolish. Humans, Half-Elves, and Half-Orcs tend to fit these builds more often than other classes. Elves, however, rarely fitting any of those builds, produce the fewest Hollow. A few gnomes and halflings take up this path, but many are loathe to give up their personalities and memories. Dwarves fit an interesting bill. If a dwarf is kicked out of their clan and/or loses all honor, they are about as likely to take up the billing of a hollow as they are to commit suicide.
Alignment: A Hollow deals with dark powers often considered evil and subjects those around them to such power as well, but this is not necessarily a hallmark of evil. A Hollow learns mysteries without any special deliberation and subjects those around them to their dark powers because they are not able to suppress those powers. Even so, however, a Hollow needing to earn a living has an easier time finding less savory work, a fact that leads to an almost unconscious adoption of the evil alignment. As far as law and chaos, hollow could rarely care less. They are unusually apathic beings who are neither deterred by laws nor make special effort to disobey such dictates. As such, lawful hollow are rare.
Starting Gold: 3d4X10 (75 gp)
Starting Age: As rogue

The Hollow Hit Die: d10

Level B.A.B. Fortitude Reflex Will Special Shadowstriding
1 +1 +2 +0 +2 Fundamentals of Shadow, -
Plunge into Darkness,
Moment of Clarity,
Exude Darkness
2 +2 +3 +0 +3 Pull of Shadows (colors), Bonus -
Fundamental
3 +3 +3 +1 +3 Inured to Hardship (fear), Bonus -
Fundamental
4 +4 +4 +1 +4 Freed of Flesh (hunger), Bonus -
Fundamental
5 +5 +4 +1 +4 Shadowstriding, Bonus +0 feet
Fundamental
6 +6 +5 +2 +5 Pull of Shadows (senses), Apprentice +0 feet
Mysteries
7 +7 +5 +2 +5 Touched by Darkness +0 feet
8 +8 +6 +2 +6 Freed of Flesh (thirst) +10 feet
9 +9 +6 +3 +6 Shadow Strike +10 feet
10 +10 +7 +3 +7 Pull of Shadows (emotions) +10 feet
11 +11 +7 +3 +7 Inured to Hardship (affliction) +20 feet
12 +12 +8 +4 +8 Freed of Flesh (sleep), Initiate +20 feet
Mysteries
13 +13 +8 +4 +8 Felling Blow +20 feet
14 +14 +9 +4 +9 Pull of Shadows (vitality) +30 feet
15 +15 +9 +5 +9 Improved Touched by Darkness +30 feet
16 +16 +10 +5 +10 Freed of Flesh (breath) +30 feet
17 +17 +10 +5 +10 Improved Shadowstriding +40 feet
18 +18 +11 +6 +11 Pull of Shadows (souls) +40 feet
19 +19 +11 +6 +11 Inured to Hardship (darkness) +40 feet
20 +20 +12 +6 +12 Freed of Flesh (age) +50 feet
Class Skills (2 + In modifier per level, x4 at 1st level): Balance, Concentration, Climb, Craft, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Spot, Survival, Swim

Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: You are proficient with simple and martial weapons along with light armor and shields (but not tower shields).

Fundamentals of Shadow: As a Hollow, one must first master the most basic powers afforded to you by their dark connection before delving deeper. These powers, called fundamentals, function as arcane spells. They all have somatic components, armor-based spell failure change, and are subject to interruption (although they do not require material components, foci, or verbal components). Each fundamental can be used once per day. When you use a fundamental, however, the Hollow may elect to take 1 nonlethal damage (or lethal damage, if they are immune to nonlethal damage) when they cast it. If they do, that daily use is not expended, although it is no longer available for 1 minute or until the end of the encounter, whichever comes last. A Hollow begin play with one fundamental and gains an additional fundamental at 2nd level, 3rd level, 4th level, and 5th level. When learning a new fundamental, a Hollow may choose to learn a new a new fundamental instead. When choosing a new fundamental, a Hollow can “relearn” an already known fundamental, thus gaining another set of uses of that fundamental per day. The save DC of any fundamental is equal to 10 + the Hollow’s Wisdom modifier.
At 6th level, a Hollow may use each fundamental twice per day as a spell-like ability. Each use of that ability may be saved or spent in combat as wished.
At 12th level, a Hollow may use each fundamental three times per day as a supernatural ability.

Plunged into Darkness (Ex): A Hollow’s memory and mind are in constant states of atrophy. Although they may develop base patterns, such as likes, dislikes, enemies, friends, goals, and similar personifications, most former training is lost upon them. They lose all ranks in any skills that cannot be used untrained and may distribute these skill points as they see fit. They may not put any further ranks into such skills. In addition, their emptiness rebels against augmentation, making any temporary hit points gained fade at a rate of 5 per round. Furthermore, any effect that grants a Hollow any competence or insight bonus has its duration halved (to a minimum of 1 round, if not already instantaneous).
Furthermore, this transformation forever influences the Hollow, pulling them further and further down the path, whether they like it or not. Whenever a Hollow wants to take a level in any other class, they must make a Will save (DC 15 + 1 per consecutive successful save) or be forced to take a level in Hollow instead.
The mannerisms of a Hollow are invariably a bit different from a normal individual. Anyone who a Hollow talks with for 1 minute is entitled to a dc 15 sense motive check to detect something off about the Hollow’s manner.

Moment of Clarity (Ex): Although the power of shadow normally leeches away at them and their surroundings, a Hollow can occasionally reverse the flow, forcing the shadow to give them a temporary boost of competence and ability. Once per level, as an immediate action, a Hollow may either treat a single d20 roll as a natural 20 or treat all d20 rolls as natural 10s for a number of rounds equal to their wisdom modifier (minimum 1 round). A natural 20 made in this way does not count as an automatic success on a saving throw or attack roll but does threaten a critical hit if the attack hits.
Although beneficial, this power is hard to draw upon. The Hollow takes an amount of nonlethal damage equal to their class level and must pay 100 XP per class level. In addition, the Hollow is dazed for one round after these benefits wear off. If the Hollow is immune to nonlethal damage, they take an equal amount of lethal damage instead.
An unused use of this ability from one level carries onto the next level.

Exude Darkness (Su): One of a Hollow’s first powers is that to conceal themselves in a veil of leeching darkness. To do so, they must take nonlethal damage (or lethal damage, if they are immune to nonlethal damage) equal to their character level and spend a standard action. This creates an area of shadowy illumination within a 5-foot radius of the Hollow that lasts for 1 round. In addition, all other creatures within the area when this ability is used take nonlethal damage equal to the Hollow’s class level.
By instead taking nonlethal damage equal to twice their character level, they may either extend the range to a 10-foot radius, extend the duration to a number of rounds equal to the Hollow’s Wisdom modifier (minimum 1 round), increase the shadowy illumination to darkness, or deal nonlethal damage equal to twice the Hollow’s class level. Only one of these abilities may be utilized with one use.

Pull of Shadows (Su): As a the darkness pulls upon the Hollow, the pull eventually grows to strong to be contained within their body. It spills out, creating a spiritual vacuum of sorts near the Hollow. All of these effects are continuous and cannot be suppressed.
At 2nd level, everything around the Hollow seems dulled in vividness and brightness. All creatures within a 50-foot radius of the Hollow gain a bonus on hide and move silently checks equal to the Hollow’s Wisdom modifier (minimum +1 bonus). In addition, this bonus is also added to any saving throw made against a pattern effect.
At 6th level, all senses seem to dull around the Hollow. All creatures within a 40-foot radius take a penalty on spot and listen checks equal to the Hollow’s Wisdom modifier (minimum –1 penalty). In addition, all targets within range lose low-light vision and have the range of any darkvision or scent halved.
At 10th level, all emotions seem somewhat muddled and blurred. All creatures within a 30-foot radius gain a bonus on all Will saves against fear or compulsion effects equal to the Hollow’s Wisdom modifier (minimum +1 bonus). In addition, all creature within range lose all morale penalties or bonuses for as long as they remain in the area.
At 14th level, all life near the Hollow seems to wane. All creatures within a 20-foot radius take a penalty on Fortitude saves equal to the Hollow’s Wisdom modifier(minimum –1 penalty). In addition, other creatures within range have no chance of stabilizing on their own, unless some ability automatically stabilizes them.
At 18th level, the very essence of everything around the Hollow seems to fade away. As a result of this numbing of the soul, all creatures within a 10-foot radius take a penalty to attack rolls and to their AC equal to the Hollow’s Wisdom modifier (minimum –1 penalty). Furthermore, any other creature slain within range has their soul shredded altogether, unable to be revived except by a true resurrection, wish, or miracle spell.

Inured to Hardship (Ex): As a Hollow proceeds along their doomed path, the shadows steal some of the Hollow's mortality, helping to fortify their bodies and souls
At 3rd level, the Hollow has shed too much of themselves to possess any more fear. They gain immunity to all fear effects.
At 11th level, the Hollow has shed so much of their former selves away that they no longer notice bodily afflictions. They gain immunity to all poison and diseases, supernatural or otherwise.
At 19th level, the Hollow has lost so much that even death olds very little meaning to them. The Hollow gains immunity to death spells, magical death effects, ability damage, ability drain, energy drain, and any negative energy effects.

Freed of Flesh (Ex): As the Hollow's torturous bonds to the darkness strengthen, certain biological needs are ripped forth from their body, an interesting side effect of an altogether unpleasant experience.
At 4th level, the Hollow begins to draw upon the shadows for sustenance, eliminating their own bodily needs. The Hollow no longer needs to eat. They still require drink, however.
At 8th level, the Hollow’s transformation continues, whether they are ready for it or not. The Hollow no longer needs to drink, although they can still gain benefits from ingested potions.
At 12th level, the Hollow is blessed, or perhaps cursed, with perpetual wakefulness. The Hollow no longer needs to sleep and gains immunity to fatigue, exhaustion, and all sleep effects.
At 16th level, the Hollow draws their very last breath. From that point on, the Hollow no longer needs to breathe and gains immunity to inhaled poisons.
At 20th level, the Hollow’s body and soul forever teeters at the brink of oblivion. The Hollow no longer ages, although further bonuses do accrue. This ability does not remove previous penalties for old age. Furthermore, the Hollow does not die when their time is up. On the other hand, when the Hollow truly does die, their body and spirit alike are completely destroyed. As such, only a wish or miracle spell can restore them, and only if the caster succeeds on a DC 30 caster level check.

Shadowstriding (Su): At 5th level, the Hollow’s connection to shadow is greater than their connection to physical space. While in an area of shadowy illumination or darkness, you may spend a full-round action to transport yourself anywhere within range and their line of sight (there is no restriction on the ambient lighting of the destination). The maximum range that can be traveled starts at twice the Hollow’s base land speed and increases by 10 feet every 3 levels afterwards. At the beginning of each encounter, the Hollow recovers 10 feet of movement, up to their maximum. Shadowstriding is taken in 10-foot intervals, rounded up, if necessary.
At 17th level, the Hollow may use their Shadowstriding ability as a move action. In addition, if they use a full-round action to do so instead, the area within a 10-foot radius of their destination is filled with shadowy illumination for 1 round/level, as shadows spill over from the point of origin to the destination.

Mysteries and Paths: Starting at 6th level, a Hollow can call upon the true power of the darkness that they hold, kept in the form of mysteries. They learn one mystery at 6th level and gain one additional mystery every class level. Up to 11th level, a Hollow can learn only apprentice mysteries. At 12th level, the Hollow gains access to initiate mysteries. The Hollow may choose their new mystery from any category they have access to (including fundamentals).
Shadow magic progresses in very specific stages. A Hollow may not “jump ahead” in a path, although they need not complete a path if they do not wish to. Within a category (apprentice or initiate), they can only learn mysteries of a new level if they have learned at least two mysteries of a previous level, and the Hollow must know all previous mysteries within a path to select a mystery from that path. However, a Hollow may always select the first mystery in a path of a category they have access to, even if they didn’t complete the lower category paths.
A Hollow’s mysteries represent a concrete connection between the Hollow and the darkness they allow to consume them. As they progress, however, their connection to the darkness grows stronger, and their mysteries become more ingrained in their essence. When they are capable of casting only apprentice mysteries, they cast them as though they were arcane spells. They all have somatic components, armor-based spell failure change, and are subject to interruption (but they do not require material components, foci, or verbal components). Whenever a Hollow casts a mystery, observers may make a dc 20 spot check to notice that all shadows near the Hollow act peculiarly, commonly being pulled closer to the Hollow.
At 12th level, when the Hollow becomes capable of casting initiate mysteries (whether or not they choose to learn any), their apprentice mysteries become so much a part of them that they now function as spell-like abilities, and they no longer require somatic components. New initiate mysteries (when learned) function as arcane spells and follow the rules above.
A Hollow can learn a mystery more than once. Each time that you relearn a mystery, you gain another set of uses of that mystery per day.
The Hollow may use each mystery they know a certain number of times per day depending on whether it is a spell (once), spell-like ability (two times), or supernatural ability (three times). Whenever a hollow uses a mystery, however, they take nonlethal damage (or lethal damage, if they are immune to nonlethal damage) equal to its spell level + 1. In addition, when they use a mystery, the Hallow may elect to take twice that amount of damage. If they do, that daily use is not expended, although it is no longer available for 1 minute or until the end of the encounter, whichever comes last.
In order to cast a mystery, the Hollow must have a Constitution score of at least 10 + the mystery’s level. The save DC for their mysteries equals 10 + mystery level + their Wis modifier. Although a Hollow does not “cast spells” in the traditional sense, they possess an effective caster level equal to their class level –4.

Touched by Darkness (Ex): At 7th level, a Hollow’s very being is touched by the darkness, altering them irrevocably. They may walk across any surface, ranging from semi-solids to liquids to spider webs, without risk of breaking through (although they may if they wish it). In addition, the Hollow automatically succeeds on any balance check with a DC equal to or less than their class level + 10. Furthermore, the Hollow gains a climb speed equal to their land speed.

Shadow Strike (Ex): At 9th level, whenever a Hollow uses their shadowstride ability, their weapon is coated in shadowstuff for a number of rounds equal to their Wisdom Modifier (minimum 1 round). During this time, the Hollow may strike for nonlethal damage without taking any penalty on their attack roll. In addition, the first successful attack made during this time deals an extra 1d6 nonlethal damage for every 10 feet that the Hollow moved using shadowstriding.
If the Hollow uses shadowstriding while this ability is active, it only counts the distance traveled in the most recent shadowstriding for the purposes of calculating nonlethal damage.

Felling Blow (Ex): At 13th level, the Hollow learns how to follow up their shadowy assaults with deadly blows. Whenever a Hollow knocks an adjacent foe unconscious through nonlethal damage, the Hollow may immediately make a coup de grace attempt against that foe with any melee weapon as a free action.

Improved Touched By Darkness (Ex): At 15th level, the senses of others tend to bend around you, not taking notice of your presence. You cannot be detected by blindsense, blindsight, darkvision, or tremorsense. Creatures relying on such sense treat you as invisible. You can still be detected through sight, sound, scent, low-light vision, and magical forms of detection (other than those that grant a blocked sense). In addition, your emptiness makes you more attuned to the presence of those around you, granting you blindsight out to 60 feet.

Playing a Hollow:
You have finally given into the darkness—the darkness that has pulled at you for all of your life but that you have only recently noticed. You don’t know what to make of it. Every day, your memories, identity, and sense of self seem to grow further and more distant. The darkness is painful, but it also dulls you to the pain of mortal existence. As far as power, you have found some, although it may be of little consolation to you now. The power pulls you closer to the shadows, closer to the pain, and closer to oblivion…but is that really such a bad thing?
The pain of the darkness is dulled by exterior stimuli, such as new tastes, sounds, sights, and the rush of adrenaline in battle. As such, you may take on the life of an adventurer, seeking to ignore the tolls of your power upon your body. Of course, although your memories grow more distant, they are unlikely to fade completely, and so your quests may hinge on tying together loose ends or even around a single half-forgotten name.

[Religion:
Despite most popular opinion, your soul is not truly condemned. Should you seek redemption or truly worship a deity, you may find freedom in the next life, although not in this one. However, the odds are that your apathy keeps you at bay, your lack of concern over the fate of your soul preventing you from seeking help. It is this same apathy that prevents those rare religious hollow from jumping off a cliff to speed up the process.

[Other Classes:
You tend to retain practical views of people around you. You view other spellcasters as generally more talented but weaker in combat. You know that fighters have your fighting capability but prefer that they let you handle melee combat, lest they get caught in your siphoning shadow. You don’t know how to react towards shadowcasters, the ones who have succeeded where you have failed. Some Hollow are angry towards them, and others just consider it to be a matter of time until they, too, get pulled into the shadows.

Combat:
You are an interesting combatant, capable of both decent mystery use and martial finesse. You generally either start combat either by trying to get as many creatures into the area of a mystery or by charging (or shadowstriding) into the fray, capturing as many foes as possible within the area of your pull of shadows while getting as many allies as possible out of that aura. Alternately, capture others in your exude darkness ability to damage and disorient them.
If you can, you are fine continuing on with either mysteries or with a weapon (although a shadow strike is preferable). All-in-all, your combat abilities don’t change so much as you level up. It is best to choose what you really want to do and stick with it, rather than trying to become a jack-of-all-trades. Don’t forget, if you really need it, you can fall upon your moment of clarity.

Advancement:
Continuing your development (or perhaps, transformation) as a Hollow requires no effort on your part. In fact, it takes effort to slow down the transformation. Many just let their transformation take its course without the slightest resistance, however.
As you slowly lose both the physiology and mindset typical for those of your race (or for any sane race), you may find it harder to maintain friendships. However, Hollow have precious few friends to begin with, due to their apathy and lack of personality.
Mechanically, you should increase your Wisdom and Constitution scores as you attain levels. Beyond this, focus on feats and skills that enhance your mysteries or martial capabilities.

Human Hollow Starting Package
Armor: Chain Shirt (+4 AC, armor check penalty –2, speed 30 ft., 25 lb.)
Weapon: Longsword (1d8, crit 19-20/x2, 4 lb., one-handed, slashing)
Heavy Crossbow (1d10, crit 19-20/x2, range inc. 120 ft., 8 lb., piercing)
Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 3 + Int modifier.
Skill Ranks Ability Armor Check Penalty
Concentration 4 Con --
Hide 4 Dex -2
Intimidate 4 Cha --
Listen 4 Wis --
Move Silently 4 Dex -2
Search 4 Int --
Spot 4 Wis --

Feat: Improved Initiative
Bonus Feat (Human): Weapon Focus (Longsword)
Fundamental Known: Arrow of Dusk
Gear: Backpack with waterskin, one day’s trail rations, bedroll, sack, flint and steel, Hooded lantern, 4 pints of oil, case of 10 bolts.
Gold: 3d4 gp

Hollow In The World
“As useful as the poor lad is, he forgets his orders on a daily basis. Then again, that amnesia is the only reason he follows me at all.”
-Memkas Eristead, subhead of assassin’s guild

A Hollow is perhaps one of the most tragic villains that your PCs may face. Many Hollow take no special joy from their power, and the use of their special talents is very taxing upon them. As one who has forgotten almost everything, a party should feel some faint antipathy towards them while success in battle against them should feel somewhat muted. Although everything about the hollow is muted, however, your party can still develop opinions about them. Both as a minion and as a main villain, a Hollow can invoke strong, if hard to place, emotions. As the Hollow is forced to interpret the world around them, let your world (and your PCs) interpret the Hollow as they choose.

Daily Life
As one who has lost so much, many Hollow try to cling onto whatever they can. They have no reason to study shadow magic as theirs comes to them by instinct, but many do so nonetheless for no greater reason than to eat up time. In the same way, many Hollow try to establish basic routines, which may lead to Hollow that obey metabolic needs they have not possessed in months or years.

Notables
It is a rather odd Hollow that manages to obtain and maintain notoriety. This is in part due to the Hollow’s near inability to realize the impact of their own actions and in part due to the few famous Hollow forgetting the names they are known by and changing to a new name. It is thought that a couple of Hollow have earned notoriety under tens or hundreds of names for individual quests that the Hollow can’t quite remember. In one relatively famous example, a wanderer named Don Tabellar saved a town from a black dragon two weeks before another wanderer of the same description, named Ralleb Atnod, saved a nearby town from a particularly crazed gibbering mouther. Hollow that come to positions of prominence are all but unheard of and typically fail to leave a lasting impression (or at least an impression that others enjoy remembering).

NPC Reactions
Views on Hollow vary greatly from person to person. The common association of shadows and darkness with evil leads many to believe that the Hollow’s power is less than savory in source. However, if they learn that Hollow suffer from their own power, they are often looked upon with some degree of sympathy. When the Hollow’s identity isn’t known, common folk look upon them as any warrior, although perhaps one with a memory problem.
When religion is thrown into the matter, the debates truly start. Some clerics believe that Hollow are poor souls who found their power by accident and who somebody should try to save. Others point out that someone must willingly submit to the shadows and thus don’t deserve a thing. As such, clerics and other religious folk range anywhere from friendly to unfriendly toward Hollow, although even those negatively disposed towards them usually consider their curse to be enough of a punishment.

Hollow Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (the planes) can research shadowcasters to learn more about the. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including the information from lower DCs.
DC 10: Hollow are individuals tortured by their connection to the plane of shadows.
DC 15: Hollow are able to draw forth some power from their painful link, which manifests itself in the form of shadowy magic.
DC 20: As Hollow grow closer to the plane of shadow, they lose their memories and identities. In addition, they lose their most basic biological needs.
A DC 20 Gather Information or Knowledge (Arcana) check in a very high-magic community will reveal the existence of Hollow.
A bardic knowledge check can reveal the same information as these skill checks, but in each case the DC is 5 higher than the given value.

Hollow In The Game
In an ongoing game, Hollow may be extremely rare, explaining how the PCs have never met one before. Perhaps they are actively recruited as minions without the will to resist. Perhaps most of them travel to the plane of shadows to try to lower its pull upon them.
If you have a player with a Hollow PC, not much needs to be done to support them. They are decent attackers that get decent magic and abilities. Consider not squishing the party into small areas, where everyone will get caught in Hollow’s aura. So long as you give the Hollow a chance to fight (and perhaps a chance for stealth, on occasion), the player should remain pretty happy.

Adaptation
While the Hollow is pulled inexorably towards the plane of shadow, this is done purely for flavor reasons. It is just as reasonable to view the Hollow as being pulled towards darkness, the negative energy plane, an evil god, or an exceptionally powerful fiend. Perhaps the pull is simply a family curse or powerful magical affliction with unforeseen side affects. Perhaps the Hollow uses real darkness rather than shadow to accomplish their goals.

Sample Encounter
Encounters with Hollow should leave an impression, even if you do not make it clear what that impression should be. An enemy that starts out by exuding shadow and rushing off into combat should make a somewhat memorable foe. If they start hopping from shadow to shadow., the party is unlikely to forget about them any time soon. If the first encounter ends with the Hollow knocking themselves unconscious with strain, the party will be completely bamboozled.
EL 5: Grendrik Ironspur was the eldest son in the Goldwell clan before he failed at a major mining attempt, leaving with thousands of gold pieces and returning without two copper pieces to rub together. Grendrick was disowned, thrown out into the streets and left to starve. Poor Grendrick started hoping, praying, for any power that could let him start all over. Where he prayed to gods, however, he ended up giving into shadows. Now, all that he remembers is the name Goldwell, a name that fills him with so much sorrow that he is determined to kill them all.

Grendrick Ironspur
Male Dwarf Hollow 5
NE Medium humanoid
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +11, Spot +11
Languages: Dwarven, Common
AC 14, touch 10, flat-footed 14
hp 42 (5 HD)
Fort +9, Ref +3, Will +9
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee +1 +8 longsword (1d8+3/19-20)
Base Atk +5; Grp +7
Special Actions moment of clarity, exude darkness, shadowstriding
Combat Gear potion of cure moderate wounds, gem of shadow
Mysteries Known (CL 5th)
Fundamentals:
0-arrow of dusk (spell, 1/day, 1 damage to reserve), caul shadow (spell, 1/day, 1 damage to reserve), mystic reflections (spell, 1/day, 1 damage to reserve), umbral hand (spell, 1/day, 1 damage to reserve), widened eyes (spell, 1/day, 1 damage to reserve
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 11, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 17, Cha 8
SQ Plunge into darkness, pull of shadows (color), inured to hardship (fear), freed of flesh (hunger)
Feats: Improved Initiative, Blindfighting
Skills: Hide +6, Listen +11, Move Silently +6, Spot +11
Possessions: combat gear plus chain shirt, cloak of resistance +2

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-08, 05:20 PM

A cookie and special acknowledgement to whoever can find me a picture for this.

Eventide Magus

http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs51/i/2009/261/c/f/Midnight_Jade_by_TeaDrinker004.jpg

“But my friend, you fail to comprehend just what I have done. The power at my fingertips is incredible, the knowledge I possess is tremendous and the price that I pay for these boons…is acceptable.”
Darius Harper, Eventide Magus

Magic as most people know it, despite its great boons and varied forms, is fairly immutable in form. Every caster risks having their art dispelled, countered, or simply resisted. However, some individuals have discovered shadow magic, a highly morphic form of magic that overcomes these obstacles. Shadowcasters, as most of these individuals are called, have trained for years to gain the same proficiency with shadow magic that wizards gain with the more common variety.
Some wizards, however, have discovered a way to dabble in shadow magic. By dedicating themselves to the special craft as soon as they leave their wizarding college, some wizards have crafted special staves through which they first call forth shadow magic and ingrain it upon their essence.
Through this craft, these unusual arcanists have gained some measure of proficiency with both arcane and shadow magic. Although their power stems from an unstable source, the aptly named Eventide Magi can use this instability to their advantage, either flooding themselves with shadowstuff to grant themselves greater powers or straining their unstable magic further to break even the most basic rules of magic.
Adventures: An Eventide Magus adventures to push themselves and their magic further. By growing stronger, they can gain more power magic and can gain greater control over it. This development is a quest to most Eventide Magi in and of itself.
Some Eventide Magus adventure to prove that their magic is just as viable (or moreso) than those that other arcanists prefer. Such Eventide Magi seek to outdo and impress other spellcasters.
Characteristics: An Eventide Magus casts both spells and mysteries, allowing them a great deal of versatility. Furthermore, their ability to push beyond their normal limits grants them even more potential. However, almost every spell that an Eventide Magus casts may fail them, making them factor the possibility of failure into everything that they do. The Eventide Magus learns a limited number of spells and mysteries and gets a limited number of uses per day for each one. When arcane magic and mysteries are factored together, however, the Eventide Magus ends up about on par with other arcanists or mystery-users.
Alignment: An Eventide Magus comes from an ordered environment but utilizes an overly unpredictable and unreliable power source. Even so, many Eventide Magi are lawful. Similarly, even though the mysteries that an Eventide Magus calls upon are often associated with darkness and evil, Eventide Magi often fails to make any ethical connections regarding their powers. Even so, good Eventide Magi are a bit of a rarity.
Religion: An Eventide Magus often worships a god of magic, such as Boccob or Wee Jas. However, some of them instead choose to dedicate themselves to deities associated with shadows or darkness. Even though Eventide Magi no longer need to study in order to expand their power, many still put erudition above religion.
Background: Eventide Magi recognize each other as kindred spirits, dedicated to a unique art. Regardless of where they originated from or what their views may be, Eventide Magi have a lot in common with one another. Eventide Magi, more than anything else, see themselves as a subset of former wizardry, sometimes fighting for the right to enter wizard guilds or teach their craft at wizard colleges (through petition, not force).
Races: Of all races, humans and half-elves are probably the most common Eventide Magi possessing both the desire for strength and the innovation to discover the proper techniques.
Elves look upon Eventide Magi with a mixed sense of curiosity, acknowledging that the Magi have power but pointing out that focus in one form of magic is generally more successful than dabbling in two varieties.
Gnomes have an interesting tendency to become Eventide Magi, reveling at the chance to break magic’s rules and utilizing the decent store of illusion magic at an Eventide Magi’s disposal.
Dwarves and Half-Orcs rarely become Eventide Magi as they lack the personality (and in the cast of half-orcs, the intellect) to do so. Halflings, due to their nomadic lifestyle, have a hard time staying still long enough to learn the craft properly. Savage Humanoids rarely take up the path.
Other Classes: Eventide Magi love having a reliable combatant around, someone who can stand an extra round of combat if a spell or mystery accidentally backfires. Furthermore, they have no qualms about having another, more reliable spellcaster around, although the Magi will often try to outdo them. When around a wizard, the Eventide Magus either declares the wizard to be a rival or does everything in their power to win the wizard’s approval. Acknowledging that there are magical feats beyond even their capabilities (such as healing), Eventide Magi are relieved to have a divine caster around.
Role: The Eventide Magi’s role depends on what spells and mysteries they know. They are generally not as offensive as the wizards that they could’ve been, instead using more subtle tactics to aid others in combat. At the end of the day, the Eventide Magi is forced to dedicate themselves to a role by their low number of known abilities, however.

Base Fort Ref Will -----------------Spells per Day-------

Level Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1 +0 +0 +0 +2 The Price (Above Limitation, Above Failure), 2 - - - - - - - - -
Ebon staff, Apprentice Mysteries
2 +1 +0 +0 +3 Twilight Revelation 1/day 2 1 - - - - - - - -
3 +1 +1 +1 +3 Still Mind 2 1 - - - - - - - -
4 +2 +1 +1 +4 The Price (Above Distraction) 3 1 1 - - - - - - -
5 +2 +1 +1 +4 Bonus Feat 3 2 1 - - - - - - -
6 +3 +2 +2 +5 Twilight Revelation 2/day 3 2 1 1 - - - - - -
7 +3 +2 +2 +5 Initiate Mysteries 4 2 2 1 - - - - - -
8 +4 +2 +2 +6 The Price (Sureness of Shadows) 4 3 2 1 1 - - - - -
9 +4 +3 +3 +6 Greater Twilight Revelation 4 3 2 2 1 - - - - -
10 +5 +3 +3 +7 Twilight Revelation 3/day 5 3 3 2 1 1 - - - -
11 +5 +3 +3 +7 Slippery Mind 5 4 3 2 2 1 - - - -
12 +6/+1 +4 +4 +8 The Price (Power of Shadows) 5 4 3 3 2 1 1 - - -
13 +6/+1 +4 +4 +8 Master Mysteries 6 4 4 3 2 2 1 - - -
14 +7/+2 +4 +4 +9 Twilight Revelation 4/day 6 5 4 3 3 2 1 1 - -
15 +7/+2 +5 +5 +9 Bonus Feat 6 5 4 4 3 2 2 1 - -
16 +8/+3 +5 +5 +10 The Price (Tenacity of Shadows) 6 5 5 4 3 3 2 1 1 -
17 +8/+3 +5 +5 +10 Supreme Twilight Revelation 6 6 5 4 4 3 2 2 1 -
18 +9/+4 +6 +6 +11 Twilight Revelation 5/day 6 6 5 5 4 3 3 2 1 1
19 +9/+4 +6 +6 +11 Mindblank 6 6 6 5 4 4 3 2 2 1
20 +10/+5 +6 +6 +12 The Price (Beyond Death) 6 6 6 5 5 4 3 3 2 1

Game Rule Information:
Eventide Magi have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Intelligence determines how powerful of a mystery or spell you can cast and how hard those mysteries and spells are to resist. Charisma, however, determines how likely the spell is to be cast properly. With low health and little or no armor, good constitution and dexterity scores go a long way to making a batter Eventide Magus.
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d4

Class Skills:
The Eventide Magus’ class skills are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Use Magic Device (Cha)
Skill Points at 1st level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

Class Features:
All of the following are class features of the Eventide Magus.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: You are proficient with the club, dagger, heavy crossbow, light crossbow, and quarterstaff, but not with any type of armor or shield. Armor of any type interferes with your movements, which can cause your spells and mysteries with somatic components to fail

Mysteries and Paths: In addition to the spellcasting ability that you obtain (see below), you can invoke mystical secrets called mysteries. You know two mysteries at 1st level and again one additional mystery every class level. Up to 6th level, you can learn only apprentice mysteries. At 7th level, you gain access to initiate mysteries, and at 13th level you become able to use master mysteries. You can choose your mystery from any category you have access to (excluding fundamentals).
Shadow magic progresses in very specific stages. You may not “jump ahead” in a path, although you need not complete a path if you do not wish to. Within a category (apprentice, initiate, master), you can only learn mysteries of a new level if you have learned at least two mysteries of a previous level, and you must know all previous mysteries within a path to select a mystery from that path. As an exception to this rule, you must know three 1st level mysteries in order to learn 2nd level mysteries. However, you can always select the first mystery in a path of a category you have access to, even if you didn’t complete the lower category paths.
Mysteries represent though patterns and formulae so alien that other spells seem simple in comparison. As you progress, your connection to the Plane of Shadow allows your to ingrain your mysteries in your essence. When you are capable of casting only apprentice mysteries, you cast them as though they were arcane spells. They all have somatic components, armor-based spell failure chance, and are subject to interruption. Whenever you cast a mystery as an arcane spell, observers can make a DC 15 Spot check to note that shadows play about your staff (or hands, if you are not using your ebon staff) as you cast the mystery.
When you reach 2nd level, and every level afterwards, you may permanently alter any mystery cast as a spell to be cast as a spell-like ability, any mystery cast as a spell-like ability to be cast as a supernatural ability, or any supernatural ability so that it gets one extra daily use.
In addition, as you progress, your connection to the Plane of Shadow changes in a sense as you grow familiar with your powers and make them harder to resist. When you reach 7th level, at which point you can cast initiate mysteries, you become familiar enough with your apprentice mysteries that their saving throws are changed to 10 + 1/2 class level + Intelligence modifier.
When you reach 13th level and become capable of casting master mysteries, another change occurs. The saving throws for your initiate mysteries are changed to 10 + 1/2 class level + Intelligence modifier. In addition, you gain a +2 bonus on umbral strain checks when casting apprentice mysteries.
Every mystery you know may be used once per day, regardless of whether it is cast as a spell, spell-like ability, or supernatural ability. In addition, you can learn a mystery more than once. Each time you learn a mystery, you may use that mystery one additional time per day. Unlike spellcasters, you don’t get bonus mysteres for a high ability score. Although you do not prepare spells, you must rest for 8 hours and meditate for 30 minutes each day to regain your use of mysteries just as a sorcerer or bard must rest and meditate to regain use of their spell slots. If your staff is within arm’s reach while meditating, you need only meditate for 15 minutes.
In order to cast a mystery, you must have an Intelligence score of at least 10 + the mystery’s level. The save DC for your mysteries equals 10 + mystery level + your Int modifier. Your levels in this class count for the purpose of determining your overall caster level.

Spellcasting: In addition to your mysteries, you cast arcane spells which are drawn from the Eventide Magus spell list (see below). You can cast any spell you know without preparing it ahead of time, the way a wizard or a cleric must.
To learn or cast a spell, you must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against your spell is 10 + the spell level + your Intelligence modifier.
Like other spellcasters, you can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Your base daily spell allotment is given on the table above. In addition, you receive bonus spells per day if you have a high Intelligence score.
Your selection of spells is extremely limited. You start play with knowledge of 2 0-level spells and gain one additional spell known every level afterwards. In addition, you can only learn a spell if you already know two spells of the previous spell level.
At 4th level, and at every level afterwards, you may exchange one spell known for another spell of the same spell level.
Unlike a wizard or a cleric, you need not prepare spells in advance. You can cast any spell you know at any time, assuming you have not yet used up your spells per day for that spell level.

Ebon staff: Your connection to the shadows is purely superficial, the result of an extraplanar bargain. To access your new powers effectively, you are taught how to craft a staff to act as a focus and catalyst. Crafting the staff takes 24 hours and 100 gp in materials. The staff functions as a normal quarterstaff of your size with added supernatural abilities (see below).
If your ebon staff is destroyed, you must attempt a DC 15 Fortitude saving throw. Failure means you lose 200 experience points per Eventide Magus level; success reduced this loss to one-half that amount. However, your experience point total can never go below 0 as te result of an ebon staff’s destruction. A destroyed ebon staff may not be replaced for one month and cannot be repaired by any means.

The Price (Su): As an Eventide Magus, you have a steep price to pay for your abuse of magic. Whenever you casts a mystery or arcane spell gained by virtue of this class, you must roll a DC 12 umbral strain check (d20+charisma modifier). If the check succeeds, the spell or mystery manifests normally. If the check fails, however, the mystery or spell is lost and the you become fatigued. If already fatigued, you instead become exhausted. If already exhausted, the you become stunned for 1 round.
However, so long as you are willing to deal with the consequences, you can press your power even further and ignore normal limitations. You learn new ways to abuse the weave of magic as they level up.
Above Limitation: As a full-round action, you can cast a mystery or spell without using a daily use or spell slot. However, doing so increases the DC of the umbral strain check for every spell or mystery cast within the next 24 hours (including that one) by 1.
Above Failure: As a full-round action, you can cast a single spell or mystery with no chance of failure, so long as there is a daily use or spell slot remaining. However, doing so fatigues, exhausts, or stuns you as if you had failed your umbral strain check.
Above Distraction: Starting at 4th level, as a full-round action, you can cast a single spell or mystery in a way that provokes no attacks of opportunity, ignores all arcane failure from armor or shields used, and bypasses the need for any concentration checks. Doing so increases the DC of the umbral strain check for that spell or mystery by 2.
Sureness of Shadows: Starting at 8th level, as a full-round action, you can give up one daily use or spell slot of the highest spell level available to you. In exchange, you gain a stacking +1 bonus on all umbral strain checks made within the next hour.
Power of Shadows: Starting at 12th level, as a full-round action, you can increase the caster level or save DC by +2. Doing so raises the DC of the umbral strain check for that spell or mystery by 2. Alternately, you can boost both the caster level and save DC. Doing so increases the DC of the umbral strain check by 5, however.
Tenacity of Shadows: Starting at 16th level, as a full-round action, you can cast a spell or mystery in such a way that it overcomes resistances and resists attempts to end it. Such a spell or mystery cannot be countered or dispelled and ignores all spell resistance. In addition, such a spell or mystery may be cast into, but not within, an antimagic zone or dead magic area. Similarly, a spell or mystery originating from outside of the area may pass into the area and continue functioning. A spell or mystery in such an area may persist for up to 3 rounds, after which time it ends as if its duration had run out. Casting a spell or mystery in this way raises the DC of the umbral strain check for that spell or mystery by 10.
Beyond Death: Starting at 20th level, if you are slain but your body remains intact, you return back to life at full health and with the dark template 1d4 rounds later. In addition, you return with no constitution damage (or drain) or negative levels. While in this state, the DC of all umbral strain checks and the save DCs of your spells and mysteries increase by 2 each round. If on any round you fail to successfully cast a spell or mystery, you are slain once more. In addition, you can also be slain through damage or death effects as normal. After dying again in such a manner, you may not be revived by any means short of a true resurrection, wish, or miracle spell.

Twilight Revelation (Su): Your true power is that to tap into the vast quantities of dark knowledge that permeate the plane of shadow. To do so, you enter a near trancelike state that extends your senses, increases your defenses against harm, and empowers both your mysteries and spellcasting.
While in this state, you gain low-light vision and add your intelligence bonus (if any) as an insight bonus to all spot and listen checks you make. In addition, you gain Damage Reduction 2/-as the shadows absorb your physical injuries. In addition, whenever you cast a spell or mystery, it is cast as an extraordinary ability (but is affects incorporeal creatures as if a supernatural ability), you gain a +2 bonus on your umbral strain check, and the twilight revelation ends. However, while in such a state, you lose much coordination, taking a –2 penalty on all attack rolls.
A Twilight Revelation lasts up to 1 round/2 levels, although it may be ended prematurely if desired. At the end of a Twilight Revelation, you are dazed for 1 round as you head is left spinning with half-forgotten insights. If you hold your ebon staff while entering a Twilight Revelation, it takes no action to initiate a twilight revelation, although it must be activated during your action. Otherwise, it takes a standard action.
You may use one Twilight Revelation each day at 2nd level and you gain one additional daily use every 4 levels afterwards.

Still Mind (Ex): At 3rd level, you gain a +2 bonus on saving throws against spells and effects from the school of enchantment. A combination of great discipline and mental overlap from the plane of shadow helps you resist effects that alter your mind.

Bonus Feat: At 5th level, and again at 15th level, you gain a bonus feat. The bonus feat must be a metamagic feat, metashadow feat, or item creation feat.

Greater Twilight Revelation (Su): At 9th level, you gain greater insights from the plane of shadow. While in a Twilight Revelation, you can see invisible and ethereal creatures and add your intelligence bonus (if any) as an insight bonus to initiative checks. In addition, your damage reduction increases to 4/-. Lastly, when you cast a spell or mystery, you do not expend a spell slot or daily use.

Slippery Mind (Ex): At 11th level, if you are affected by an enchantment spell or effect and fail your saving throw, you can attempt it again 1 round later at the same DC. You only get this one extra chance to succeed on her saving throw.

Supreme Twilight Revelation (Su): At 17th level, you gain masterful insights into the nature of all things. You see the true nature of all creatures as if through a true seeing spell, can no longer be flanked, and automatically succeed on any saving throw allowed against a spell or effect from the illusion school. Furthermore, you add your intelligence bonus (if any) as an insight bonus to your AC and your damage reduction increases to 6/-. Lastly, when you cast a spell or mystery, you may apply a single metamagic or metashadow feat without altering its casting time or spell level and without expending any daily uses of that feat.

Mindblank (Su): At 19th level, the mental overlap between your mind and the plane of shadow blocks out all interference. You are continually affected as if by a mindblank effect.

Ebon staff
Ebon staves are supernaturally linked to their owner. Although it remains a normal quarterstaff in most respects, it has been supernaturally treated to gain and grant special abilities. Unlike magic items, an ebon staff is supernatural, meaning that its enchantments cannot be dispelled, although they are suppressed in an antimagic zone.

Owner
Class level Hardness Adj. Hit Points Adj. Special
1-2 +1 +5 Stealthy, Dark Catalyst, Midnight Resilience
3-4 +2 +10 Cloak of Shadow
5-6 +3 +15 Darkvision 30 feet
7-8 +4 +20 Call to Master
9-10 +5 +25 Darkvision 60 feet
11-12 +6 +30 Shadow Space
13-14 +7 +35 Darkvision 90 feet
15-16 +8 +40 Scry on Staff
17-18 +9 +45 Telepathy
19-20 +10 +50 Spell Immunity

Ebon staff Ability Descriptions: all ebon staves possess (or impart) abilities depending on their owner’s class level, as shown on the table above. The abilities given on the table are cumulative.

Hardness Adj.: The number noted here is an improvement to the ebon staff’s existing hardness. It represents the unusual toughness of an eventide magus’ staff.
Hit Points Adj.: The number noted here is an improvement to the ebon staff’s existing hit points. It represents the incredible resilience of an eventide magus’ staff.
Stealthy (Ex): The presence of an ebon staff obscures the features of its owner. While an ebon staff is within arm’s reach, the owner gains the stealthy feat (PHB, page 101).
Catalyst (Su): While holding your ebon staff, magical is more easily bent to the will of an ebon staff’s owner. While held within its owner’s hand, an ebon staff lowers the DC of all umbral strain checks by 2.
Midnight Resilience (Su): An ebon staff is unusually resilient. It receives saving throws even while unattended as if it were a magic item with a caster level equal to its owner’s class level. In addition, it naturally heals one hit point every night at midnight.
Cloak of Shadow (Su): If its owner is 3rd level or higher, an ebon staff allows its owner to submerge himself within darkness. A number of times per day equal to its owner’s charisma modifier, while in an area of shadowy illumination, the owner of an ebon staff may conceal themselves in shadow as an immediate action, granting them a 20% miss chance against a single attack. The ebon staff must be held by its owner in order to utilize this ability.
Darkvision (Su): If its owner is 5th level or higher, an ebon staff grants its owner the ability to see through darkness. While holding the ebon staff, its owner gains darkvision out to the indicated distance.
Call to Master (Su): One problem that Eventide magi often deal with is the possibility of a stolen ebon staff. It its owner is 7th level or higher, an ebon staff can be called to its owner once per day. If it is not unattended, it teleports to the Eventide magi across any distance (but not across planar boundaries). If it is attended, it is not teleported but its owner learns the general direction it is in (or the fact that it is on another plane)
Shadow Space (Su): If the owner is 11th level or higher, an ebon staff can be stored in a pocket of the plane of shadow. Its owner must spend a standard action to do so. After being stored, it can remain in the pocket for any amount of time and can be called back as a swift action.
Scry on Staff (Su): If the owner is 15th level or higher, an Eventide magus can scry on his ebon staff 9as if casting the scrying spell) once per day.
Telepathy (Su): If the owner is 17th level or higher, the ebon staff grants him the ability to communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that possesses a language. In order to benefit from this telepathy, the ebon staff must be held by its owner.
Spell Immunity (Su): It the owner is 19th level or higher, the ebon staff gains immunity to all spells that allow spell resistance, as if they had failed to overcome its spell resistance.

Midnight Magus Spell List:
0: Detect Magic, Disrupt Undead, Ghost Sound, Mage Hand, Message, Prestidigitation, Touch of Fatigue, Silent Portal
1 Comprehend Languages, Disguise Self, Expeditious Retreat, Grease, Identify, Low-Light Vision, Mage Armor, Net of Shadows, Nystul’s Magic Aura, Obscuring Mist, Shield, Silent Image, Ventriloquism, Whelm
2 Blur, Darkness, Darkvision, Detect Thoughts, Fog Cloud, Invisibilty, Lesser Celerity, Minor Image, Mirror Image, See Invisibility, Spider Climb, Wall of Gloom, Whelming Blast, Whispering Wind
3 Arcane Sight, Blacklight, Dispel Magic, Displacement, Gaseous Form, Halt, Hold Person, Inevitable Defeat, Major Image, Nondetection, Shadow Binding, Slow, Suggestion, Tongues,
4: Arcane Eye, Celerity, Dimensional Anchor, Dimension door, Evard’s Black Tentacles, Greater Invisibility, Greater Mirror Image, Mass Whelm, Phantom Battle, Phantasmal Killer, Remove Curse, Scrying, Shadow Conjuration, Shadow Well
5: Break Enchantment, Greater Dimension Door, Hold Monster, Indomitability, Persistant Image, Rary’s Telepathic Bond, Seeming, Sending, Shadow Evocation, Shadow Form, Shadow Hand, Teleport, Waves of Fatigue
6: Analyze Dweomer, Antimagic Field, Greater Dispel Magic, Overwhelm, Legend Lore, Mass Suggestion, Mislead, Permanent Image, Probe Thoughts, Programmed Image, Shadow Walk, Shadowy Grappler, True Seeing, Veil
7: Banishment, Greater Arcane Sight, Greater Scrying, Greater Shadow Conjuration, Greater Teleport, Mass Hold Person, Mass Invisibility, Plane Shift, Project Image, Simulacrum, Solipsism, Spell Turning, Vision, Waves of Exhaustion.
8 Antipathy, Chain Dispel, Demand, Dimensional Lock, Discern Location, Ghostform, Greater Celerity, Greater Shadow Evocation, Maze, Moment of Prescience, Greater Plane Shift, Protection From Spells, Screen, Superior Invisibility
9 Absorption, Black Blade of Disaster, Eye of Power, Foresight, Hindsight, Imprisonment, Magic Miasma, Mass Hold Monster, Mordenkainen’s Disjunction, Replicate Casting, Shades, Sphere of Ultimate Destruction, Time Stop, Weird

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-08, 06:06 PM

A cookie and special acknowledgement to whoever can find me a picture for this.

Ephemeral Watcher

“They who watch the shadows live in shadows”

How does one look at the shadows? Traditionally, there are those that use it and those who fear it. Those who take power from it and those forced to pay their own power to it. Some individuals, however, through extensive mental discipline, have managed to set themselves apart from this order. They have set themselves back to watch the interactions of the shadow and material.
These few individuals have managed a remarkable feat, balancing on the edge of shadow and material, bathing themselves in the energies that cross between the two rather than drawing power from either one directly. These strange individuals, trained to observe instead of interfere, have earned the title of Ephemeral Watcher.
Adventures: ephemeral watchers, as a general rule, travel rarely, preferring a life either in a small monastery or in solitude. Some ephemeral watchers do leave, trying to maintain or create some balance. Others envision a new status quo and head out to force their vision upon the world. More still travel out to try to perfect their art. They are generally not greedy for material wealth but they accept their limitations and will not refuse an item that does what they cannot do on their own.
Characteristics: The key feature of an ephemeral watcher is that they can fight without armor or weapons. Thanks to their training, they can hold their own in combat using just their body.
Although an ephemeral watcher does not use magic in the traditional sense, they do have a certain magic of their own. This power, emerging as the conflicting energies of the material plane and plane of shadows wash over them, runs in constant flux. They can deny themselves defenses to destroy a weapon used against them or grant themselves great strength by paying an equal price later on.
Alignment: Most ephemeral watchers prefer a neutral alignment on the good-evil axis, although good and evil ones are not unheard of. All ephemeral watchers are lawful, due to the discipline needed to keep them separated from the powers they use.
Religion: Ephemeral watchers, which try to separate themselves from all outside powers, are rarely pious, as they would never want boons from a deity that they worship. If they do choose to worship a deity, it is simply because the watcher shares that deity’s ideology.
Background: Ephemeral watchers, by necessity, are often chosen at an early age (before they can dedicate themselves to the forces around them). They are raised and trained in large subterranean monasteries called hermitages. This is the only time at which an ephemeral watcher has the full support of others like him. Ephemeral watchers rarely run counter to another and take vows that prevent them from hurting one another but they cannot expect help from other ephemeral watchers. Although ephemeral watchers often feel some kinship with each other, they also believe that it is in their best interests if they do not assist each other (and thus end up acting as the outside forces that they seek to distance themselves from).
Races: Due to their vast numbers and metropolitan nature, a good number of humans choose to become ephemeral watchers. Of course, the philosophy behind an ephemeral watcher is intriguing to elves, who often isolate themselves within the forest to begin with. To half-elves and half-orcs who have had to rely on themselves from the very beginning, the philosophy is even more intriguing. To the dwarves, who already have a rigid thought structure and are used to the subterranean isolation found in a hermitage, the path of an ephemeral fist seems completely acceptable, although some dwarves view them as lazy do-nothings that lack conviction. The chaotic minds of gnomes, however, makes them rather poor ephemeral watchers. Halflings are often too mobile in their lifestyle to commit themselves to a hermitage.
Savage humanoids usually lack the stable organization that allows for the formation of hermitages, although certain tribes might transform themselves into gigantic hermitages and nothing else. In addition, many subterranean races stumble across existing hermitages by accident and decide to take us of it in future generations (the ephemeral watchers in charge of a hermitage do not discriminate based on race).
Other Classes: As far as classes related to the shadows, ephemeral watchers are probably the most widely accepted. Although they fight in a way that few can identify with (or even make sense of), they feel a special kinship with monks, who’s abilities most closely parallel their own. Either way, an ephemeral watcher usually proves to be an excellent ally, capable of controlling the battlefield nearly as well as a mage.
Role: An ephemeral watcher’s role is generally combat control. Their ephemeral strike ability allows them to discourage spellcasting, ranged attacks, and even movement. Meanwhile, their twilight reserve ability allows them to fight longer and travel the battlefield unmolested.

Ephemeral Watcher
Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special
1 +0 +2 +2 +2 Unarmed Strike, Dust to Dust
2 +1 +3 +3 +3 Armor of Darkness, Ephemeral Strike 1/encounter
3 +2 +3 +3 +3 Resist Magic, Twilight Reserve
4 +3 +4 +4 +4 Entropic Blow, Stunning Fist
5 +3 +4 +4 +4 Ephemeral Strike 2/encounter
6 +4 +5 +5 +5 Greater Ephemeral Strike
7 +5 +5 +5 +5 Twilight Reserve
8 +6/+1 +6 +6 +6 Ephemeral Strike 3/encounter
9 +6/+1 +6 +6 +6 Spurn Magic
10 +7/+2 +7 +7 +7 Entropic Strike
11 +8/+3 +7 +7 +7 Ephemeral Strike 4/encounter, Twilight Reserve
12 +9/+4 +8 +8 +8 Improved Armor of Darkness
13 +9/+4 +8 +8 +8 Improved Ephemeral Strike
14 +10/+5 +9 +9 +9 Ephemeral Strike 5/encounter
15 +11/+6/+1 +9 +9 +9 Twilight Reserve
16 +12/+7/+2 +10 +10 +10 Entropic Assault
17 +12/+7/+2 +10 +10 +10 Ephemeral Strike 6/encounter
18 +13/+8/+3 +11 +11 +11 Mantle of Darkness
19 +14/+9/+4 +11 +11 +11 Twilight Reserve
20 +15/+10/+5 +12 +12 +12 Superior Ephemeral Strike, Ephemeral Strike 7/encounter

Game Rule Information:
Ephemeral Watchers have the following game statistics
Abilities: Wisdom powers many of an ephemeral watcher’s abilities. Dexterity allows you to better defend yourself. With your low hit points, constitution is always a welcomed thing.
Alignment: Any Lawful
Hit Die: D6

Class Skills:
The Ephemeral Watcher’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex)
Skill points at 1st level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill points at each additional level: 4 + Int modifier

Class Features:
The following are class features of the Ephemeral Watcher

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Ephemeral Watchers gain no proficiency with any weapons or armor beyond their own two hands. In fact, your oaths make it difficult for your to use such items.

Ephemeral Oaths: Every ephemeral watcher, in order to gain their power, is conscripted to a small set of oaths, each bearing clear consequences for breaking them. These oaths, rather than being assigned by a teacher or mentor, are simply limitations in their power that they must live with. As long as you are in compliance with all oaths, however, you are of sound mind, gaining a +2 bonus on will saves.
Oath of Sufficiency: Ephemeral Watchers each take an oath preventing them from using manufactured weapons or armor. While using either of these, you are sickened until you begin fighting without either.
Oath of Shadow: Ephemeral Watchers each take an oath to remain neither in light nor darkness, but in shadow. If you spend twenty-four hours in perpetual exposure to either light or darkness, you become blind until you rest in an area of shadowy illumination for 1 minute.
Oath of Brotherhood: An Ephemeral Watcher each take an oath not to attack others who follow the path of indifference. If you attack another ephemeral watcher or witness one being injured, you take a –1 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks for the remainder of the encounter. These penalties stack, up to a maximum of your class level.
Oath of the Watcher: Ephemeral Watchers each take an oath to remain impartial in the balance of life and death. If you kill more individuals than your wisdom modifier in a 24-hour period, you become fatigued for the remainder of the day.
Oath of Meditation: Ephemeral Watchers each take an oath to meditate each day to maintain their indifference to shadows. If you do not meditate for at least 15 minutes each day, you do not heal naturally until you meditate for a complete hour, at which point natural healing resumes at its normal rate.
Oath of Discipline: The Strictest Oath that an Ephemeral Watcher takes is one of mental discipline and dedication. If you multiclass out of Ephemeral Watcher or your alignment shifts from lawful, you irrevocably lose all supernatural class features and can never again take levels in Ephemeral Watcher.

Unarmed Strike: Ephemeral Watchers are highly trained in fighting unarmed, giving you considerable advantages when doing so. At 1st level, you gain Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. An Ephemeral Watcher’s attacks may be with either fist interchangeably or even from elbows, knees, and feet. This means that you may even make unarmed strikes with your hands full. There is not such thing as an off-hand attack for an ephemeral watcher striking unarmed. Thus, you may apply your full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all your unarmed strikes.
Usually an Ephemeral Watcher’s unarmed strikes deal lethal damage, but you can choose to deal nonlethal damage instead with no penalty on the attack roll. You have the same choice to deal lethal or nonlethal damage while grappling.
Your unarmed strike is treated both as a manufactured weapon and a natural weapon for the purposes of spells and effects that enhance or improve either manufactured weapons or natural weapons.

Level Unarmed Strike Damage
1 1d4
2 1d4
3 1d4
4 1d6
5 1d6
6 1d6
7 1d6
8 1d8
9 1d8
10 1d8
11 1d8
12 1d10
13 1d10
14 1d10
15 1d10
16 2d6
17 2d6
18 2d6
19 2d6
20 2d8

Dust to Dust (Ex): As an Ephemeral Watcher, the first task you learn is how to degrade the bodies of the dead, making them unsuitable for revival and reanimation alike. Doing so takes 1 minute, plus 1 minute for each size category above medium or minus 1 round for each size category smaller than medium, provoking attacks of opportunity each round. If successful, the target cannot be revived via raise dead or reincarnation spells and cannot be reanimated as any corporeal undead.

Armor of Darkness (Su): Starting at 2nd level, you learn how to grab shadows about you and use them to protect you. You add your wisdom modifier to your AC and to all Initiative checks. As a swift action, you may deny yourself this bonus to your AC for 1 round. During this round, any manufactured weapon that strikes you must make a fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 class level + Wis modifier) or break after dealing its damage. If wearing medium or heavy armor or if carrying a medium or heavy load, you gain no bonus from this ability past the bonus to your Initiative checks. You do not benefit from the bonus to your AC while helpless.

Ephemeral Strike (Su): Starting at 2nd level, you have learned how to use shadow to strike at foes from far away. Once per encounter, plus once per encounter for every 3 levels above 2nd, you can make an unarmed attack against any creature within 30 feet, except that it must be used to deal nonlethal damage, you do not add your strength modifier to the damage roll, and that it has a 50% chance of damaging incorporeal creatures.
While you have at least one remaining use for an encounter, you threaten all creatures within range and may make attacks of opportunity against them. These attacks of opportunity do not count against your normal attack of opportunity for the round and you may make more than one against one creature in a round, although no more than one per action that they take.
As they are made as regular attacks, it is possible to make several ephemeral strikes in one round if your base attack bonus is high enough or to interchange ephemeral strikes with other attacks.
If not in an encounter, an ephemeral watcher may make one ephemeral strike each minute.

Resist Magic (Su): Starting at 3rd level, you gain a natural resistance against spells and spell-like abilities. You add your charisma modifier (if positive) as a resistance bonus to all saving throws made against spells and spell-like abilities. As a swift action, you may deny yourself this bonus to saving throws for 1 round. During this round, if you unwillingly fail a saving throw against a non-harmless spell or spell-like ability, make a special dispel check (1d20 + Class level) against all magical effects within a 10-foot radius of yourself (DC 11 + caster level).

Twilight Reserve (Su): Starting at 3rd level, you can flood yourself with the energies crossing between the material plane and plane of shadows. While in an encounter, as a swift action, you may grant yourself a number of temporary hit points up to your current hit points. While using your twilight reserve, you ignore difficult terrain while moving. This twilight reserve lasts for 1 round, after which all remaining temporary hit points are lost and you take nonlethal damage equal to the number of temporary hit points you originally gained.
Starting at 7th level, your twilight reserve lasts three rounds. In addition, while using your twilight reserve, you may spend a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity to spend 10 temporary hit points. If you do, you are healed 5 damage.
Starting at 11th level, your twilight reserve lasts five rounds. In addition, while using your twilight reserve, you do not provoke attacks of opportunity for movement as your body becomes less substantial.
Starting at 15th level, your twilight reserve lasts seven rounds. In addition, while using your twilight reserve, you may spend a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity to take 5 damage. If you do, you gain 10 temporary hit points which stack with your twilight reserve and with other uses of this ability. These additional temporary hit points last until your twilight reserve ends.
Starting at 19th level, your twilight reserve lasts nine rounds. In addition, while using your twilight reserve, you and your gear become incorporeal while moving, gaining all associated benefits and penalties.
Your twilight reserve may be used no more than once per encounter. You cannot use your twilight reserve while wearing medium or heavy armor or carrying a medium or heavy load.

Entropic Blow (Ex): Starting at 4th level, you learn how to force items to crumble before your fist, whether or not you meet the prerequisites. As a full-round action, you may make a single unarmed attack that ignores all hardness and damage reduction. This attack cannot be made through your ephemeral strike ability.

Stunning Fist: At 4th level, you gain stunning fist as a bonus feat. For all purposes, you possess a monk level equal to your ephemeral watcher level. You may use this ability with your ephemeral strike ability but doing so lowers the DC by 2.

Greater Ephemeral Strike (Su): Starting at 6th level, your ability to strike from afar is greatly increased. When using your ephemeral strike ability, you ignore all cover and concealment less than complete cover and concealment.
In addition, whenever you would normally by hit by a ranged weapon no more than two size categories larger than yourself, you may expend one of your uses of ephemeral strike to deflect that weapon so that you take no damage from it. You must be aware of the attack and not flat-footed. Deflecting ranged weapons in this way takes no action.

Spurn Magic (Su): Starting at 9th level, your ability to resist magic is greatly increased. Against spells and spell-like abilities that allow saving throws and allow partial effects on a successful save (such as will partial, fortitude partial, and reflex half), you completely avoid all effects on a successful saving throw.
Furthermore, if you are affected by a spell or spell-like ability that does no allow a saving throw, you can make a Will save against the spell’s DC as if it allowed a save (including the bonus of resist magic). If you succeed, you negate the effect of the spell.

Entropic Strike (Ex): Starting at 10th level, you can burst through an enemy’s defenses with a much greater as a standard action, you can make a single unarmed attack that ignores up to one point of hardness or damage reduction/ 2 class levels. This attack cannot be made through your ephemeral strike ability.

Improved Armor of Darkness (Su): Starting at 12th level, your defenses are greatly increased. First of all, while benefiting from your AC bonus from armor of darkness and standing in shadowy illumination, all attacks against you gain a 20% miss chance.
Secondly, while you deny yourself your AC bonus, natural weapons can be shattered as well as teeth crumble, claws shatter, and pseudopods rot. When so damaged by a natural weapon, the creature possessing it must make a fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 class level + Wis modifier). If it fails, the creature loses the use of that natural weapon for 24 hours and takes 1 damage/level. A creature deprived of all natural attacks is still capable of making unarmed attacks.

Improved Ephemeral Strike (Su): Starting at 13th level, you learn how to find openings in even the most concrete of techniques. When a target within range of your ephemeral strike successfully casts a spell or spell-like ability defensively or utilizes a supernatural ability, it provokes an attack of opportunity from you (and others, if appropriate). This attack of opportunity must be made using your ephemeral strike ability.

Entropic Assault (Ex): Starting at 16th level, your ability to break through defenses reaches its very pinnacle. Whenever you make an unarmed attack without your ephemeral strike, it ignores up to 1 point of hardness or damage reduction/ 2 levels.
In addition, as a full-round action, you may make a single unarmed strike that ignores all damage reduction or hardness and deals double damage. This attack cannot be made using your ephemeral strike ability.

Mantle of Shadow (Su): Starting at 18th level, you become all but impervious to magic. You are immune to the effects of any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance, as if it had failed to overcome your spell resistance.

Superior Ephemeral Strike (Su): Starting at 20th level, your ability to fight from afar with shadow is unparalleled. All ephemeral strikes are resolved as touch attacks. In addition, the range of your ephemeral strikes is extended to 60 feet. Lastly, ephemeral strike attacks that do not hit do not count against your total for that encounter.

No actual shadow magic here but it seems to fit the flavor well.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-08, 06:10 PM

Once more, a good image would be appreciated.

The Midnight Seer

“I have seen through the shadows to a thousand possible futures. Although they all vary somewhat in the details, they all agree on at least two details. I am going to walk out of this fight victorious. You are not going to walk away at all.”
Pidius Grots, Midnight Seer

If knowledge is power, foresight must truly be next to godliness. After all, for all of their pretenses in divination, clerics only know what is told to them by their deities, the only beings capable of seeing into the future. Or at least, that is what most people would have you believe. Some, however, are born with the gift of foresight. These individuals, rather than relying upon deities, rely on a source that is quite arguably equal in power and reliability, the plane of shadows.
These individuals are often unnoticed by the populace, listed off as local soothsayers. As no one, including themselves, is able to see the seal from which they take their power, many may misjudge their gift as a divine boon or even as a surplus of lucky guesses, intellectual prowess, and deductive reasoning. Despite this abundance of confusion, there is a lesser-known name used for the few that have been identified. These shadowy observers of events yet to come are the Midnight Seers.

Making an Midnight Seer:
The Midnight Seer is a capable caster, if a cautious and controlling one. His abilities are tightly wound into contingent triggers, giving them less freedom over their use. However, you make up for this lack with sheer capability. Although shadow magic is not widely used, shadow magic as innate in nature as yours is practically unheard of. You can use your mysteries even where no magic should exist, if need be.
Unlike many magic users, your choice of mysteries is of very little impact to you. Every night, your seal of shadow provides you with mysteries to help you deal with the upcoming day. This is the lowest but most vital extent of your precognitive powers. What is really important, however, is your choice of dark glyphs, a choice you make entirely sub-consciously.
If you don’t have control over your surroundings, some part of you wants to obtain that power. As someone who always feels prepared for everything, it is hard for you to be in a situation where you can’t influence the outcome. To better coordinate large numbers of people, Midnight Seers often make plays at becoming the leader of adventuring groups, or at least to become an advisor to the leader.
Abilities: Although you inevitably obtain a certain amount of knowledge from your studies, most of your talents are purely intuitive, relying on wisdom. Of course, if you expect to be in the battlefield, foresight of an attack does little without the dexterity to dodge it.
Races: Of all races, the most common Midnight Seers are Illumians, perhaps due to a combination of their innate link to the plane of shadows and their extreme paranoia. Other races also become Midnight Seers with great ease. Human, Half-Elf, and Elven Midnight seers have drawn the most attention to themselves, acting as wandering oracles. However, Dwarven, Gnomish, and Halfling midnight seers have been known to act as important advisors. Half-Orc midnight seers, although usually choosing to sequester themselves in the wilderness, have also garnered a surprising amount of fame. In other savage races, the presence of midnight seers is rare but noticeable.
Alignment: Although the midnight seer deals with powers that many associate with evil, many midnight seers go through their entire career without noticing this or having others comment upon this fact.
Furthermore, although the Midnight Seer’s powers are purely instinctual, many tend to plan things out and be more organized than most other individuals.
As such, midnight seers have no predisposition towards any given alignment.
Starting Gold: 3d4x10 (75 gp)
Starting Age: As Rogue

The Midnight Seer Hit Die: D6
Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special
1 +0 +0 +0 +2 Seal of Shadow, Lore
2 +1 +0 +0 +3 Minor Visions, Uncanny Dodge
3 +1 +1 +1 +3 Quick Preparations
4 +2 +1 +1 +4 Uncertain Fate
5 +2 +1 +1 +4 Shadow Cascade (1)
6 +3 +2 +2 +5 Read Omens
7 +3 +2 +2 +5 Dual Shadow
8 +4 +2 +2 +6 Improved Uncanny Dodge
9 +4 +3 +3 +6 Shadow Cascade (2)
10 +5 +3 +3 +7 Unravel the Truth
11 +5 +3 +3 +7 Uncanny Preparations
12 +6/+1 +4 +4 +8 Fate Undetermined
13 +6/+1 +4 +4 +8 Shadow Cascade (3)
14 +7/+2 +4 +4 +9 Prophetic Vision
15 +7/+2 +5 +5 +9 Seek Beyond Distance
16 +8/+3 +5 +5 +10 Omnipotent Seal
17 +8/+3 +5 +5 +10 Shadow Cascade (4)
18 +9/+4 +6 +6 +11 Shadow Beyond Truth
19 +9/+4 +6 +6 +11 Prepared for Everything
20 +10/+5 +6 +6 +12 Inscrutable Future
Class Skills: (4+ Int modifier, x4 at 1st level): Appraise, Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Gather Information, Knowledge (all skills, taken individually), Listen, Profession, Sense Motive, Spot, Use Magic Device

Class Features: Your class features represent a growing mastery of your precognitive abilities and your closer connection to your seal of shadow.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A midnight seer gains proficiency with all simple weapons and with light armor, but not with shields.

Seal of Shadow: An Midnight Seer is bestowed with but a single gift, a seal to grant them powers of shadow. Through this seal, the Midnight Seer gains both shadow magic and near precognition, allowing the Midnight Seer to expect the unexpected. The seal itself takes up 1-square foot of flesh and is completely invisible. Creatures casting detect magic, see invisibility, or similar spells or abilities may not see the seal, although one using the true sight spell or an equally powerful effect does (assuming that it is not covered with clothing).
At the beginning of each day, you may select up to two mysteries + one mystery/class level. You may only select mystery’s of 2nd level or higher if you also select at least 4 mysteries of the next lowest level as well as every previous mystery from the same path. You may select new mysteries on a daily basis. Mysteries gained in this way remain in your mind for 24 hours.
At 1st level, and every level afterwards, you learn a single dark glyph, which is integrated into your seal of shadow. Each dark glyph is a precognitive pathway that acts as a contingent trigger for your mysteries. Whenever the condition of a dark glyph you possess is triggered, you may cast any mystery you know as an immediate action. Thereafter, that dark glyph may not be triggered again for 1d4+1 rounds and that mystery is set to that dark glyph for 24 hours. During this period, only that one mystery may be used when that dark trigger is activated (but see Dual Shadow, below). Whenever a dark glyph is used to cast a mystery in this way, it is cast as an extraordinary ability. Unlike other extraordinary abilities, such mysteries have a 50% chance of affecting incorporeal targets. However, the process fatigues the Midnight Seer, or exhausts them if they are not already fatigued. These conditions persist until the end of the encounter. For each time you use this ability while you are exhausted, you remain fatigued for one hour after the encounter (unless you were exhausted before the encounter began).
Alternately, any mystery not already set to a dark glyph may be cast as a supernatural ability. However, willfully drawing forth shadow magic is difficult. Doing so takes a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. In addition, this may only be done twice per encounter, or once every 5 rounds if not in an encounter.
Although you do not prepare spells, you must rest 8 hours and spend 15 minutes in self-reflection in order to regain your mysteries each day.
In order to cast a mystery, you must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the mystery’s level. The save DC for your mysteries equals 10 + mystery level + your Wisdom modifier. Even though as a Midnight Seer you do not “cast spells” in the traditional sense, your levels in this class count for the purpose of determining your overall caster level.

Sight In Shadows: Although several class abilities possess the potential to blind you, this blindness is unusual in some aspects. Instead of resulting from damaged or disabled senses, this blindness occurs as you tune your sense of sight to another place and time. As such, creatures normally immune to blindness may be blinded by their own class abilities, although they are protected against other forms of magic as normal.

Lore (Ex): an Midnight Seer picks up whatever knowledge they can from tomes, oracles, and every other imaginable source. He may make a special Lore check with a bonus equal to his Midnight Seer level + his intelligence modifier to see whether he knows some relevant information about local notable persons, legendary items, or noteworthy places. (If the Midnight Seer has 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (history), he gains a +2 bonus on this check). levels in Midnight Seer, Loremaster, and Bard stack for the purposes of determining bardic knowledge and lore.

DC Type of Knowledge[/B]
10 Common, known by at least a substantial minority of the local population
20 Uncommon but available, known by only a few people in the area
25 Obscure, known by few, hard to come by.
30 Extremely obscure, known by very few, possibly forgotten by most who once knew it, possibly known only by those who don’t understand the significance of the knowledge.

A successful Apocryphal Lore check will not reveal the powers of a magic item but may give a hint as to its general function. A bard may not take 10 or 20 on this check; this sort of knowledge is essentially random. The DM can determine the Difficulty Class of the check by referring to the table above.

Minor Visions (Su): Starting at 2nd level, you can call forth minor visions of the future. Once per day per class level, you may predict the health or illness, luck or misfortune, safety or danger, or prosperity or poverty of a single individual with no more than 1 HD/4 levels (minimum 1 HD). This effect sees up to one year in the future. The future predicted may be changed if precautions are taken to do so. The chances of receiving a true answer are equal to 70% + 1%/class level (maximum 90%).
Alternately, when you use this ability, you may look for omens and portents that others dismiss as part of the scenery. While using the ability in this way, you may use your ranks in spot in place of your ranks in any knowledge skill in which you possess at least 1 rank.
Upon using either version of this ability, you become blinded for 1 round.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, you gain the ability to react to danger before your senses would normally allow him to do so. You retain your Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if you are caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, you still lose his Dexterity bonus to AC is immobilized. If you already have uncanny dodge from a different class, you automatically gain improved uncanny dodge (see below) instead.

Quick Preparations (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, preparing for the future is second nature to you, requiring little time or effort. You may ready a full-round action as a standard action, a standard action as a move action, or a move action as a swift action. Whenever you prepare an action in this way, you lose access to a dark glyph of your choice for 24 hours. If a mystery is already set to that dark glyph, you lose access to that mystery as a result.

Uncertain Fate (Su): Starting at 4th level, you can defy the fickle finger of fate, allowing you to accomplish the unlikely and survive the lethal. As an immediate action, you may surrender the use of all of your dark glyphs for 1d4+1 rounds to reroll a single attack roll, saving throw, or skill check or to force another creature to reroll their attack roll, saving throw, or skill check. This ability may be used after success or failure is declared but before consequences of success or failure are determined.

Dark Cascade (Su): Starting at 5th level, you can allow multiple dark glyphs to trigger in quick succession. The first dark glyph that is triggered in any given round requires no action to do so, allowing you to activate a second one as an immediate action. After using a dark glyph in this way, you must wait 2d4+2 rounds before you may use that glyph again.
At 9th level, the first two dark glyphs you trigger require no action. At 13th level, this extends to the first three dark glyphs you trigger. At 17th level, this extends to the first four dark glyphs you trigger.

Read Omens (Su): Starting at 6th level, by looking for omens in the world around you, you can predict the future as a full-round action. You learn whether an action will bring about good results, bad results, good and bad results, or neither, as the Augury spell. The first time that you use this ability in a day, there is a 95% chance of receiving a true answer. Every time afterwards, the percentage drops by 10%. At the start of the new day, however, the chance is restored to 95%.
Whenever you use this ability, you must give up access to a single dark glyph for 24 hours, thereby losing access to any mystery already set to it. In addition, whenever you use this ability, you are blinded for 1 minute.

Dual Shadow (Su): Starting at 7th level, you can contribute more energy to your dark glyphs. Whenever a dark glyph with a single mystery set to it is triggered, you may either cast that mystery or cast a second mystery of your choice instead, setting that mystery to it as well. For the next 24 hours after doing so, whenever the dark glyph is activated, you may cast either of the two mysteries set to it.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 8th level, you can no longer be flanked; you can react to opponents of opposite sides of you as easily as you can react to a single attacker. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack you by flanking you, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than you have Midnight Seer levels.
If you already had uncanny dodge (see above) from a second class, you automatically gain improved uncanny dodge instead, and the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum level a rogue must be to flank you.

Unravel Truth (Su): Starting at 10th level, you unravel lies in the world around you, allowing you to see everything as it truly is, albeit with a shadowy twist. You are affected by a perpetual Truth Revealed Mystery. Whenever a creature successfully makes a saving throw against the effect, you are blinded for 1d4 rounds and lose this ability for one hour thereafter.

Uncanny Preparations (Ex): Starting at 11th level, you can prepare yourself for the future with ease. Whenever you ready an action, you may select a number of triggers to allow that action up to your Intelligence modifier.

Fate Undetermined (Ex): Starting at 12th level, your being is obscured by shadow, preventing others from sealing your fate. Whenever an attack would lower you from at least 1 hit point to –10 hit points, you are instead lowered to –9 hit points and are stabilized.
Furthermore, you are no longer at risk for death from massive damage, although a large amount of damage may still slay you.

Prophetic Vision (Su): Starting at 14th level, you’re senses let you interpret the far future from omens and portents in the present. As a full-round action, you may peer into the far future to gain advice, as the divination spell. In addition, as you use this ability, you may give up the use of up to 4 dark glyphs (losing access to all mysteries set to them) for 24 hours. The chances of you receiving a meaningful answer from this ability are 50% + 10%/dark glyph lost. When you use this ability, you become fatigued for 24 hours. If you are already fatigued, you become exhausted for 24 hours. This fatigue and exhaustion can only be cured by rest. If you are exhausted, you may not use this ability. In addition, whenever you use this ability, you are rendered blind for 10 minutes.

Seek Beyond Distance (Su): Starting at 15th level, you can see beyond the greatest of distances. You may use the mystery Far Sight at will (caster level equals Midnight Seer level), except that it takes 10 minutes to start the mystery. While using this ability, you are rendered blinded. If someone succeeds on a saving throw to negate the effect of the Truth Revealed aspect of this ability, this ability instantly ends, you are dazed for 1d4 rounds and lose this ability for one hour thereafter.

Omnipotent Glyph (Su): Starting at 16th level, you may elect a single dark glyph at the beginning of each day to serve as your omniscience glyph. Whenever the omniscience glyph is triggered, you may cast any mystery you know without the mystery becoming set to it. In addition, after use, you need only wait 1d4 rounds before it becomes available once more.

Shadow Beyond Truth (Su): Starting at 18th level, you have peered beyond the supposed truths of reality to see the absolute power of shadow in everything. This knowledge protects you from harm that from your perspective isn’t truly there. Whenever you are affected by a spell, spell-like ability, or mystery without the shadow subschool, it gains the shadow subschool and it allows a will save from you in addition to any other saving throws it allows (even if the ability normally doesn’t allow for will saves or normally requires an additional will save). If this will save is successful, the spell, spell-like ability, or mystery deals only 10%/spell level of any damage it would normally deal. If the spell, spell-like ability, or mystery does not deal damage, it instead only has a 10% chance/spell level of affecting you.

Prepared for Everything (Ex): Starting at 19th level, you are truly prepared for everything. Whenever you ready an action, you need not designate the exact action that you ready. If the readied action is triggered, you may make any action of the appropriate type (standard, move, full-round).

Inscrutable Future (Su): At 20th level, your future is revealed before you, a tapestry of ever-changing possibility. No spell or ability may predict your future. Spells such as augury or divination do not take you into account and even the portfolio sense of deities cannot predict your actions until you are actually performing them. This does not prevent you from using similar powers, however.
More impressively, you can truly see a short time into the future. Once per encounter, you may cast Reflections of Things To Come, except that its duration is lowered to 5 rounds. If it is discharged during this time, you may not cast it again for one hour.

Dark glyph List:

Glyph of Wounds Inflicted:
Condition: When you are dealt lethal damage by a manufactured weapon or natural attack.

Glyph of Arcana Inflicted:
Condition: Whenever you are dealt lethal damage by a spell or mystery.

Glyph of Wounds Inflicting:
Condition: When you deal an opponent lethal damage with a manufactured weapon or natural attack.

Glyph of Arcana Inflicting:
Condition: Whenever you deal an opponent lethal damage with a spell or mystery.

Glyph of Wounds Subduing:
Condition: Whenever you deal or are dealt nonlethal damage from any source.

Glyph of Glyphs:
Condition: Whenever another glyph is activated.
Note: Whenever this glyph is utilized, you are dazed for 1 round.

Glyph of Contact:
Condition: you make a successful tough attack against a creature.
Note: if the mystery has a range of touch and the damaged foe is the target, you automatically hit with the mystery

Glyph of Air:
Condition: you fall 10 or more feet or fly 10 or more feet.
Note: if you fall exactly 10 feet, the mystery is triggered before falling damage is calculated.

Glyph of Fear:
Condition: Are successfully targeted by a fear effect, are successfully intimidated, or succeed at intimidating another.

Glyph of Melee Avoidance:
Condition: A melee attack you are aware of misses you.

Glyph of Ranged Avoidance:
Condition: A ranged attack you are aware of misses you.

Glyph of Cowardice:
Condition: Use run or withdraw actions

Glyph of Courage:
Condition: completely resist the effects of a fear effect, are unsuccessfully intimidated, or use a charge action.

Glyph of Openings:
Condition: attack a flanked foe.

Glyph of Tactics Successful:
Condition: successfully trip, feint, or disarm an opponent.

Glyph of Tactics Failed:
Condition: fail at tripping, feinting, or disarming an opponent.

Glyph of Desperation:
Condition: knocked below 0 hit points.
Note: If an effect would trigger this mystery, the mystery triggers before you actually suffer the hit point loss.

Glyph of Concentration:
Condition: spend full-round action concentrating.

Glyph of Health
Condition: are magically healed one or more hit points.

Glyph of Close Confrontation:
Condition: when you enter an opponent’s square, bulrush an opponent, or an opponent bulrushes you.

Glyph of Opportunity:
Condition: you make an attack of opportunity against a foe or have one made against you.

Glyph of Preparation:
Condition: whenever you use a readied action.

Glyph of Teamwork:
Condition: successfully use aid another.

Glyph of Defense:
Condition: use total defense action.

Glyph of Patience:
Condition: use delay action

Glyph of Miracles:
Condition: roll natural 20 on any attack roll, skill check, or saving throw.

Glyph of Blunders:
Condition: roll natural 1 on any attack roll, skill check, or saving throw

Glyph of Pacifism:
Condition: improve a creature’s attitude towards you through a diplomacy check.

Glyph of Slaughter:
Condition: witness an opponent within 60 feet of you be slain.

Glyph of Vengeance:
Condition: witness an ally within 60 feet of you be slain.
Note: does not include self.

Glyph of Shadow:
Condition: move into or through an area of shadowy illumination (at least 5 feet).

Glyph of Ensnaring:
Condition: are grappled, entangled, or immobilized.

Glyph of Water:
Condition: enter body of water or other liquid at least 10 feet deep.

Glyph of Mind
Condition: fail a saving throw against a mind-affecting effect
Note: the mystery is cast after the mind-affecting effect is cast but before it can effect you, allowing you to dispel it with this glyph.

Glyph of Death
Condition: fail a saving throw against a death effect or any effect that deals ability damage, ability drain, or energy drain.

Glyph of Misfortune
Condition: trigger a mechanical or magical trap.
Note: If someone else activates a trap and you are damaged in the crossfire, this dark glyph does not trigger.

Glyph of Arcane Response
Condition: recognize an arcane spell as it is being cast (using the spellcraft skill).

Glyph of Lore:
Condition: gain maximum possible knowledge about creature using appropriate knowledge skill for its type.
Note: for creatures that do not give lists of knowledge according to skill checks, assume that the DC is 15 or 10 + 1/2 creature’s HD, whichever is higher.

Glyph of Persistence:
Condition: you miss on an attack roll or your opponent successfully saves against one of your spells or mysteries.

Glyph of Arcane Resistance
Condition: you make a successful saving throw against an enemy’s spell or mystery.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-08, 09:44 PM

New Mysteries/Paths

Fundamentals:
Question Shadow: ask an individual’s shadow one yes or no question.
Squelch Light: end light effects in the area or fill a small area with darkness.
Unbidden Strike: set up a weapon to attach any who gets near.
Arcane Familiarity: learn aura and duration of magical effects on your person.
Darkened Eyes: gain trapfinding ability.
Deepen Slumber: place creature into deeper state of sleep.
Ebon Renewal: Refresh one creature of its need to drink but possibly sicken them
Ensnaring Shade: One large or smaller target in shadowy illumination must make reflex save or be immobilized for 1 round.
Haunting Tune: Tune deals 1d4 sonic damage to a close target but may fascinate them and adjacent creatures for 1 round.
Shadow Weaponry: You gain proficiency with one martial weapon for 1 hour/level but all damage it deals is nonlethal.
Skeleton Key: Create a key to open one lock and lock it while it is being unlocked.
Unnatural Life: you are healed 1 health.
Shadowy Touch: channel negative energy through your touch
Shadowstep: walk unbound for 1 round.
Ghostly Blade: Create a small blade of force.
Tools of the Trade: create a small, nonmagical item
Midnight Veil: gain bonus on saving throws
Olden Tales: gain bonus on knowledge checks
Shadow Vigor: grant the target temporary hit points
Sustained Stride: grant the target the ability to move without tiring.
Trick of the Light: perform a minor, shadowy illusion.
Withdraw Thought: Ruin Parchment or lower a creature's intelligence

Apprentice Path Mysteries:

Winding Trail
1 Shadow’s Path: Create a path that only you can see and teleport back along.
2 Shadow Layout: Gain information on your surroundings from the shadows.
3 Path of Woe: Rearrange surrounding area in a variety of ways.

Toppled Arcana
1 Arcane Fumes: Light combustibles on fire, possibly blinding or nauseating foes.
2 Sever Link: Reduce the power of a magical beast or remove a construct or undead from the control of others.
3 Dark Dampening: Either empower the next mystery cast or weaken he next spell cast.

Dark Snare
1 Sudden Pit: Create a pit that will open when walked into.
2 Shadow Spikes: Cause spikes to grow from floor, wall, or creature.
3 Shadow’s Venom: Create a small amount of poison.

Darkest Dawn
1 Revise Vista: Subtly warp area to grant your allies an advantage and your enemies a disadvantage.
2 Dayspring Tranquility: All within area get bonus to ac. Create area of sanctuary that harms those who attack.
3 Morning mist: Create fog that wakes up and refreshes all allies in the area and deals cold damage to all enemies in the area.

Twilight Studies
1 Forgotten Text: Make text unreadable to all but select few. Decipher Script check gives another message.
2 Tome of Night: Create tome of shadow to either imitate a fundamental or grant bonus on skill check.
3 Shadow Homunculus: Create shadowy servitor to serve you, almost like unseen servant does.

Sepulcher Survival
1 Crush Oubliette: gain bonus to strength checks made to break items.
2 Glimpse Secret: Detect Location of Secret Doors or Detect a lie.
3 Rescind Peril: Traps within area cannot activate for 1 round/level

Ebon Alluvium
1 Umbral Sludge: grease effect that sickens and moves.
2 Extract Slime: slay dying creature to make dangerous spreading ooze around them.
3 Summon Ooze: Summon Ooze based on caster level.

Hollow Facade
1 Shattering Image: Create image that damages those who disbelieve.
2 Visage of Falsehood: Create glamer that aids in bluffing and cause fear in those who don’t believe you.
3 Dark Phantom: Create shadow illusion that overwhelms the target’s mind.

Darkland Walker
1 Dimmed Walker: unintelligent undead detect you as undead and you gain deathwatch ability.
2 Wave of Emptiness: Renders target unable to see life. Attacking the creature deals extra damage.
3 Land of Darkness: Create area that deals negative energy damage each round.

Shadow Puppetry
1 Puppet Strings: Make ranged grapple check each round.
2 Tugging Shadows: Immobilize and move about one creature.
3 Dark Silhouette: Summon one or more shadowy creatures

False Faces:
1 False Form: disguise your form with deceptive shadows.
2 Cursed Visage: curse a target through their face.
3 Faceless Shadow: destroy one target's face altogether.

Waking Nightmares:
1 Turbulent Dreams: one target is put to sleep.
2 Stuff of Nightmares: summon one otherworldly creature to fight on your behalf.
3 Dark Will: Make your target sleepy and suggestible.

Voice from Beyond
1 Voices from Nowhere: as ventriloquism, except with sound emanating from several locations.
2 Beguiling Voice: control the actions of one individual.
3 Curse of Silence: mute and deafen 1 target.

Shaded Flame
1 Cursed Flame: damage one foe and ruin their reflexes.
2 Frigid Smoke: create a cloud of frozen air.
3 Invisible Pyre: creates an invisible trap of fire and shadows.

Out of Mind
1 Drain Awareness: steal one target's awareness of their surroundings possibly without them even realizing it.
2 Living Ghost: erases all memories of yourself from one target's memory.
3 Without a Trace: disappear even from magical sight.

Shadow’s Whispers
1 Detect Life: detect nearby sources of light.
2 Darkened Lore: gain a quick flash of insight.
3 Pry the Truth: pry the truth out of the living or the dead.

Umbral Charm
1 Armor of Lies: protect yourself through mistruths.
2 Umbral Authority: use your authority to scare and intimidate.
3 Shadow’s Appeal: temporarily beguile your foes.

Initiate Path Mysteries

One with Shadow
4 Shadow Vivisection: damage a target’s dexterity and daze them.
5 Shadow Form: become invisible in darkness and pass through thin barriers.
6 Shadow Merge: merge yourself with a target’s shadow.

Dark Relic
4 Shadow Weaponry: empower a weapon and allow it to overcome most defenses.
5 Shadows Passing: teleport objects around as you desire.
6 Passage of Shadows: attempt to force a creature through a solid object.

Ebon Contingency
4 Ensnaring Aura: prevent creatures from leaving a certain area.
5 Destructive Ward: damage anyone who touches an object or passes through a portal.
6 Antimagic Burst: create a burst of antimagic to activate whenever a magic aura comes nearby.

Midnight Savagery
4 Torment Nature: Torment the minds of animals and possibly other beings.
5 Primal Surge: temporarily boost one or all of a target's physical abilities.
6 Beast Within: gain bite and claw attacks, a pounce attack, and a fear-inspiring coup de grace.

Twilight Conspiracy
4 Insidious Paranoia: creatures in the area suffer from distracting paranoia.
5 Ubiquitous Shadow: create telepathic and sensory link between targets. Damage also crosses the link.
6 Dark Insinuation: Instill a suggestion in the target to be triggered later on.

Grim Reminder
4 Insert Memory: Insert a favorable memory of you into a target's memory.
5 Fog of Memory: Thin fog acts as mindfog but allows creatures to hide within it.
6 Manipulate Memory: as modify memory, except modifying a longer stretch of memory.

Voice of Night
4 Call to Twilight: Contact any individual.
5 Contact Night: Ask questions of the night.
6 Midnight Scream: Create a destructive wave of sound within an area, leaving only silence.

Nightmarish Domain
4 Nightmarish Mist: dark mist causes escalating fear in your foes.
5 Phantasmal Refuge: Create safe place for creatures to rest and heal quickly.
6 Unearthly Marsh: Create marsh that deals acid damage, unleashes hallucinogenic poison, and creates illusions.

Boundless Void
4 Pulled Up: All creatures within an area are pulled upwards as they are grappled by the air itself, only to be dropped when they break free.
5 Black Skies: A large area of shadowy illumination is produced. creatures may hide in the shadows and senses are slowly dulled.
6 Falling Sky: Increased air pressure may nauseate foes, creates difficult terrain, and deals sonic damage. Flying in area is impossible.

Midnight Secret
4 Forgotten Secret: Render one target immune to divination or make one fact harder to discover.
5 Haunting Secret: Confuse or shaken foes with terrible secrets as your mind fortifies itself. When the mystery fades, one final secret is left for you.
6 Unearth Secrets: Learn the answer to one question about an object, question, or person you are familiar with.

Shadow’s Shield
4 Dark Resilience: gain resistance towards whatever energy afflicts you.
5 Blade Denied: resist and combat against mundane attacks.
6 Umbral Immunity: use the shadows to gain temporary immunity to various effects.

Darkened Wards
4 Shadow Fortification: create a magical fortification in your surroundings.
5 Wall of Darkness: create an unbreakable barrier.
6 Dark aura: create an aura of fear to repel your enemies.

Infinite Eyes
4 Shadow Awareness: gain uncanny dodge and awareness of nearby creatures.
5 Insidious Paranoia: read the thoughts of those who wander too close.
6 Contingent Shadow: cast 1 mystery as an immediate action.

Twisted Mockery
4 Warp Body: warp one creature for the better and the worst.
5 Walking Dead: animate the dead.
6 Twisted Summons: summon one creature and warp it into other creatures.

Twilight Lore
4 Answers Unbidden: the next time you fail at a task, shadow gives you a helping hand.
5 Ebon Premonition: predict whether you will accomplish your goal.
6 Spun into Myth: use shadow to discover old legends.

Umbral Mass
4 Mass of Shadows: make the target nimble and lithe.
5 Shadow Alteration: turn the target into a creature of darkness.
6 Dark Transformation: transform yourself into another creature.

Dark Journey
4 Shadow’s Release: move unimpeded.
5 Shadow Flight: you can fly about and leave a path of dimness as you go.
6 Awaited Destination: learn your way to your destination.

Master Mysteries

Call to Darkness
7 Awake Shadows: Create an aura of semi-real shadows to immobilize and damage foes.
8 Call Nightwing: Summon a nightwing to fight for you.
9 Freezing Rift: Create a portal to the plane of shadows that is surrounded by an area of extreme cold.

Castle of Darkness
7 Shadow Sanctum: Create a small area to call your sanctum
8 Shadow Guardians: Create a small number of illusory guards
9 Umbral Citadel: Creates a castle according to your specifications.

Ancient Ward
7 Symbol of Whelming: Create a symbol that can knock out foes.
8 Create Mystery Turret: Create a small but powerful trap.
9 Ward of Reflection: Make a less powerful but resilient copy of a foe.

Eventide Battleground
7 Control Battlefield: greatly aid all allies and hinder all enemies in a large area.
8 Forgotten Battleground: battlefield empowers undead, creates weaponry, and creates uneasiness.
9 Ebon Battlefield: take others into extradimensional battlefield of shadow.

Darkness Undying
7 Deathless One: damage alone cannot kill or knock unconscious one target for 3 rounds.
8 False Invigoration: you gain 100 temporary hit points but lose 5 hit points each round.
9 Dark Revival: Revive one target temporarily, possibly permanently.

Eternal Servitude
7 Unshakable Quest: As quest, except harder to dispel, harder to give up, and shorter casting time.
8 Oppressive Bindings: Slowly take away a creature's ability to fight you.
9 Neverending Service: As quest, except of indefinite duration. One completed quest leads to a new one.

Dark Wasting
7 Pools of Entropy: Create one pool of poison or acid/2 levels. Fumes may nauseate nearby creatures.
8 Volcanic Ruin: Create one lava jet or steam vent each round. Lava jet fills adjacent spaces with fire. Steam vent deals fire damage and obscures sight.
9 Dust to Dust: Within 100-foot area, all animals and plants are completely destroyed. In addition, all creatures within this area take damage and are blown back.

Black Sun
7 Revealing Light: reveal all falsehoods but limit range of sight through blinding light.
8 Black Pyre: One creature is dealt 1d6 cold damage/level. In addition, they must make a will save or be unable to detect living creatures and be healed by negative energy instead of positive energy.
9 Eclipse: May blind all creatures in large area. Covers the area in shadowy illumination. spells are impeded and fire and light are suppressed. All forms of creatures react in odd ways.

Ebon Truth
7 Maddening Truth: Impart a bit of the truth to all nearby, ruining their psyche and possibly driving them insane.
8 Truth Beyond Truth: control the threads of fate, protecting yourself but with grave consequences.
9 Absolute Truth: impart absolute truth to all who are nearby, killing or otherwise harming them.

Midnight Athenaeum
7 Seek the Lost: As discern location, except that the object or person must’ve been seen within the last 24 hours.
8 Conjure Codex: conjure a spellbook containing a limited number of 4th level or lower spells, each of which you can cast once.
9 Dark Athenaeum: Summon up a library that provides bonuses on knowledge checks and lasts for 24 hours or until it is submerged in sunlight.

Dark Dreams
7 Treacherous Hoard: weigh down your opponents with treasure and possibly turn them into treasure.
8 Lengthened Shade: steal one’s life to safeguard your own.
9 Desires Manifest: create varied and wondrous effects.

One with Naught
7 Thought of Oblivion: destroy one item.
8 Shadow Sequestration: temporarily banish one creature from reality.
9 Shadow Immersion: briefly become one shadow before dispersing into nothingness.

Endless Void
7 Darkness of the Mind: you invoke the darkness in your targets’ mind to consume them.
8 Twilight Gap: you travel through an infinite web of nothingness.
9 Immortal Shadow: you temporarily stop and regress the aging process for yourself.

Shower of Shadows
7 Frigid Orbs: Launch small orbs of cold and negative energy.
8 Falling Sky: Propel frozen meteors down from the heavens.
9 Disastrous Orbs: Launch volleys of orbs of cold and negative energy.

Blackened Sky
7 Shadowed Landscape: Cover the landscape in deep shadows.
8 Shadow Weather: Cover the landscape in illusory weather.
9 Rebellion of Nature: Force the landscape to attack your foes.

Penumbral Master
7 Umbral Explosion: Use multiple mysteries simultaneously.
8 Dark Transfiguration: Exchange daily uses of your mysteries.
9 Shadow Absorption: Absorb spells and mysteries and harness their power.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-08, 10:03 PM

Mysteries: Absolute Truth - Drain Awareness

Absolute Truth
Master, Ebon Truth
Level/School: 9th/Necromancy [Death]
Range: 0 feet
Area: 10-foot radius burst
Duration: Instantaneous; see text
Saving Throw Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

You tear away at the veil of shadows concealing it, displaying absolute truth to all around you.

All creatures within the area of this mystery must make a Fortitude Save or die. Even you are subjected to this effect, although you gain a +4 bonus to your fortitude save. Furthermore, even on a successful save, a creature’s body may be ravaged, depending on their Hit Dice, as listed below.

Target’s Hit Dice Effect
Up to Caster level + 5 Exhausted
Caster level –5 or less Confused
Caster level –10 or less Comatose
The effects are cumulative but not concurrent. The duration of the confused condition begins as soon as the duration of the comatose condition ends (if such an effect was suffered). Furthermore, the duration of the exhausted condition begins as soon as the duration of the confused condition ends (if such an effect was suffered).
Comatose: The target falls into a catatonic coma for 1 round per caster level. During this time, it cannot be awakened by any means short of dispelling the effect. This is not a sleep effect, and thus elves are not immune to it. Even nonliving creatures fall into this state.
Confused: The target becomes unable to control their own actions, as the confusion spell, for 10 minutes/level.
Exhausted: the target is exhausted for 1 hour/caster level.

Answers Unbidden
Initiate, Twilight Lore
Level/School: 4th/Divination
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 24 hours or until expended

You open a connection in your mind to the plane of shadows, allowing bits and pieces of knowledge to seep in. The next time you are in a jam, you will know exactly what to do.

The first time during this Mystery’s duration that you fail on an attack roll, saving throw, or skill check by at least 5, you reroll it with a bonus equal to your caster level (maximum +20). The new result must be kept, even if it is lower than the original.

Antimagic Burst
Initiate, Ebon Contingency
Level/School: 6th/Abjuration
Range: Close (25 ft+5 ft/2 levels)
Area: 20 ft-radius burst, centered on a point in space
Duration: 1 hour/level or until expended, and then 1 round.
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

As you gather up a small kernel of antimagic, you try to determine where it will be the most detrimental.

You create a tiny kernel of antimagic, which is triggered to activate the moment that a magical aura passes within 30 feet of it. When this happens, make a dispel check (1d20, +1 per caster level, maximum +10) against each magic item and ongoing effect within the area, with the exception of mysteries cast by you. The DC of these dispel checks is 11 + the effect’s caster level.
In addition, once the effect has activated, the area functions as an antimagic zone for 1 round, with the exception that it does not suppress your mysteries (although you still cannot cast any new ones while in the area of effect).
A magical aura already in the area when the mystery is cast does not activate it. A new one must enter the area to trigger it, either if an aura leaves the area or returns or if a caster casts a new spell within the area (thereby creating a new magic aura). Your mysteries cannot trigger this mystery.

Arcane Familiarity
Fundamental
Level/School: 0/Divination
Range:Touch
Target:Creature touched
Duration: 10 minutes/level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes

You grant your target a sudden revelation in all matters magical. With this insight, they can see, recognize, and understand magic

The target of this mystery can see the auras of all spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities active upon their person as if they had concentrated for three rounds on a detect magic spell. As such, they may identify the schools of magic from which each aura originates with a successful spellcraft check.
In addition, the target instinctively knows the remaining duration of any effect active upon their person, so long as the effect ends before the duration of arcane familiarity ends. If an effect’s duration extends beyond that of arcane familiarity, its duration is detected as permanent.
Lastly, mystery grants great insights into the nature of magic itself. The target of this mystery gains a +2 bonus on spellcraft checks and can make spellcraft checks untrained.

Arcane Fumes
Apprentice, Toppled Arcana
Level/School: 1st/Evocation
Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels)
Area: 10 ft.-radius spread
Duration: Instantaneous and 1d4 rounds (see text)
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates (object) and Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: No

As you incinerate all papers on your opponent’s person, you can’t help but feel sorry for a wizard’s poor reliance.

All combustible items within range are instantly consumed by flames. Attended and magical items are granted saving throws If any spellbooks (or prayerbook) or scrolls are destroyed by this mystery, bits of ash and arcane fumes fly through the air, forcing everyone within the spread to make two Fortitude saves. If they fail their first Fortitude save, they are blinded for 1d4 rounds. If they fail their second Fortitude save, they are nauseated for 1d4 rounds.

Armor of Lies
Apprentice, Umbral Charm
Level/School: 1st/Enchantment
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 minute/level

You wrap yourself in lies and half-truths, honeying your words. Your body also seems to decieve, readying itself to roll with the punches.

You add half of your caster level as an enhancement bonus on bluff checks (minimum +1 bonus)
Once per round, as an immediate action, you may make an opposed bluff check against an opponent’s attack roll. If you succeed, the attack, if it hits, deals only nonlethal damage.

Awaited Destination
Initiate, Dark Journey
Level/School: 6th/Divination
Duration: until discharged

Your target notices that their shadow appears to point towards their destination, wherever it may lie.

This mystery functions like the spell Find the Path, with a couple of exceptions. First of all, while following the path that the mystery points out, they do not suffer from fatigue or exhaustion as a result of a forced march. Secondly, the target can only benefit from a second casting of this mystery once they have reached their chosen location, at which point the magic is discharged.
The target’s shadow points towards the destination, noticeable with a dc20 spot check.

Awaken Shadows
Master, Call to Darkness
Level/School: 7th/Transmutation
Range: 50 feet.
Area: 50 ft-radius emanation, centered on yourself
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Reflex partial
Spell Resistance: No

You call and weave the darkness around you into an intricate web. The shadows solidify just enough to deliver blows and trap your foes.

Through this mystery, you summon forth shadows about yourself. The entire area is filled with shadowy illumination. In addition every creature other than you and up to 1 additional creature/ 5 levels that you designate as you cast the mystery take 2d6 nonlethal damage each round as the shadows solidify just long enough to hit their targets. In addition, each round, a target must make a reflex save or become immobilized for that round.

Beast Within
Initiate, Midnight Savagery
Level/School: 6th/Transmutation
Range: Touch
Target: Living creature touched
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless) and Will partial; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

As you awaken the most primal and savage aspects of your target’s mind and body, they grow fur all along their body, their nails grow to become wicked claws, and their teeth sharpen and extend into terrible fangs.

The target under the effect of this mystery gains two claw attacks and a bite attack, which deal damage as indicated by your size on the table below.

Size Bite Damage Claw Damage
Fine 1d2 1
Diminutive 1d3 1d2
Tiny 1d4 1d3
Small 1d6 1d4
Medium 1d8 1d6
Large 2d6 1d8
Huge 3d6 2d6
Gargantuan 4d6 3d6
Colossal 5d6 4d6

These claws are considered primary natural weapons. When your target is not wielding a weapon, they may use their claws when making an attack action. When making a full attack, they can use both claws and their bite. When wielding a weapon, they can use the weapon as your primary attack and their bit as a natural secondary attack. In addition, if they have a free hand, they can also attack with a claw as an extra natural attack. Furthermore, whenever the target delivers a coup de grace with a claw or bite attack, all enemies within a 30-foot radius must make a will save against the Mystery’s DC or become shaken for 1d4+1 rounds.
In addition, the target is blessed (or cursed) with the great mobility and ferocity of savage beasts. The target is granted a +30 foot enhancement bonus to their speed and gains the pounce ability.

Beguiling Voice
Apprentice, Voice from Beyond
Level/School: 2nd/Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]
Range: Touch
Target: Living creature touched
Duration: 1 hour/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

With a few words, bars, or grunts, you attract someone’s attention while capturing their loyalty.

For the duration of this mystery, the target of this spell acts helpful towards the Shadowcaster, but only in regards to what is asked of the target by the Shadowcaster. For example, a target that loathes the Shadowcaster may help them fight a dragon if asked but might jump at the chance to turn him in later, if not asked or ordered not too.

Black Pyre
Master, Black Sun
Level/School: 8th/Necromancy
Range: Medium (100 ft + 10 ft./level)
Target: One living creature
Duration: Instantaneous, 1 round/level, and 24 hours
Saving Throw Will partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

Into your hands you conjure the shadowy perversion of light itself, a black flame that burns without fuel. As you extend your hand outwards, the flame leaves your hand, striking your foe without fail.

You create an orb of dark light that strikes your target unerringly, dealing 1d6 cold damage/level (maximum 30d6). In addition, all other living creatures are invisible in regard to the target for 1 round/level. Lastly, you are healed by negative energy and harmed by positive energy for 24 hours. A successful will save halves the damage, negates the healing and harming reversal, and lowers the duration of the life blindness effect to one round.

Black Skies
Initiate, Boundless Void
Level/School: 5th/Illusion (shadow)
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Area: 100 ft-radius emanation
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw Will partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

The skies above you darken, first assuming a grim hue of grey and then passing into impenetrable blackness, submerging the ground below into shadows

The area is treated as being plunged into shadowy illumination. In addition, creatures within the area must make a will save each round or take a stacking –1 penalty on spot and listen checks. The power of flames are dulled below the mystery, halving the radius of illumination for natural (but not magical) light sources and providing every creature in the area with fire resistance 10.

Blackened Eyes
Fundamental
Level/School: 1st/Divination
Range: personal
Target: you
Duration: 1 hour (D)
Saving Throw: none
Spell Resistance: No

As your eyes are concealed in shadow, you see what others did not mean for you to find.

For the duration of this mystery, you gain the Trapfinding ability and may use your ranks in spot in place of your ranks in search, even if it is a cross-class skill.

Blade Denied
Initiate, Shadow’s Shield
Level/School: 5th/Abjuration
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 10 minutes/level or until discharged (D)
Saving throw: Fortitude Half (object)

You thicken your skin with a reactive layer of shadow, ready to respond to any attack.

This mystery functions as the reverse arrows spell (spell compendium, page 175) with one small exception. If you are hit with a melee or reach weapon, that weapon takes 1 damage/level. This damage ignores hardness but can be halved with a successful fortitude save. In addition to reverse arrow’s typical discharge condition, if this mystery deals 10 damage/level to melee and/or reach weapons, the mystery is discharged.

Call Nightwing
Master, Call to Darkness
Level/School: 8th/Conjuration (summoning)
Range: Short (25 ft. + 5 ft/2 levels)
Effect: 1 summoned nightwing
Duration: Concentration + 1 round (maximum 1 round/level)

As you reach into the deepest depths of the plane of shadow, a beast of pure darkness emerges.

With this mystery, you summon forth a monstrous undead formed from pure shadowstuff, the Nightwing. It appears where you designate and at immediately, on your turn. It attack your opponents to the best of its ability. In addition, you can telepathically order it not to attack, to attack particular enemies, or to perform other actions.
The summoned nightwing in all ways behaves like a normal summoned creature. Statistics for a nightwing are found on page 197 of the Monster Manual.

Call to Twilight
Initiate, Voice of Night
Level/School: 4th/Evocation
Range: See text
Target: up to five creatures/level
Duration: 1 round; see text
Saving Throw None
Spell Resistance: No

Every creature is connected together by the same sky. What you call out to the sky may be heard by anyone you wish.

You contact up to five creatures/level with which you are familiar and send one or more messages. You may make any number of messages totaling up to twenty-five words, sending each message to some or all targets. The subjects recognize you if they know you but cannot respond through this mystery. Any creature with an Intelligence score as low as 1 can understand the messages, although their ability to react is limited as normal by its Intelligence score.
Every message has a certain chance to go awry, depending on the time of day (only the time of day where the caster resides is of importance, even if the targets are experiencing a different time of day). Each message sent to each person has an individual chance of going awry, inspiring most shadow magic users to send few messages to few people. If a message goes awry, it is instead heard by another target to whom the message is relevant. For example, if you were giving orders to two individuals to attack a troll and one of the messages went astray, the troll might here the message, the other individual may hear the order twice, or you may even hear the message yourself.

Time of Day % chance of failure
Midnight 0%
Night 5%
Morning/Afternoon 10%
Noon 25%

Conjure Codex
Master, Midnight Athenaeum
Level/School: 8th/Conjuration (creation)
Range: 10 feet
Effect: One magical codex
Duration: 24 hours or until expended (D)
Saving Throw None
Spell Resistance: No

You conjure forth magical formulae, arcane secrets, and eldritch philosophy to guide you through the black book you call forth from the ground.

You gain a spellbook of sorts, in which 1 spell level/caster level of spells are recorded (2 0-level spells count as 1 spell level). The spells may come from the spell list of any arcane spellcaster but no spell recorded in this book may exceed 4th level, however. As a standard action, you may cast one of the spells recorded within. Unlike with mysteries, all components required by the spell must be provided. Each spell within may only be cast once before fading from the codex. Once every spell within has been cast, the codex disappears.
No other creature, including other shadow magic users with access to this mystery, can read a codex that you call forth. Regardless of what spell list spells in the codex come from, determine their save DCs as if the spell was one of your mysteries.

Contact Night
Initiate, Voice of Night
Level/School: 5th/Divination
Range: 20 ft.
Area: 20-ft. radius area centered on a point in space
Duration: 1 hour.
Saving Throw Will partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

The nighttime sky sees all that occurs under its watch. By appealing to the sky, you can learn some of what it has seen.

You ask a single yes-or-no question of the sky, which must be worded with no more than 1 word/level. One hour later, the answer is revealed to anyone standing within a 20-foot radius of where the mystery was cast. Anyone within the area can here the answer. However, the powers revealing it to you are more powerful than most minds should contact. Anyone in the area when the answer is revealed must make a Will save or have their Intelligence and Charisma scores lowered to 8. Spell resistance applies to this effect but if it is negated by spell resistance, that creature does not obtain the answer as they block the mental contact completely.
If cast under the nighttime sky, this effect may instead be used to discover one fact about the surrounding area, extending out to 10 miles/level, as the commune with nature spell. Unlike the spell, this effect may be used even in constructed and settled areas so long as the nighttime sky is visible. The information is revealed one hour later through the same means.
This effect may not be used underground or in areas with no sky (such as the elemental plane of water).

Contingent Shadow
Initiate, Infinite Eyes
Level/School: 6th/Evocation
Range: Personal
Target: You
Target: 1 mystery
Duration: 4 hours or until expended

You invest a little energy into your shadow, just in case.

Once within the duration of this mystery, the shadowcaster can cast any given mystery as an immediate action.

Control Battlefield
Master, Eventide Battleground
Level/School: 7th/Transmutation
Range: 1,000 feet
Area: 1,000-foot radius emanation, centered on you
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw None
Spell Resistance: No

The battlefield around you bends to your whims, giving you and your allies the definite advantage.

In the area of this mystery, all allies are treated as having cover as the landscape protects them. Furthermore, allies may ignore anything less than total cover from their foes.
In addition, all allies gain a +10 foot enhancement bonus to their speed and gain the evasion ability as the ground slopes and slides to help them gain more speed. Any space occupied by or entered by an enemy, however, is treated as difficult terrain.
Lastly, all allies in the area ignore all penalties to ranged attacks for range increments while all enemies in the area double such penalties when making ranged attacks.

Create Mystery Turret
Master, Ancient Ward
Level/School: 8th/Conjuration (Creation)
Range: Close (25 ft+5 ft/2 levels)
Effect: one mystery turret
Duration: 24 hours

As you position the small blob of darkness on the wall, you grant it some of your power. As the transfusion is completed, it disappears from sight.

As an additional cost to casting create mystery turret, you must use expend a daily use of four different mysteries, all of which must belong to one category (apprentice, initiate, or mystery). Mysteries with a range of touch or personal may not be expended in this way.
This spell creates a temporary version of the Spell Turret (DMG II, page 45), called a mystery turret.
The turret is mounted on a wall, floor, and ceiling. While inactive, it is both invisible and is detectable only as a strong conjuration aura. In addition, it can sense creatures out to 60 feet and can see invisible creatures. At the time of casting, it recognizes you and up to 1 individual/level. Recognized creatures do not trigger the mystery turret and are not targeted by the mystery turret when it is activated (although they may end up in the fringe of an area mystery).
When the mystery turret detects an unrecognized target, it emerges from invisibility as a blob of shadow adhered to its surface. When activated, the mystery turret starts casting the four mysteries stored within at a rate of one per round, stopping every fifth round to magically repair 20 points of damage. A turret always targets the closest unrecognized creature, and has a 360-degree arc of fire. The order in which the mystery turret casts its spells are set at the time of its casting and cannot be changed.
The Mystery turret can be found and disabled like a trap or destroyed like an object or creature. They possess an AC of 5, a hardness of 5, and 10 hit points/level. The search DC to find one and the disable device DC to find one are both 10 + caster level.

Crush Oubliette
Apprentice, Sepulcher Survival
Level/School: 1st/Transmutation
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw None
Spell Resistance: No

The doors and gates before you would impede your process. Now, you can take them down with ease

You gain a +5 bonus on all strength checks made to break objects. Despite the mystery’s name, this bonus applies whenever you are trying to break any object (rather than just walls and doors)
You can lower the remaining duration of the mystery by 1 minute in order to gain a +5 bonus to a single melee attack roll or a +10 bonus on a single strength check made to break an object. If under one minute remains when you use this ability, the mystery ends as soon as the check is performed.

Curse of Silence
Apprentice, Voice from Beyond
Level/School: 3rd/Illusion (Glamer)
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: 1 creature
Duration: Permanent or one round; see text (D)
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: no

You surround your foe with a layer of shadow to absorb all noise. Your opponent appears confused as they plunge into silence.

If the target succeeds on their saving throw, they are silenced and deafened for 1 round. If they fail, the effects of the Curse of Silence are permanent. At any time, as a standard action, the target may speak a special command word, causing the curse to end. The process of noise reentering their ears is not a pleasant one, however, dealing 1d6 sonic damage/level (maximum 10d6).

Cursed Flame
Apprentice, Shaded Flame
Level/School: 1st/ Evocation [Fire]
Range: Close (25ft.+5ft./2 levels)
Target: 1 creature
Duration: Instantaneous; see text
Saving Throw: Reflex Half
Spell Resistance: Yes

As you stretch out your hand, a gout of dim flame launches out from it towards your foe.

Your target takes 1d4 fire damage/2 levels, or half of that with a successful reflex save. Any creature that fails their save takes a –2 circumstance penalty to all reflex saves for 1 hour.

Cursed Visage
Apprentice, False Faces
Level/School: 2nd/Necromancy
Range: Close (25 ft+5 ft/2 levels)
Target: 1 creature
Duration: Permanent ; 1 round/level (D) (see text)
Saving Throw: Fortitude Negates then Fortitude partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

Shadows rush towards your opponents face, cursing them with misfortune.

The target of this mystery takes a permanent -1/two caster levels penalty on all charisma-based skill-checks. The target loses all extraordinary or supernatural enhancements to their sight or hearing (such as low-light vision, darkvision, and blindsight). An ooze's blindsight instead degrades to blindsense.

In addition, for 1 round/level the target's words do not carry the power to speak command words or verbal components of spells. Every round on your turn, the target gets a new save to negate this effect of the spell for that round.

Dark Athenaeum
Master, Midnight Athenaeum
Level/School: 9th/Conjuration (creation)
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Effect: One temporary athenaeum
Duration: 24 hours or less + 1d4+1 rounds; see text
Saving Throw See Text
Spell Resistance: See text

You call forth from the shadow a solid representation of the knowledge that it contains, an athenaeum of forgotten lore.

You create a temporary athenaeum, an arcane library. Its size is up to 10-foot cube/caster level, positioned however you wish in relation to each other. All walls of the athenaeum are one foot thick and made of stone, as is the floor and ceiling. There is only one entrance into or out of the Athenaeum, sized for someone one size category larger than you. The entrance possesses a superior lock, who’s key appears in your hand as you cast the mystery.
The interior of the Athenaeum is filled with scrolls, tomes, maps, and all forms of written knowledge. Anyone making a knowledge check within the Athenaeum may take 1d4-1 hours to do so in order to gain a bonus equal to your caster level. In addition, spellcasters and shadow magic users take only half as long to regain their spells while in the athenaeum.
Also in the Athenaeum are several desks for studying and enough oil lamps to illuminate the room for 24 hours. In addition, there are ten sturdy cots and enough food tucked away to serve a meal to sustain up to one creature/level for one day.
As the mystery is cast, you may make the athenaeum more defensible in certain aspects. Choose two of the six options below with each casting:
1. The entire athenaeum gives off a certain sense of foreboding. Everyone to come within 30 feet of the athenaeum is shaken. Furthermore, creatures must make a will save in order to enter the athenaeum. This is a fear effect. Spell resistance applies against this effect
2. If the lock is picked or the entrance is broken, the person to commit the act must make a will save or die of fright as their worst fear seems to rush forth to meet them. This is a fear effect Spell resistance applies against this effect.
3. Webs fill the athenaeum. Those who you allow to enter the athenaeum can walk through the webs without problem but intruders are effected as if by the web spell, except that burnt webs return 10 minutes later. A reflex save negates the web effect. Spell resistance does not apply against this effect.
In addition, all creatures you allow to enter the athenaeum may scale the walls and ceilings as if effected by a spider walk effect. Spell resistance does not apply against this effect
4. A thin fog wafts through the athenaeum. Those who you allow to enter the athenaeum ignore the fog while intruders are effected as if by a mind fog spell if they fail a will save. Spell resistance applies against this effect.
In addition, the fog thickens to hinder intruders and aid those allowed into the athenaeum providing the attacks of intruders with a 20% miss chance. Spell resistance does not apply against this effect.
5. Any book picked up and read by an intruder bursts into flame, dealing 6d6 fire damage and destroying the book. Furthermore, whenever this occurs, you and all creatures you allow into the athenaeum are mentally alerted to the intruder. A reflex save halves damage taken in this way and spell resistance applies against the damage (but not against the alert).
6. The athenaeum is filled with silence and darkness. Although darkvision works within the area, no natural or magical light sources function within the athenaeum and spells requiring verbal components may not be cast within.

When the athenaeum is completely bathed in light (either magical or natural) or when 24 hours pass, the athenaeum quickly fades back into nothing over the period of 1d4+1 rounds. Anyone still in the athenaeum at the end of this time is gone forever (no saving throw). Only a true resurrection, wish, or miracle can bring back a creature lost in this way.

Dark Aura
Initiate, Darkened Wards
Level/School: 6th/Abjuration [Fear]
Range: Personal
Area: 5-foot emanation, centered on you
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: None or Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

Using fear as your shield, you construct an aura of shadows around you.

You are surrounded by an aura of palpable fear. No sentient creature can willingly walk within 5 feet of you. Creatures with an animal intelligence can if they make a will save and unintelligent foes are automatically unaffected. If you force the aura onto a foe, they must make a will save to avoid becoming panicked for 1 round. Either way, they are no longer affected by that aura for 24 hours (although a recasting would make them vulnerable once more).

Dark Dampening
Apprentice, Toppled Arcana
Level/School: 3rd/Abjuration
Range: 20 ft.
Area: 20 ft-radius emanation, centered on yourself
Duration: 1 round/level or until expended

You flood the area around you with shadow, hampering magic but enhancing mysteries.

You create an area of shadows around yourself. The first time that a spell not from the shadow subschool is cast within range, it takes a –2 penalty to its caster level (possibly preventing its casting altogether) and the mystery’s effect ends. The first time that a mystery is cast within range (even if you are casting it), it gets a +2 bonus to its caster level any the mystery’s effect ends. This mystery has no effects on spells from the shadow subschool.

Dark Insinuation
Initiate, Twilight Conspiracy
Level/School: 6th/Enchantment (Compulsion)
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One living, sentient creature
Duration: 24 hours (D)
Saving Throw None and then Will Negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

The creature before you has the potential for use, but not quite yet. As you wordlessly whisper its orders into its ear, you know that it will fulfill its job when the time is right.

You place a suggestion of up to 1 word/level upon a person so that it comes into effect under some condition you dictate when casting dark insinuation. The conditions needed to bring the spell into effect must be clear, although they can be general.
When the condition is met, the target must make a Will save or else succumb to the suggestion. If the target has spell resistance, it is applied when the mystery is cast but not when the suggestion is triggered (assuming that this mystery is not cast as a supernatural ability). As a normal suggestion, obviously harmful acts automatically negate the effect of the mystery unless made to sound reasonable.
The suggested course of activity is carried out to the remainder of the mystery’s duration. If the suggested activity can be completed in a shorter time, the mystery ends when the subject finishes what it was asked to do.
If the target succeeds on their saving throw, a brief image of your face appears before their eyes, even if they have never seen you before. While under the effects of this mystery but before the suggestion is triggered, a detect magic spell detects the presence of an enchantment spell but the sense motive skill cannot be used to discern that they are under influence. In addition, if they are looked at using a true seeing spell, their head seems somewhat obscured by some force, like looking through icy glass.

Dark Phantom
Apprentice, Hollow Facade
Level/School: 3rd/Illusion (Phantasm) [Fear, Mind-Affecting]
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target: One living creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw Fortitude negate, then Will partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

You reach into the darkest chasms of your opponent’s mind

This mystery conjures forth an interesting illusion. Rather than projecting any particular fear, the mystery produces an illusory creature just beyond the target’s ability to fully comprehend, exhausting their mind and body. As the mystery is cast, the target may make a fortitude save to block perception of the illusion from their mind. If they fail, they must make an additional will save. If they succeed, they become exhausted and take 5d6 nonlethal damage. If they fail their save, however, the target takes nonlethal damage equal to their current hit points, disabling them.
As the illusion is formed within the target’s own mind, neither you nor others using spells such as see invisibility or true seeing can see anything. However, a DC 25 spot check reveals the shadow of something flying over to touch the target. Luckily, the shadow is too indistinct to make out any details.

Dark Resilience
Initiate, Shadow’s Shield
Level/School: 4th/Abjuration
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 hour (D)

With a thin veil of shadow, you prepare to prepare to inure yourself to whatever attacks come your way.

Whenever you take energy damage, you gain resistance against that form of energy immediately afterwards, the amount of which depends on your caster level:

Caster level Resistance
Up to 7th 5
8th-12th 10
12th-16th 20
16th-20th Immunity
Whenever you gain a new form of energy resistance, the old form (if any) is lost.

Dark Revival
Master, Darkness Undying
Level/School: 9th/Conjuration (healing)
Range: Touch
Target: Dead creature touched
Duration: 1 round/level, then instantaneous
Saving Throw Fortitude Partial, see text
Spell Resistance: No

You force shadows into the body of a fallen creature. For now, it can live on. Its future, however, is uncertain

You may return to life one creature that has been dead for no longer than one round. The creature comes back with no level loss or loss of prepared spells, although it may not be returned to life if it is unwilling and creatures that have died of old age may not be reanimated in this way.
The revived creature gains the dark template for 1 round/level. Afterwards, the target must make a Fortitude save. If they fail, they are slain once more. If they succeed, however, they lose the dark template but remain alive.
Any living creature may be returned to life in this way but constructs and undead may not be affected.

Dark Silhouette
Apprentice, Shadow Puppetry
Level/School: 3rd/Conjuration (summoning)
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft/2 levels)
Effect: One or more summoned shadow creatures
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw None
Spell Resistance: No

The shadows around you seem to come to life, lifting themselves off of walls and silently gliding towards your enemy

This mystery summons forth a shadow. It appears where you designate and acts immediately, on your turn. It attacks your opponents to the best of its ability. In addition, you can telepathically order it not to attack, to attack particular enemies, or to perform other actions. The summoned shadow in all other ways behaves like normal summoned creatures.
Starting at caster level 10th, you may instead summon forth a single greater shadow. Doing so reduces the duration of this mystery to 1 round/2 levels. Whenever you use this mystery to summon a shadow, however, you summon an additional shadow.
Starting at caster level 15th, you may instead summon forth a single Nighthaunt (Lost Empires of Faerun, page 185). Doing so reduces the duration of this mystery to 3 rounds, however. Whenever you use this mystery to summon a shadow or greater shadow, you gain an additional creature of that type.

Dark Transfiguration
Master, Penumbral Master
Level/School: 8th/Transmutation
Range: personal
Target: You
Duration: instantaneous

Taking advantage of shadow’s morphic nature, you warp the energy that you already have ready.

You may sacrifice all remaining daily uses of any number of mysteries. For each daily use of a mystery you sacrifice you gain a daily use of any other equal or lower-level mystery.

Dark Transformation
Initiate, Umbral Mass
Level/School: 6th/Transmutation
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/level

Your form seems to seethe and warp with amazing ease. In a matter of seconds, you’ve assumed a new form.

This mystery functions as the alter self spell, with a few exceptions. First of all, the target form must be within two size categories of your normal form. Secondly, the maximum HD of the intended form to reach 20HD at 20th level. Lastly, you adopt all extraordinary or supernatural (but not spell-like) abilities of the new form.

Dark Will
Apprentice, Waking Nightmares
Level/School: 3rd/Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]
Range: Medium (100 ft.+10 ft./level)
Target: 1 living creature
Duration: 1 hour/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will Negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

You relax your opponent’s mind and wear down their body. In this moment of weakness, you give them an order.

The target of this ability becomes Exhausted and is influenced to complete a course of activity (limited to a sentence or two). The order need not sound reasonable as long as it does not seem self-destructive. The forced activity can continue for the entire duration but if it can be completed in a shorter time, they immediately fall asleep upon completion. The target is aware of their weary condition (although they remain oblivious how it came about) and will therefore not complete a mission that would obviously make sleeping dangerous (such as climbing, flying, or swimming). Furthermore, the target’s shadow seems to lag behind them, as if lethargic, noticeable with a dc20 spot check.

Darkened Lore
Apprentice, Shadow’s Whispers
Level/School: 2nd/Divination
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round

The shadows connect all and contain all knowledge, you siphon some of shadow’s lore through your mind, enough for a flash of tremendous insight.

Upon casting this mystery, you immediately make a knowledge check with a +10 bonus. This knowledge check may even be made untrained.

Darkness of the Mind
Master, Endless Void
Level/School: 7th/Enchantment (Compulsion)[Mind-Affecting]
Range: Close (25 ft.+5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One creature/5 levels
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

You reach out into the darkness of your target’s minds, willing it to consume them.

If the target succeeds on their initial saving throw, they are dazed for 1 round. If the target fails, the darkness (both literal and figurative) in their mind partially consumes the rest of their mind. As a result, a target can only take their actions for any given round if they succeed on an additional will save (although success does not free them from the effect). In addition, the target takes a –10 penalty on all will saves not pertaining to this mystery. At the end of this mystery’s duration, the target is dazed for 1 round.

Dayspring Tranquility
Apprentice, Darkest Dawn
Level/School: 2nd/Abjuration
Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels)
Area: 20 foot-radius emanation
Duration: 1 minute + 1 minute/5 levels
Saving Throw Will partial (see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes

The air in the area becomes eerily calm as ambient noise seems to gently fade away. Protected by this aura of tranquility, negotiations may start

All creatures within the area of this mystery gain a +2 deflection bonus to their AC. For every 4 caster levels you possess, this bonus is increased by +1.
In order to cast a spell or attack, creatures within the area of this mystery must make a successful will save. Any creature who succeeds on this will save takes 1 damage/level.

Deathless One
Master, Darkness Undying
Level/School: 7th/Abjuration
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 3 rounds
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes

Your creature is filled with sustaining shadows, keeping them alive regardless of injury.

For the duration of this mystery, the target doesn’t fall unconscious at 0 hit points and doesn’t die at –10 hit points. However, while affected by this ability, you’re hit points cannot be healed.

Deepen Slumber
Fundamental
Level/School: 0/Enchantment
Range: Close (25 ft +5 ft/2 levels)
Target: 1 sleeping creature
Duration: up to 8 hours + 2 hours (see text)
Saving throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

A bit of your shadow seems to fly out towards your sleeping target, entering their ears and eyes. As their breaths slow further, you know it is safe to walk.

A sleeping creature targeted by this fundamental falls into a deeper sleep. Their penalty to listen checks increases to –20 for the duration of their sleep. In addition, the duration of their sleep is increased by 2 hours.
Creatures that don’t actually sleep, like elves, cannot be targeted by this fundamental.

Descending Sky
Initiate, Boundless Void
Level/School: 6th/Evocation
Range: Medium (100 ft + 10 ft./level)
Area: 20-foot radius spread
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw Fortitude partial
Spell Resistance: No

You force the weight of the sky down upon your foes, pressing it down upon all in the area.

All creatures in the area of this mystery when it is cast must immediately make a fortitude save or be nauseated for 1 round. Furthermore, all creatures who enter this effect while it persists, suffers from this same effect.
Movement within the area is also hindered. Creatures can only move at half of their normal speed within the area and flying in the area of this mystery is impossible.
Lastly, the pressure is intensely painful, dealing 5d6 sonic damage to every creature in the area each round (Fortitude save for half).

Desires Manifest
Master, Dark Dreams
Level/School: 9th/Universal
Range: See Text
Target, Effect, or Area: See text
Duration: See text
Saving Throw: See text
Spell Resistance: Yes

Reaching into the darkest depths of shadow, you have found just what you needed.

Desires Manifest is the Shadowcaster’s answer to a Wizard’s Wish and a Cleric’s Miracle. Reaching deep into the plane of shadows and the other material planes that it shadows, you find your greatest desires.
Desires Manifest can imitate the below effects:

Create nonmagical items costing no more than 500 gp/level and weighing no more than 10 lbs./level. These items last for 1 week after leaving the Shadowcaster’s possession.
Imitate Any Apprentice or Initiate Mystery.
Gain an extra daily use of all other mysteries for 24 hours.
Imitate Any 3rd level or lower spell.
Revive 1 target from the dead, as the raise dead spell except that they come back at –8 hit points (and is stabilized). Although this does result in level (or constitution) loss, it can revive any target revivable via a miracle or wish spell.
When This Mystery is used, the Shadowcaster’s Constitution score (or dexterity score, should they lack a Constitution score) is lowered by 2. These lost points are restored at a rate of one per year (even if this mystery is used multiple times).

Destructive Ward
Initiate, Ebon Contingency
Level/School: 5th/Abjuration
Range: Touch
Target: Object or portal touched
Duration: 1 hour/level or until expended
Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: No

When the object is touched, you see a burst of darkness, followed by a very wounded intruder.

Any creature other than you who touches the protected object or passes through the protected portal takes 1d6 damage/2 levels (Reflex half). This damage is not elemental and cannot be reduced by elemental resistances or immunities.
At your option, the object or portal may be either unharmed or equally damaged by this effect. If it is damaged, it receives no saving throw and the damage ignores hardness.

Detect Life
Apprentice, Shadow’s Whispers
Level/School: 1st/Divination
Range: 60 ft
Area: Cone-shaped emanation
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

Slowly, the sounds of the world around you seem strangely dulled. You find, however, that you can hear every breath and heartbeat around you, allowing you to detect the faintest presence of life.

This mystery allows you to detect living beings within range, both detecting the presence of life and detecting how many life sources are in the area. As a move action, you can focus this ability to singularly detect or ignore creatures with 1 or more hit dice (to find threats or food, respectively). This focus lasts until another move action is used to end it.
By spending 1 move action to look at a living being, you can judge the quality of its health, as if by the deathwatch spell.
Each round, you can turn to detect a new area. The mystery can penetrate barrier, but 10 feet of stone, 1 foot of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 50 feet of wood or dirt blocks it.

Dimmed Walker
Apprentice, Darkland Walker
Level/School: 1st/Necromancy
Range: Personal
Target and Area: You and 10-ft. emanation, centered on you
Duration: 10 minutes/level
Saving Throw None
Spell Resistance: No

The energies of undeath fill your veins but you feel no pain. Indeed, you welcome the cold embrace of death as it alters your essence

While under the effect of this mystery, unintelligent undead recognize you as undead.
Furthermore, within the emanation of this mystery, you can identify the life force of every creature as the deathwatch spell.

Disastrous Orbs
Master, Shower of Shadows
Level/School: 9th/Evocation [Cold]
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Target: Up to 2 creatures/level
Duration: Instantaneous
Spell Resistance: No

You create a huge swarm of small spheres infused with shadow magic, enough to destroy the most stalwart of foes.

You create 2 small spheres/level (maximum 50 orbs), which are each launched simultaneously at foes within range, each needing a successful touch attack to hit. Each successful hit deals 1d6 cold damage and bestows 1 negative level (or heals an undead 5 hit points). Negative levels bestowed in this way last for only 1 round/level. No more than 1 sphere/2 caster levels may be aimed at a single target.

Drain Awareness
Apprentice, Out of Mind
Level/School: 1st/Enchantment [Mind-Affecting]
Range: Medium (100ft.+10ft. /level)
Target: 1 living creature
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will Negates; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

With a few small gestures, your opponents lose awareness of their surroundings.

With this mystery, the Shadowcaster tries to drain the awareness of a creature within range. If that creature fails their will save, they take a –2 penalty on all wisdom-based skill checks, their AC, and their Attack Rolls. If they succeed, they make another will save. If they fail, they are completely unaware of this attempt at their awareness. If they succeed, they are aware of the attack and learn the general direction it came from. Any creature successfully affected by this mystery has their shadow shortened, noticeable to those who succeed on a dc 20 spot check.

Lord Tataraus

2008-03-12, 10:24 PM

Wow, lot's of good stuff here. I'm really interested in the new mysteries, those look really cool! Good job!

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-15, 07:23 PM

Mysteries: Dust to Dust - Oppressive Bindings
Dust to Dust
Master, Dark Wasting
Level/School: 9th/Evocation
Range: 0 feet.
Area 100-foot radius burst
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw Reflex half and none
Spell Resistance: Yes

You call forth the ultimate key to destruction, leaving the area a lifeless mockery of its former self.

All inanimate plants and animals within range are instantly slain (no saving throw). In addition, all squares in this area become difficult terrain. Lastly, all other creatures within range other than you take 1d6/level damage (maximum 20d6) and are blasted to the outer limit of this mystery’s edge, where they land prone. If an object would block the creature’s path, they take 1d6 damage for every 10 feet that they flew. A creature who succeeds on their saving throw takes half damage and is not blasted back. Any creature slain by this mystery leaves nothing behind by ash.

Ebon Battlefield
Master, Eventide Battleground
Level/School: 9th/Conjuration (teleportation)
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Target: You + 1 creature/level
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

As the current battlefield no longer looks favorable, you have decided to take the fight elsewhere, to a realm of shadow where you have the upper hand.

Through this mystery, you take yourself and up to one other creature/level to an extradimensional space within the plane of shadow. An unwilling creature may resist this effect by succeeding on their will save.
The extradimensional area is 100 feet in diameter and is filled with impenetrable darkness. Darkvision fails to see through it and even creatures that can see in magical darkness have their sight limited to 5 feet. No light effect, including the blinding glory spell, can suppress this darkness rendered. You can see through the darkness as if it were bright light (but you do not suffer any light sensitivity or light blindness from this perceived illumination). Furthermore, in this area, you gain Damage Reduction 10/-
At the beginning of each round, every creature in this extradimensional space takes 2d6 cold damage and must make a reflex save or become immobilized for that round. You are immune to both of these abilities
If you are slain while this affect is active, the darkness tries to pull all others back with it. Everyone within the area at the end of the duration takes 20d6 damage, or half that with a successful will save. You and all who are slain in this way disappear altogether, leaving neither body nor possessions. All others are deposited back on the plane that they were taken from, back to the same location (or the nearest unoccupied location, if necessary)
At the end of this mystery or when it is dismissed, all creatures in the extradimensional space return to the plane they were taken from, back to the same location (or the nearest unoccupied location, if necessary). Creatures with means of extradimensional travel may leave this extradimensional space prematurely through such means.
Note: If a creature possessing an artifact is slain by this mystery, the artifact is not destroyed. Instead, it travels to the plane of shadow.

Ebon Premonition
Initiate, Twilight Lore
Level/School: 5th/Divination
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous

Bits and pieces of future events cloud your vision, granting you clear insight into the future. As this momentary insight recedes, so to do the shadows that granted it.

The Ebon Premonition mystery can predicts success or failure in regards to a single specific goal posed to it as the mystery is cast. This spell does not deal in absolutes and is only the most likely outcome, measuring the odds of the task’s completion. The only answers given are “success, apparent success, neither, apparent failure, and failure.”
The base chance for a correct Ebon Premonition is 80% + 1% per caster level, to a maximum of 100%. Special precautions against divinations may prevent certain factors from being taken into account however (such as the abomination in the dungeon with a permanent mindblank effect). With an incorrect Ebon Premonition, the neither result is revealed. If a Ebon Premonition is used for one goal multiple times in one week, all tries after the first automatically fail.
Whenever Ebon Premonition deals an “absolute” (success or failure), the premonition is self-fulfilling, granting a +1 morale bonus on all attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks relating to the goal with a success or a –1 morale penalty on the same rolls with a failure. These bonuses last for a maximum of 1 week (as far as the Ebon Premonition can see into the future).
If a goal would take more than 1 week to fulfill or fail at, Ebon Premonition predicts failure or success towards reaching the goal.
The use of this mystery causes shadows to wrap around your body up to your head, visible with a dc 5 spot check.

Ebon Renewal
Fundamental
Level/School: 0/Transmutation
Range: Touch
Target: one touched living creature
Duration: 1 hour and 24 hours
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

Your target gasps as shadows begin rushing into their mouths, flying within with incredible speed. The target may thank you, however…if they can keep their lunch down.

The target is relieved of thirst and needs no water for 24 hours.
However, the target’s body fights against this process. If the target fails on their fortitude save, they are sickened for 1 hour.

Ebon Truth
Master, Ebon Truth
Level/School: 7th/Enchantment
Range: 0 feet.
Area: 30-foot radius burst
Duration: Instantaneous; see text
Saving Throw Will Negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

You part the shadowy veil, allowing all to see a sliver of absolute truth, something the minds of mortals and immortals alike were not meant to possess

All creatures within the area of this mystery must make a will save or go permanently insane, as the Insanity spell. Even you are subjected to this effect, although you gain a +4 bonus to your will save. Furthermore, even on a successful save, a creature’s mind may be addled, depending on their Hit Dice, as listed below.

Target’s Hit Dice Effect
Up to Caster level + 5 Fatigued
Caster level –5 or less Shaken
Caster level –10 or less Dazed
The effects are cumulative but not concurrent. The duration of the shaken condition begins as soon as the duration of the dazed condition ends (if such an effect was suffered). Furthermore, the duration of the fatigued condition begins as soon as the duration of the shaken condition ends (if such an effect was suffered).
Dazed: The subject is dazed for 1d4 rounds.
Shaken: The target is shaken for 10 minutes/caster level. This is a fear effect.
Fatigued: the target is fatigue for 1 hour/caster level.

Eclipse
Master, Black Sun
Level/School: 9th/Necromancy
Range: 1 mile
Area: 1 mile-radius emanation, centered on you
Duration: Concentration (up to 1 hour)
Saving Throw None
Spell Resistance: No

You bring forth shadows to do the one thing they are not meant to do, to interject themselves between light and matter. With this monumental mystery, you block out the sun

The area of this mystery is plunged into shadowy illumination. Within this area, all spells and abilities with the light descriptor have their areas halved.
The alien sky has adverse effects to those below it. Animals and magical beasts beneath the sky become hostile towards all other creatures. Unintelligent undead cower in awe as if rebuked. Unintelligent constructs refuse to obey orders. Such creatures in structures or underground are unaffected.
Lastly, the massive effusion of energy from the plane of shadow into the material plane messes with dimensions. Any creature summoned via a spell of the summoning subschool gains the dark template and is not under the control of its summoner.
This mystery has no effect at night.

Ensnaring Aura
Initiate, Ebon Contingency
Level/School: 4th/Abjuration
Range: Close (25 ft+5 ft/2 levels)
Area: 20-foot radius emanation, centered on a point in space
Duration: 10 minutes + 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

As the mystery is cast, you invite anyone to enter. What you won’t let them do it leave.

Any creature that enters the area of this emanation must make a Will save in order to leave it. A creature already within the aura when it is cast can leave it normally but are trapped if they enter it again. You are immune to the effects of your own Ensnaring Aura.

Ensnaring Shade
Fundamental
Level/School: 0/Transmutation
Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels)
Target: one large or smaller creature
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: Reflex Negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

The shadows gather around your target, growing deeper and deeper until your foe appears to be standing in darkness. The shadows creep up along your opponent’s legs, nailing them to the floor.

If the target of this fundamental fails their reflex save, they are immobilized for 1 round.
Only creatures in shadowy illumination or darkness can be affected by this fundamental.

Extract Slime
Apprentice, Ebon Alluvium
Level/School: 2nd/Necromancy
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target and Area: 15-foot square, centered on one dying creature
Duration: Instantaneous and then 1 round/level or more (see text)
Saving Throw Fortitude Negates, Reflex Negates and Fortitude partial (See text)
Spell Resistance: No

As your dying foe draws their last breath, a grayish slime slows from their eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, abandoning the body from every possible orifice. The grayish ooze spreads over the area, pulsating gently

If the target fails their saving throw, they are instantly slain. As they are slain, a grayish slime leaks from their body to cover their square and all adjacent squares. Any creature in such a square when the spell is cast must make a reflex save or become grappled by the slime. In addition, anyone who enters a square occupied by the slime becomes grappled. The slime has a bonus on grapple checks equal to your caster level. Each round that a creature remains grappled by the slime, they take 1d6 nonlethal damage. Each round that a creature remains pinned by the slime, they take 2d6 nonlethal damage. If an unconscious or dying creature finds their way into the slime, they must make a fortitude save each round or die, filling all squares adjacent to them with more slime. In addition, the first time that the slime kills a target, the duration of this mystery is reset as if it had been cast again. Dead creatures who end up in the slime do not empower it, however. A single square of slime can be rendered inert by 5 points of fire or cold damage. At the end of the mystery’s duration, the slime dries up and disappears, leaving nothing but bodies and their equipment behind.

Faceless Shadow
Apprentice, False Faces
Level/School: 3rd/Transmutation
Range: Touch
Target: 1 creature
Duration: Permanent; see text
Saving Throw: Fortitude Negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

The power of shadows flows over your opponent, eroding their features to leave but a blank slab.

This mystery destroys the target's face, which renders them unable to speak, eat, drink, breathe, listen, see, or smell. The interior of the head is similarly filled, meaning that cutting away some flesh does allow eating, for example. If the target previously had levels of a spellcasting class, they gain silent spell as a bonus feat (if they did not already possess it) for the duration of this mystery. In addition, the target gains blindsight out to up to 10 ft./level (minimum 10 feet, chosen by the mystery-user at the time of casting).
If the target is knocked unconscious due to starvation, thirst, or suffocation, the mystery ends immediately (although they may still die if not properly nourished).

Falling Sky
Master, Shower of Shadows
Level/School: 8th/Evocation [Cold]

You summon a few small spheres of shadow, each of which you use to wreak havoc upon your foes.

This mystery functions like the spell Meteor Swarm with a couple of exceptions. First of all, this mystery creates 1d3+1 spheres. Secondly, the fire damage is now cold damage

False Form
Apprentice, False Faces
Level/School: 1st/Illusion (Glamer)
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 minute/level (D)

Shadows hide, eccentuate, and shift your features to change your appearance completely.

This mystery functions as the disguise self spell with two exceptions. First of all, the bonus to disguise checks is equal to 5+caster level. Secondly, the disguises made by this mystery cannot be used to imitate an individual.

False Invigoration
Master, Darkness Undying
Level/School: 8th/Necromancy
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/level or less; see text
Saving Throw None
Spell Resistance: No

You bolster yourself to amazing degrees with raw shadowstuff, seeming to shrug off hits while this strength further damages you.

This mystery may be cast as an immediate action. You gain 100 temporary hit points, which last for the duration of this mystery. Each round, however, you lose 5 hit points (not temporary hit points). If your hit points are lowered to 0 or less in this way, this mystery ends and you fall unconscious (although you are stabilized if you are reduced to below 0 hit points in this way).
While under the effects of this mystery, your form seems to grow to nearly twice as large, slowly draining back to normal as the mystery wears onward. However, this effect is purely cosmetic and anyone observing you can recognize your true size.

Fog of Memory
Initiate, Grim Reminder
Level/School: 5th/Enchantment
Range: 60 feet.
Effect: Cloud spreads in 60-foot radius from you, 20 ft. high
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw Will Negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

Many memories, when retrieved, return to us as foggy, half-formed thoughts, in which details lay hidden. You reflect this state of mind into the world around you.

You create a thin mist in the area that dulls both will and perceptions. This functions as the mindfog spell. However, just as details lie hidden in memories, so too can creatures use the mist as concealment for the purposes of making hide checks.

Forgotten Battleground
Master, Eventide Battleground
Level/School: 8th/Necromancy
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Area: 200-foot radius emanation, centered on a point in space.
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw None
Spell Resistance: No

You bring forth the warped shadows of a thousand wars, each one pointless and filled with bloodshed. In this setting, the battle can truly begin.

All intelligent creatures and unintelligent undead within the area of this mystery gain proficiency with all simply and martial weapons. Furthermore, any such creature can conjure forth any such weapon as a standard action. These weapons are neither magical nor masterwork but their threat range is doubled. In addition, while in the area, all unintelligent undead and constructs gain fast healing 5.
Furthermore, in such an environment, the rules of magic are slightly changed. All spells or mysteries of the necromancy school or that possess the shadow subschool have their save DCs increased by +2.
Lastly, all living creatures feel deep antipathy towards this place. They would rather not enter the area and desire to leave it is they are already in it. As long as they are forced to remain, such creatures take a –2 penalty to their dexterity score (to a minimum of 1).

Forgotten Secret
Initiate, Midnight Secret
Level/School: 4th/Abjuration
Range: See Text
Target: One creature or piece of information
Duration: 1 day/level
Saving Throw None
Spell Resistance: No

Some knowledge is best kept out of the light. As you invoke shadows, you hide this knowledge in the dark

If a creature is targeted by this mystery, any caster attempting to gain information about that creature through a divination spell must succeed on a DC 25 caster level check. In addition, any knowledge check or gather information check used to gain information about a creature has its DC increased by +10.
Alternately, you may choose a single piece of knowledge, so long as it is relatively obscure (Over DC 10 knowledge check to learn). Any caster attempting to learn the chosen piece of knowledge through a divination spell must succeed on a DC 25 caster level check. All knowledge checks, gather information checks, or bardic knowledge checks used to learn the information have their DC increased by +10.

Forgotten Text
Apprentice, Twilight Studies
Level/School: 1st/Transmutation
Range: Touch
Target: page, parchment, or inscription touched, up to 3 sq. ft. in size
Duration: Instantaneous and Permanent
Saving Throw None
Spell Resistance: No

The text within your hand shifts and writhes, slowly taking on a new appearance as you dictate. At least you can still read the message

Through this mystery, you physically alter the contents of a page, parchment, or inscription so that they read as something completely different, as the Secret Page spell. Unlike the Secret Page spell, however, the real message is truly lost, remaining so even if the effect is dispelled or suppressed, although it is stored word for word in your mind when you cast this mystery and can be recalled at will (and can thus be recovered with a speak with dead spell).
At your option, you may create a special word while casting this mystery. If you choose to do so, anyone who touches the text and speaks the word learns the full content of the original script (this function may be dispelled or suppressed).
Furthermore, you may place a second, hidden message of up to 1 word/level into the altered text, noticeable with a DC 20 decipher script check. As this message is hidden through completely mundane means, Comprehend Languages and True Seeing grant no ability to see this message.
Lastly, any forgery checks made using this mystery gain a +5 circumstance bonus.

Freezing Rift
Master, Call to Darkness
Level/School: 9th/Conjuration (teleportation) [cold]
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft/level)
Area: a 20 ft-radius emanation centered on a 5-foot square
Duration: 1 round/level or until expended
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

You open a portal to the plane of shadow, a rift that freezes the air around it.

You open up a gate to the plane of shadow, from which incredibly cold air seeps out. All creatures within a 20 foot-radius of the gate take 1d6 cold damage/2 levels each round (maximum 10d6).
If someone moves into the gate, they are teleported to the Plane of Shadow and the mystery ends.

Frigid Orbs
Master, Shower of Shadows
Level/School: 7th/Evocation [Cold]
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Target: Up to 1 creature/level.
Duration: Instantaneous
Spell Resistance: No

You infuse the air around you with the power of shadows, freezing the air and granting you a most powerful weapon.

You create 1 orb/level (maximum 25 orbs), which are each launched simultaneously at foes within range, each needing a successful touch attack to hit. Each successful hit deals 1d6 cold damage and 1d6 negative energy damage (which heals undead).

Frigid Smoke
Apprentice, Shaded Flame
Level/School: 2nd/Evocation [cold]
Range: Close (25ft.+5t. /2levels)
Area: 10-foot radius
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

You will a gout of frozen smoke to emerge from the earth.

You create an area that distorts sight and makes breathing difficult like a regular cloud of smoke. In addition, any creature that starts their turn within 10 feet of the cloud take 1 cold damage/level. The Shadowcaster is immune to all of this mystery’s effects. The smoke can be blown away in one round by at least strong winds.

Ghostly Blade
Fundamental
Level/School: 1st/Conjuration (creation) [Force]
Effect: 1 ghostly blade
Duration:see text
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

A ghostly, near insubstantial blade springs forth into your hand.

This fundamental creates a small, dagger-like blade. It deals 1d4 slashing damage+ 1d4 slashing damage/5 caster levels (ignoring any strength modifier) and threatens a critical hit on a natural 20. It is a force effect and therefore effects ethereal and incorporeal foes as if they were fully corporeal. The Ghostly Blade lasts for however long it is held, disappearing the moment that it is released.

Glimpse Secret
Apprentice, Sepulcher Survival
Level/School: 2nd/Divination
Range: Personal
Target You
Duration: 1 hour

You allow yourself to see hidden truths in the world around you

The next time that you pass within 5 feet of a secret door, you may make a search check with a +10 bonus as if actively searching for it.
The next time that a creature within 5 feet of you uses the bluff skill against you, you may immediately make a sense motive check with a +10 bonus.
When either of these abilities have been used, this mystery ends.

Haunting Secrets
Initiate, Midnight Secret
Level/School: 5th/Enchantment [Language Dependent, Mind-affecting]
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: See text
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw Will negates; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

Every secret is hidden in shadow. From this vast reservoir of secrecy, you handpick the secrets most devastating to your foes.

Once per round, you may state a secret as a standard action, forcing one creature within range to make a will save. If the creature fails, they are confused for 1 round. If they succeed, they are shaken for 1 round. Although the casting of this mystery requires no verbal component, you must be able to speak in order to use this ability.
Every time that you use this mystery against a target, you gain a stacking +1 bonus on saving throws made against mind-affecting effects for the duration of this mystery.
At the end of this mystery’s duration, you are exposed to one of the mysteries that you have exposed to others, forcing you to make a saving throw as if you had been targeted. This mystery grants you no bonus on the saving throw and this secret is revealed to you even if you are unable to speak or hear.
Note: None of these secrets are remembered (either by you, the target, or others in the area) past the instance it takes to rile the target’s mind with it.

Haunting Tune
Fundamental
Level/School: 0/Illusion (figment)
Range: Medium (100 ft + 10 ft/level)
Target: 1 creature and all creatures adjacent to it.
Duration: Instantaneous and 1 round
Saving Throw: Will Negates
Spell Resistance: No

Although you cannot hear the tune, you know that your target can hear it well enough. As they stop wincing in pain, their face settles into a befuddled expression.

If the target fails their will save, they take 1d4 sonic damage.
In addition, the target and all adjacent creatures must each make an additional will save or be fascinated for 1 round. Creatures cannot be fascinated in this way if their Hit dice exceeds half of your caster level + 1.

Immortal Shadow
Master, Endless Void
Level/School: 9th/Transmutation
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 24 hours

Disregarding laws of time, you steal back that which has been lost

Within shadows, time has no meaning. A shadow that was is a shadow that is is a shadow that will be. All that changes is the shadow’s location. Drawing upon this principle, this mystery not only stops aging for the mystery’s duration but reverts the mystery user to the next youngest age category (changing physical ability scores but not mental ability scores). Multiple castings of this mystery results not in a stacking of age regression but an overlapping of duration.

Insert Memory
Initiate, Grim Reminder
Level/School: 4th/Enchantment
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One living creature
Duration: 1d4+1 rounds
Saving Throw Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

Every memory leaves an imprint on a person’s mind. For someone who specializes in reflections and imprints, creating a memory of yourself is no challenge.

This mystery is cast as an immediate action to imprint a memory of yourself into your target. You may insert either a favorable or unfavorable memory of yourself. If the memory is favorable, you gain a +4 bonus on diplomacy checks with them and do not take the normal –10 penalty for rushed diplomacy checks. If the memory is unfavorable, you gain a +4 bonus on intimidate checks with them and your target only adds half of their hit dice to their opposed check.
When used in combat, this mystery may effect how a creature attacks. If used to create a favorable memory, the target avoids attacking you if possible (unless you actively attack it). If this use is used in response to an attack against yourself, that attack suffers a 50% miss chance as the target works to stay their own hand. If used to create an unfavorable memory, the target attacks you to the exclusion of all other targets. If this use is used in response to an attack on an ally, that attack suffers a 50% miss chance as the target “remembers” the true target of their ire.

Insidious Paranoia
Initiate, Infinite Eyes
Level/School: 5th/Divination [Mind-Affecting]
Area: 5 ft/level radius, centered on the Shadowcaster.
Duration: 1 hour/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will Negates
Spell Resistance: Partial; see text

From the shadows of those around you, you can hear their thoughts.

Whenever anyone walks into the area of this mystery, they must make a will save or have their surface thoughts read for 1 round/level as if through a detect thoughts spell. Any creature that makes their saving throw is immune to all further usages of Insidious Paranoia made by the same shadowcaster for 24 hours.

Invisible Pyre
Apprentice, Shaded Flame
Level/School: 3rd/Evocation [Fire]
Range: Close (25ft.+5ft. 2/levels)
Area: 1 five-foot square
Duration: 2 hour/level or until expended (D)
Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: Yes

With a few gestures, a small pyre sets itself up on the floor.

With this mystery, the Shadowcaster creates an invisible and silent pyre. The first time that a creature steps into this pyre, it erupts into flames, dealing 1d6/level damage to that creature and all creatures within a 20-ft. radius. Half of this damage is fire and half comes from pure shadowstuff and is therefore not subject to being reduced by resistance to fire-based attacks. Anyone within 10 feet of the flame can make a dc20 spot check to notice their shadows seem to act on another source of light. Likewise, anyone gazing on the flame with a see invisibility spell or similar effect sees a small, black ember burning in that square (although there is no other indication as to the mystery’s full effect).

Land of Darkness
Apprentice, Darkland Walker
Level/School: 3rd/Necromancy
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Area: One 10-ft. cube + 1 10-ft. cube/4level
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw None
Spell Resistance: No

You call upon the darkest areas of the plane of shadow, into which life and light fade away into nothingness. You call upon the darklands…and the darklands respond

Within the area of this mystery, all living creatures take 1d6 damage each round. If they are slain in this way, they are reduced to ashes. A deathward effect allows its target to ignore the effects of this mystery.
If used in an area with the minor positive energy dominant trait, that trait and this mystery are both suppressed for this mystery’s duration. This mystery may not be cast into an area with the major positive energy dominant trait.

Lengthened Shade
Master, Dark Dreams
Level/School: 8th/Necromancy
Range: Touch
Target: Creature Touched
Duration: Instantaneous and See Text
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

Reaching out at your opponent with one hand, all that you touch is time’s shadow.

The touched creature takes 2d8 damage/level (maximum 40d8) as long as it is denied its dexterity modifier to its AC. If the target is killed by this mystery, you gain immunity to the shaken, sickened, fatigued, and dazed conditions, along with death effects, for 1 hour/4 Hit Dice of the target (creatures with less than 4 Hit Dice do not grant these immunities). The duration of this secondary ability overlaps with itself. Only creatures with a metabolism can be affected by this mystery.

Living Ghost
Apprentice, Out of Mind
Level/School: 2nd/Enchantment [Mind-Affecting]
Range: Touch
Target: Living creature touched
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: Will Negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

With a simple whim, all memories of you slowly snake out of the target’s psyche.

One minute after this ability is used, the target makes a will save. If they fail, all memories of you going back 1 minute/level are erased. The memories are changed to make the most sense out of the past events as possible (although the target may still think it unlikely). This effect can be removed via the Unveil mystery, the break enchantment spell (although doing so requires a caster level check with a –4 penalty), or with the limited wish, wish, or miracle spells.

Manipulate Memory
Initiate, Grim Reminder
Level/School: 6th/Enchantment
Range: Touch
Target: Touched Creature
Duration: Permanent (D)
Saving Throw Will Negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

Memories are nothing more than shadows of past events. These shadows are putty in your hand, allowing you to form, destroy, or alter them as you see fit.

You may alter the target’ s memory, as the modify memory spell with the above exceptions. In addition, you may alter up to 5 minutes of memories + 5 minutes/4 caster levels. In addition, due to the significantly lower casting time, you may use this mystery in combat, although your opponent gains a +4 bonus on their saving throw if it is used in combat.

Mass of Shadows:
Initiate, Umbral Mass
Level/School: 4th/Transmutation
Range: Touch
Target: Creature Touched
Duration: 1 minute/level

You cause the target’s form to become wispy and insubstantial, as if they were a mere ghost of their former self.

The target of this mystery gains a +4 bonus on hide, move silently, and escape artist checks. In addition, they can navigate through tight areas as if they were one size category smaller.

Midnight Scream
Initiate, Voice of Night
Level/School: 6th/Evocation
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area: 20-ft. radius burst
Duration: Instantaneous, then 24 hours
Saving Throw Fortitude half (object)
Spell Resistance: Yes

You enrage the air around your target, speeding it faster and faster, sucking all noise from around it until the air screams in pain.

This mystery deals 2d6/level sonic damage (maximum 40d6) to all creatures and objects within the area, or half as much with a successful fortitude save. Furthermore, all nonmagical flames in the area are extinguished and every creature who fails their Fortitude save is deafened for 24 hours. Lastly, all potential for sound is removed from the area for 24 hours, effecting the area as if through a silence spell.

Midnight Veil
Fundamental
Level/School: 0/Abjuration
Range: personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 hour or until expended

Shadows quickly course about on all sides, a sign that they are willing to protect you.

You gain a +1 resistance bonus on the next saving throw that you make within this mystery’s duration.
If your caster level is 10 or higher, you gain a +2 resistance bonus on the next two saving throws that you make within this mystery’s duration.
If your caster level is 20 or higher, you gain a +3 resistance bonus on the next three saving throws that you make within this mystery’s duration.

Morning Mist
Apprentice, Darkest Dawn
Level/School: 3rd/Conjuration (creation)
Range: 20 feet
Effect: Cloud spreads in 20-foot radius from you, 20 ft. high
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw None
Spell Resistance: Yes

A light blue mist passes over your allies, revitalizing their strength. Unfortunately for your enemies, the mist is a bit chilly

A misty vapor arises around you. The smoke obscures all sight as a fog cloud does. In addition, all sleeping allies are immediately awakened and all fatigued allies are immediately cured of their condition. All enemies in the fog, however, take 1d6+1 cold damage/level (maximum +10) every round.
Like with obscuring mist, the mist is (mostly) stationary once created. Likewise, fire burns it away. Furthermore, this mystery may not be cast into areas of severe (or higher) heat. However, a severe wind is necessary to disperse the mist (which occurs in 1d4 rounds). Strong winds move the entire cloud of mist 5 feet in the direction that the wind is blowing. Weaker wind has no effect.
This mystery does not function underwater.

Neverending Service
Master, Eternal Servitude
Level/School: 9th/Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]
Duration: Permanent
Spell Resistance: None

Through manipulation of the shadows in their mind, your target is yours to command. They will be serving you for a long, long time.

This mystery functions as the unshakable quest mystery, with the above and below exceptions. This mystery compels the target to continue their order until it is completed (or until they are slain, if the quest is open-ended).
In addition, whenever they complete their order, you may give them a new one at any time as an immediate action. You may not, however, give them new orders after they have already been given some (until their previous order has been completed).

Nightmarish Mist
Initiate, Nightmarish Domain
Level/School: 4th/Conjuration (Creation) [Fear, Mind-Affecting]
Range: 20 feet
Effect: Cloud spreads in 20-foot radius from you, 20 ft. high
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw Will Partial; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes; see text

The mist is a mere concentration of your target’s nightmares, nightmares that your foes have hidden from their conscious mind. As the mist rises up, the nightmares are fully realized.

You create mist along the ground that obscures sight as a Fog Cloud does. In addition, all foes within the mist must make a Will save each round that they remain in the fog. A creature not suffering from fear who fails their saving throw becomes shaken. A shaken target who fails their saving throw becomes panicked. A panicked target who fails their saving throw becomes frightened. A frightened target who fails their saving throw cowers in fear. A cowering target who fails their saving throw is overcome by insanity (as the spell) for 24 hours. A confused or insane target who fails their saving throw is slain by fear alone. Even if a target is unaffected by the fear, their concentration is hampered by demons in their own mind, preventing them from taking 10 or 20 on skill checks or from casting spells with a casting time greater than 1 standard action.
This mist is very insidious, swirling around magical defenses. If a target possesses spell resistance and resists this effect, their spell resistance is tested each round to see whether the mist effects them. The first time that this mystery overcomes a target’s spell resistance, their spell resistance no longer applies.
As with fog cloud, wind and fire may disperse the mist, although doing so forces one final will save from opponents as the mist is dispersed. Also like fog cloud, this spell cannot be cast underwater. Unlike fog cloud, however, this mystery suppresses light effects of 3rd level or lower and is suppressed by higher level light effects, as if it had the darkness descriptor.

Olden Tales
Fundamental
Level/School: 1st/Divination
Range: personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 hour or until expended

Old stories fill your mind as ancient shadows find you.

You gain a +2 bonus on knowledge checks.
You may end this mystery prematurely to make an untrained knowledge check, including the +2 bonus from this fundamental.

Oppressive Bindings
Master, Eternal Servitude
Level/School: 8th/Conjuration (creation)
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One creature
Duration: 3 rounds + 1 minute/level
Saving Throw Will partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

Far from the obedience of shadow, other creatures take steps to oppose you. This is something that you simply cannot allow.

For the duration of this mystery, the target must make a successful will save in order to take an offensive action against you. In addition, the target suffers debilitating effects that accumulate over time
On the first round, the target must make a will save or have its speed halved. On the second round, the target must make another will save or lose the ability to speak. On the third round, the target must make another will save or drop all items they are holding. After this time, all of these effects last for 1 minute/level.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-15, 07:25 PM

Mysteries: Passage of Shadows - Shadow's Venom

Passage of Shadows
Initiate, Dark Relic
Level/School: 6th/Conjuration (teleportation)
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will Negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

As you point through the object with one hand, you touch your target with the other. As soon as you make contact, they disappear.

You attempt to force the touched creature through a solid object, into the nearest open space that can accommodate them. The creature is transported up to 5 feet/level (maximum 100 feet) through an object or until they run into such an open space. If they have traveled the maximum distance but still haven’t found a safe spot by that point, they are ejected into the nearest open space, taking 1d6 damage for every 5 feet they must travel.

Path of Woe
Apprentice, Winding Trail
School/Level: 3rd/Transmutation
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Target: Up to 1 five-foot square/level
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: None or Reflex negates (see text)
Spell Resistances: No

You feel the terrain of the entire area within you. Feeling it inadequate for your purposes, you tweak it.

The path of woe mystery allows you to change your surroundings to fit your needs. You may alter the surrounding squares in any of the following ways, spending one five-foot square of effect for each effect added (even if they are all added to one square). All squares of effect are determined as you cast this mystery.
Impeding: The ground is treated as difficult terrain. Moving through it takes twice as movement as is usual, the DCs of tumble checks through it are increased by 4, and the square cannot be run or charged through. If you spend 2 squares of movement, the square also ensnares people, and someone passing through must make a reflex save or become entangled.
Damaging: The area almost seems to splinter, sending spikes and shards soaring into the square (although this apparent damage to the landscape only lasts for the duration of this mystery). All such squares are treated as possessing caltrops. If an additional square of movement is spent, anyone passing through the squares takes 1d4 piercing damage. For each additional square of movement beyond the second, increase this damage by 1d4.
Slippery: This area is made slippery by some invisible substance. Anyone within the area must make a Reflex Save or Fall. This reflex save is repeated on your turn ech round that the creature remains within the area. A creature can walk within or across the square with a DC 15 balance check. Failure means it can’t mue any more that round (and must then make a Reflex save or fall), while failure by 5 or more means that it falls. For each additional square of effect spent, the balance check DC is increased by 2.
Raise: The area is temporarily raised a foot. Any creature standing within the square has the benefits of fighting from high ground. If you spend a second square of effect, if raises up to 5 feet and takes a dc 10 climb check to scale. In addition, if provides cover. For each additional square of effect you spend, it is raised by another 5 feet (and one risen to at least 10 feet provides total cover).
Lower: The area is temporarily lowed by a foot. Any creature standing within the square has the downside of fighting from low ground. If you spend a second square of effect, if lowers to 10 feet and any creature within the square must make a reflex save or fall as if a pit trap had opened beneath their feet. The climb DC to scale the new wall is 10. For every two additional squares of effect you spend, its depth is increased by 10 feet.
Generate: You create a new bit of land from the most abundant building material in the area. If places against the ground, it acts as if you had used the Raise function of the mystery. You can place it higher up if you want to make a 1-foot thick platform for flyers or good jumpers. In addition, you can use this functions to make bridges across chasms or rivers.
Light: You can change the ambient lighting of a square to light, shadowy illumination, or darkness. Each square of effect allows you to affect up to 2 5-foot squares, which need not be affected in the same way.

Phantasmal Refuge
Initiate, Nightmarish Domain
Level/School: 5th/Conjuration (creation)
Range: 100 feet.
Effect: One temporary structure
Duration: 24 hours (D)
Saving Throw None
Spell Resistance: No

A mound of semi-solid shadow emerges from the ground before you, a mass of grey and black. Slowly, wisps of half-forgotten dreams worm their way into the lattice, giving it an ochre hue and making its form nearly gelatinous.

You create a phantasmal structure capable of holding up to 1 medium creature/level or an equivalent amount of smaller or larger creatures. In order to enter the refuge, the creature must be willing (or unconscious) and you must consent to allowing them within.
Time spent inside of the refuge counts as time spent sleeping. Furthermore, natural healing accelerates within the refuge, healing all living targets within every 2 hours that they remain. However, creatures inside are not actually sleeping and are immune to sleep effects. Instead, they are fully aware of their surroundings, although the structure somewhat obscures their sight and hearing (-4 penalty on spot and listen checks). On the other hand, creatures within the structure can take no actions (even purely mental ones) other than to make spot or listen checks or to leave the refuge (a full-round action).
The structure itself is resilient towards attack. It possesses Damage Reduction 10/-, has immunity to acid, and heals one hit point each round so long as it possesses a single hit point. Unfortunately, fire and cold deal twice as much damage against it. The structure possesses a number of hit points equal to 20 + the total of all contained creatures’ current hit points.

Pools of Entropy
Master, Dark Wasting
Level/School: 7th/Necromancy
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Effect: One pool of poisonous acid/2 levels
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw Fortitude partial
Spell Resistance: No

Pools of black fluid seep up from the ground. These entropic pools are deleterious to all living beings. Perhaps your foes will learn this soon

You create up to 1 10-foot radius pool of shadowstuff/2 levels anywhere within range of this mystery. Any living creature in these pools (including those that the pools are made around) suffer 3d6 damage each round and must make a fortitude save or take 2d6 constitution damage. If they fail their saving throw, they must make another one 1 minute later or take another 2d6 constitution damage. In addition, all those within 10 feet of a pool must make an additional fortitude save each round or become nauseated for 1 round.
Each pool is only 1 foot thick, not requiring any creature of tiny size or larger to make swim checks. Multiple pools (even from multiple castings) may not be stacked by any means.

Primal Surge
Initiate, Midnight Savagery
Level/School: 5th/Transmutation
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 1 minute/level or 1 minute; see text
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes

As you awaken an animalistic aspect of the target’s soul, their muscles become more defined, their motions become more fluid, and their heart beats grow stronger

When you cast this mystery, you may grant your target a +4 enhancement bonus to your Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution score for the mystery’s duration, chosen at the time of casting.
Alternately, you may grant the target a bonus to all of these ability scores by lowering the duration of the mystery to a mere one minute. While this use of the mystery is active, any creature viewing the target with a see invisibility or true seeing spell sees a shadowy shroud surrounding them, usually bearing animalistic features.

Pry the Truth
Apprentice, Shadow’s Whispers
Level/School: 3rd/Divination

You attempt to discern the truth from the living or take it from the dead. Either way, your questions will soon be answered satisfactorily.

This mystery functions like the spell discern lies or speak with dead. You decide which version to use at the time of casting.

Pulled Up
Initiate, Boundless Void
Level/School: 4th/Transmutation
Range: Close (25 feet + 5 ft/2 levels)
Target: All living creature within a 20-foot radius area
Duration: 1 round/level or less; see text
Saving Throw None
Spell Resistance: No

Your opponents try to move towards you, only to find that the air around them is thick as syrup. Slowly, the mass of semi-solid air lifts your foes higher and higher

All creatures within a 20-foot radius area must immediately make grapple checks. For this purpose, the opposed grappler gains a bonus on grapple checks equal to your caster level. All creatures who fail their grapple checks are raised 10 feet into the air. Every round, grappled creatures raise 10 feet each round, falling once they escape the grapple or when the mystery’s duration ends. No creature can be pinned in this way. Once all creatures have escaped the grapple, the mystery ends.

Puppet Strings
Apprentice, Shadow Puppetry
Level/School: 1st/Transmutation
Range: 50 feet
Target: 1 creature
Duration: 1 round/level or see text
Saving Throw None
Spell Resistance: No

Insubstantial threads of shadow launch forth from your fingers, unerringly adhering to your hapless target

This mystery allows you to grapple a creature from a distance. You gain a bonus on your grapple checks equal to your caster level and use your dexterity modifier in place of your strength modifier. Furthermore, your target cannot escape through the escape artist skill as the threads of shadow are adhered to their person. However, each of you may move around freely so long as you remain within 50 feet of each other. If the target would normally pin you due to a successful grapple, the mystery instead ends. If you would pin the target, however, the mystery ends and you may have the target make a single attack against any target within their reach, using your base attack bonus but their strength modifier. If you do not wish for them to attack, they instead fall prone.

Question Shadow
Fundamental
Level/School: 1st/Divination
Range: Touch
Target: Creature Touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will Negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

You furtively whisper a question to your target’s shadow and await your reply.

When you touch the target, their shadow answers one yes or no question about the target’s recent actions, unless the target succeeds on their will save. The shadow only remembers events as far back as 1 day/level. In addition, the shadow has no special ability to read the mind of the target or know anything that it could not observe. For example, the shadow may not know that the target carried around the Sword of Kas because it only observed her carry around a strange package. As a result, any question about the Sword of Kas would result in a no from the shadow.

Rebellion of Nature
Master, Blackened Sky
Level/School: 9th/Conjuration (summoning)

You call upon the greatest forces of raw destruction to rain down upon your foes.

This mystery functions as the spell Storm of Vengeance, except that the entire environment attacks, rather than just the storm itself. This adds a few new abilities, in addition to those normal for Storm of Vengeance:
1st Round: The temperature lowers to severe cold.
2nd Round: 4 fireballs (as the spell) erupt forth from the ground anywhere you choose, dealing 10d6 fire damage to anyone within range (reflex save half).
3rd Round: An earthquake (as the spell) occurs anywhere within range.
4th Round: Up to 1 large object/level animates (as animate objects).
5th through 10th rounds: The ground oozes tar, catching anyone who fails a reflex save until they pull themselves free (dc 20 strength check).
Nature does not take lightly to being abused in this nature, however, and at the end of this spell, you take 5d4 damage for each round that concentration was maintained.

Rescind Peril
Apprentice, Sepulcher Survival
Level/School: 3rd/Abjuration
Range: Personal
Area: 20-foot radius emanation, centered on you.
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw None
Spell Resistance: None

As you march forward, you do so without fear. The ground will not fall from under you. Darts will not fly from the walls. Axes will not swipe down from the ceiling. Of this you are sure.

All creatures within the area of rescind peril possess little risk of setting off traps. They exert no force upon the ground they walk upon, allowing them to walk across covered pits, pressure pads, quicksand and even spider webs without negative effect (apart from the possible stickiness of the webs).
Furthermore, you make no sound within the area of the mystery, although the noises continue outside of the area as if they had originated inside. As such, you may walk past a trap triggered by noise without setting it off, but your footsteps are still audible to the goblin ambushers 20 feet away (until you get close, that is). Furthermore, you can speak and have others hear you, but your voice only starts 20 feet in the distance (faded appropriately).
Lastly, creatures within this area are invisible to magical sensors, whether it be the true seeing sensor of a trap or those created by a scrying, clairvoyance/clairaudience, or prying eyes spell. Actual creatures can see you just fine, however.

Revealing Light
Master, Black Sun
Level/School: 7th/Evocation [Light]
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area: 40-foot radius emanation
Duration: Concentration (up to 1 round/level)
Saving Throw Fortitude partial
Spell Resistance: None

Shadows are cast only within the light. By calling forth the light, you can reveal deception and throw shadows into deeper relief.

You create a light within the mystery’s area. All figments and glamors in the area are suppressed, all invisible and ethereal creatures become visible, and all shapeshifters are forced to resume their normal forms unless they succeed on a fortitude save each round.
Furthermore, the light is intense, limiting the range of sight to those within the area to 10 feet.
Lastly, time spent within the area of your revealing light doesn’t count towards the duration of your mysteries.

Revise Vista
[B]Apprentice, Darkest Dawn[B]
Level/School: 1st/Transmutation
Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels)
Area: 20 foot-radius emanation
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

The ground in the selected area takes a slightly darker hue, but the landscape does not change at all, or at least, it doesn’t seem to change.

In the affected area, your allies gain a +5 foot enhancement bonus to their speed while your enemies have their speed reduced by 5 feet.
In addition, all allies in the area are treated as having the benefits of higher ground against enemies.
Lastly, if your caster level is 5th or higher, all allies gain a +1 bonus and all enemies take a –1 penalty on all attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks. If your caster level is 15th or higher, these bonuses and penalties increase to +2 and -2, respectively.

Seek the Lost
Master, Midnight Athenaeum
Level/School: 7th/Divination
Range: See Text
Target: One creature or object
Duration: 24 hours
Saving Throw None
Spell Resistance: No

When you come into contact with a person or object, a bit of their shadow is interlaced with yours. Using these strands of shadow as a trace, you can find your target no matter where they go

Through one of the most potent divination effects ever devised, you can precisely locate an object or creature that you have seen within the last 24 hours, even if they are on another plane of existence. A likeness of the object or creature or a view of the target through a divination effect is insufficient. You must’ve viewed them with your own eyes (or equivalent organ).
Even magic specifically made to block divination effects may be insufficient. If the target of this mystery is protected from divination effects by magic, you may make an opposed caster level check to ignore that effect.
Lastly, your knowledge of your targets position in relation to your own is so precise that if you utilize an effect from the teleportation subschool to get within 100 feet of the target, no one utilizing the effect risks any chance of landing off target.

Sever Link
Apprentice, Toppled Arcana
Level/School: 2nd/Transmutation
Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels)
Target: 1 magical beast, construct, or undead
Duration: 1 hour
Saving throw: Fortitude Negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

As you point a finger at the creature before you, all bonds binding it to the mystical or to its master are suddenly severed.

If the target is a magical beast and they fail their Fortitude save, their type changes to animal for 1 hour. Among other things, this lowers the magical beast’s intelligence to 2 (unless it was already 1), robs them of all spell-like and supernatural abilities, and allows them to be affected by spells such as animal messenger and animal trance. Any magical animal serving as a familiar, animal companion, or special mount loses all benefits of having ever been one (although it is still loyal to its master). If such a creature is destroyed during the duration of this mystery, the downsides of such a death (should they exist) only come into play at the end of this mystery’s duration.
If this mystery is instead used against a construct or undead and they fail their saving throws, they cannot be given any more orders during the duration of this mystery (unless someone regains control, such as through the command undead spell) and they take a –2 penalty on all attack rolls against you for the duration of this mystery.

Shadow Absorption
Master, Penumbral Master
Level/School: 9th/Abjuration
Duration: 1 minute/level

You set about yourself a net of shadow, ready to catch and absorb magical energies.

This mystery functions like the spell Absorption, with a couple of exceptions. First of all, 2d8 spell levels are absorbed. Secondly, both magic and shadow magic are absorbed in this way. When you use it to fuel a mystery, no daily use of that mystery is expended.

Shadow Alteration
Initiate, Umbral Mass
Level/School: 5th/Transmutation
Range: Touch
Target: Creature Touched
Duration: 1 round/level

The targets form darkens and seems sleeker. Their skin and hair turn to a deep pitch black while their eyes eerily glow.

The target of this mystery gains the dark template for its duration.

Shadow Awareness
Initiate, Infinite Eyes
Level/School: 4th/Transmutation
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: Fortitude Negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
Target: Living creature touched

As you instill the power of shadow into your target, lights and sounds seem more vivid to them and their awareness increases.

While this Mystery in effect, the target cannot be flanked, adds their wisdom modifier to all initiative rolls if positive, and gains blindsense out to 5 ft/level.

Shadow Flight
Initiate, Dark Journey
Level/School: 5th/Transmutation
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 hour/level

Your shadows slowly lift you off the ground, holding you up in the air.

You gain a fly speed of 10 ft./4 caster levels with good maneuverability. In addition, any square that you fly through is filled with shadowy illumination for 1 minute. Lastly, due to the shadow that courses around you, you take a –4 penalty on hide checks in bright illumination and a +4 bonus on hide checks in darkness (neither penalty nor bonus applies in shadowy illumination)

Shadow Form
Initiate, One with Shadow
Level/School: 5th/Transmutation
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

Allowing yourself to slip into the shadows, your body becomes one with the utter blackness of night.

While using shadow form, you gain concealment in any area filled with shadowy illumination and are considered completely invisible within any area of darkness.
Furthermore, you may pass through mundane barriers up to 5 feet thick as if you were an incorporeal creature, so long as the movement ends with you in empty space.

Shadow Fortification
Initiate, Darkened Wards
Level/School: 4th/Abjuration
Range: Touch
Target: Item touched
Duration: 1 hour/level (D)
Saving Throw: See text
Spell Resistance: See text

Reaching to shadow, you fortify the area around you.

This powerful mystery allows a single small-scale defense, depending on the touched item. It can affect the area in up to a 20-foot radius of you and you are immune to all effects created.
Portal: If a portal is touched, it instantly tries to close itself if it is not already closed (using an effective strength score of 20 to do so. When closed, it places an arcane lock on itself. Saving Throw: None. Spell Resistance: None.
Floor: The floor is covered with an invisible grease-like liquid. Anyone running or charging across it does not get a reflex save to avoid its effects. Saving Throw: Reflex Negates; see text. Spell Resistance: None.
Ceiling: The Ceiling continually drips acid, dealing 2d4 acid damage to all who are below it each round, although this acid does not damage the structure or pool on the bottom. Saving Throw: Reflex Half. Spell Resistance: None
Wall: The wall’s hardness increases by 2, climb checks made to climb it have their dcs increased by 4, and the wall heals 5 hit points/level. Saving Throw: None. Spell Resistance: None.
Air: The Air is filled with dark mist that impedes sight and movement as a solid fog spell. Saving Throw: None. Spell Resistance: None

Shadow Guardians
Master, Castle of Darkness
Level/School: 8th/Illusion (phantasm)
Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels)
Effect: one illusory guardian/ 4 levels
Duration: 24 hours
Saving Throw: Will Negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

A few illusory guards appear as you indicate, ready to fend off intruders.

You create 1 illusory guardian/4 levels, none of which can travel further than 100 feet from where they are first created. The illusory guards have vaguely humanoid outlines and are automatically recognized as illusions. They perceive their surroundings as if they received +10 bonuses on spot and listen checks and can see invisible creatures. They have no special way to see through darkness, however.
When you cast this mystery, you may designate up to 1 creature/4 levels to be ignored by the spell. Whenever a creature not to be ignored is observed by an illusory guard, that guard moves towards the intruder at a rate of 30 feet per round (up to the limits of its range) and tries to make a touch attack against that foe, using your base attack bonus and intelligence modifier to determine its attack bonus. For all intensive purposes, illusory guards act last in initiative.
If it hits or if a creature passes through a space occupied by an illusory guard, the guard dissipates and the target must make a will save or fall comatose for 1d6+1 hours. If the attack misses, it and other guards attempt to repeat the process. If the target succeeds on its saving throw, remaining guards try to attack the target as soon as they can be perceived. If a creature fails its saving throw, all other illusory guards from that casting ignore the creature, even if they are healed and return.
If more than one creature intrudes, the illusory guards attempt to split up their attacks as evenly as possible.

Shadow Homunculus
Apprentice, Twilight Studies
Level/School: 3rd/Conjuration (creation)
Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels)
Effect: One shadowy force that obeys your commands
Duration: 1 hour/level
Saving Throw None or Fortitude negates (see text)
Spell Resistance: No

Shadows gather into a small area, creating a dim conglomeration of shadows. As the mystery is completed, the shadows move, revealing itself to be a small quadrapedal being

Through this mystery, you create a potent minion to perform your bidding. It can run and fetch things, open unstuck doors, and hold chairs, as well as clean and mend. The servant can perform only one activity at a time, but repeats the same activity over and over again if told to do so. It can only open normal doors, drawers, lids and the like. It has an effective Strength Score of 6 (so it can lift 60 pounds or drag 300 pounds). It can trigger traps and such, but it can exert only 40 pounds of force, which is not enough to activate certain pressure plates and other devices. It can’t perform any task that requires a skill check with a DC higher than 10 (with the exception of hide checks) or that requires a check using a skill that can’t be used untrained. Its speed is 10 feet although it may fly at 25 feet with good maneuverability.
The servant it granted a single attack, using your base attack bonus and its strength score. Its attack deals 1d4-2 damage and upon every successful hit, the target must make a Fortitude save (against the mystery’s DC) or fall asleep for 1 minute. Creatures immune to poison are immune to this ability. In addition, the minion may create flanking conditions. It may take no other offensive action, including attacks of opportunity. It automatically fails grapple checks and checks made to avoid being bulrushed, but is immune to being overrun or tripped..
While not quite invisible, your minion gains a +8 bonus on hide checks. In addition, the minion is completely silent and never needs to make move silently checks.
The servant has an AC of 10+1/2 caster level and possesses a 20% miss chance due to its imprecise form (while visible). If it takes 10+1/level damage from attacks, it is dispersed, you are blinded for 1 round, and you take 1d4 damage/2 levels.
If your minion leaves the maximum range of this mystery, it simply ceases to exist and the mystery ends.

Shadow Immersion
Master, One with Naught
Level/School: 9th/Abjuration
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1d6+4 rounds

You allow shadow to flood into yourself, allowing you to achieve your full potential for a few moments of time.

While under this mystery, you back up your form with uncountable numbers of shadow forms ready to heal your wounds or take your place while empowering your shadows. In effect, you gain the following benefits.

Immunity to death effects.
DR 30/epic
Fast Healing 20
Spell Resistance (caster level+20)
Immunity to Cold, Electricity, Acid, and Fire
Metashadow feats have unlimited numbers of uses each day and do not increase the casting time of mysteries.

When you are slain or the duration of the mystery ends, your body is forcefully absorbed into the shadows, dealing you 5d8 damage/round that the mystery continued.

Shadow Layout
Apprentice, Winding Trail
Level/School: 2nd/Divination
Range: 100 ft.
Area: 100 ft.-radius emanation, centered on you
Duration: 3 rounds
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: None

You send out a cry into your surroundings for information. Gradually, the shadows return with what you seek.

This mystery is a great source of information, granting you knowledge over 3 rounds.
Round 1: On the first round of this mystery, you learn the lighting of each square within the area, revealing each square to hold light, shadows, darkness, or an object.
Round 2: On the second round of this mystery, you learn the number of creatures within shadowy illumination or darkness within range. You also learn the general direction to each such creature.
Round 3: On the third round of this mystery, you gain a general insight into the shadows themselves. The first mystery cast within this round gains a +1 insight bonus to its caster level.

Shadow Merge
Initiate, One with Shadow
Level/School: 6th/Transmutation
Range: Personal and Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels)
Target: You and one creature
Duration: 10 minutes/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will Negates
Spell Resistance: No

As you walk into the shadow of another, you feel its shadow call out to yours. You answer this call and allow your body to fuse with another’s shadow.

The shadow merge mystery fuses you bodily with the shadow of another creature within 1 size category of yourself. While in the shadow of another, you are invisible and the caster of any divination spell must succeed on an opposed caster level check to detect your presence. Unfortunately, your effective range of sight is lowered to 30 feet and you lose any special senses that you normally possess.
In addition, you gain telepathic contact with your target, may use mysteries with a range of personal upon them, and can deal them up to 5 nonlethal damage as a swift action. Furthermore, you can cast any spell-like or supernatural mysteries or fundamentals you possess. If you possess the still mystery feat, you may utilize mysteries that you cast as spells, although doing so still entitles others to a DC 15 spot check to notice the strange movements of the target’s shadow. Whenever you use one of your abilities in this way, your target is entitled to a new will save with a +1 bonus per previous attempt. If they fail, they are dazed for 1 round. If they succeed, this mystery ends, the mystery you attempted to use is ruined (but the daily use is still expended), and you take 5 nonlethal damage/level.
As you are not occupying the target’s soul, no effect can effectively “exorcise” or damage you. Whenever your target is dealt lethal damage, however, you take an equal amount of nonlethal damage. Nonlethal damage dealt to the target does nothing to you but the moment that either you or your target is knocked unconscious, the mystery ends.

Shadow Sanctum
Master, Castle of Darkness
Level/School: 7th/Abjuration
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft/level)
Area: 1 20-ft. cube/level
Duration: up to 24 hours (see text)
Saving Throw: Will partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

You seal off a small area for your personal use, daring others to follow you within.

Shadow Sanctum seals an area away from the planar travel of others into or within it, including teleportation spells, plane shifting, astral travel, ethereal travel, and all summoned creatures. This restriction does not apply to you.
In addition, all activity within the warded area is concealed from sight and hearing, with the borders appearing as some strange mist. Furthermore, divination spells fail to pierce into it (although those within it can detect things both inside and outside of the ward through sight or divinations).
Creatures are free to enter the shadow sanctum, but you are alerted to each intrusion. In order to leave the shadow sanctum, however, anyone other than you must make a successful will save. Spell resistance applies against this effect.
This mystery lasts only so long as you remain within the warded area, up to a maximum of 24 hours. If you leave the warded area for at least one round, this mystery ends.

Shadow Sequestration
Master, One with Naught
Level/School: 8th/Abjuration
Range: Touch
Target: Creature Touched
Duration: 1d4+1 rounds
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

Touching your target, you feel their pulse, hear their gasp, and then see nothing at all.

This mystery allows you to temporarily banish 1 creature into a small pocket of shadow at the edge of existence. When they reappear, they return to the same square (or are harmlessly moved to the nearest open square). While banished, all spell effects on the target’s person are suspended until they return.

Shadow Spikes
Apprentice, Dark Snare
Level/School: 2nd/Conjuration (creation)
Range: Close (25 ft+5 ft/2 levels)
Area or Target: 1 5-foot square/level surface or 1 creature
Duration: 1 hour/level
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

Just as you desired, spikes sprout from wherever you desire. Whether this is from a wall, floor, or creature makes no difference.

This mystery can make dangerous spikes sprout forth from almost any surface. If placed on the floor, any creature passing through the area must move at half speed or take 1d6 points of piercing damage +1d6 additional points/4 levels. Anyone falling onto these spikes (such as if they are placed at the bottom of a pit) also takes this damage. If placed on a wall, they lower the climb dc of that wall to DC 15 and anyone bulrushed into the wall takes damage as if falling into it. If placed on a ceiling (even one that is completely horizontal) they allow it to be climbed with climb DC 30.
If placed on a creature, they sprout forth from the creature, dealing 2d6 piercing damage to all equipment worn by the creature. In addition, they take a –2 penalty on all dexterity based checks. However, with each successful bulrush or grapple attempt, the target deals 2d6 piercing damage to their victim. This extra damage is also dealt with each successful unarmed strike.

Shadow Vigor
Fundamental
Level/School: 0/transmutation
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes

You instill your target with shadow, increasing their hardiness in combat

You grant your target 1 temporary hit point, with an additional temporary hit point for every two caster levels (maximum 11 temporary hit points).

Shadow Vivisection
Initiate, One with Shadow
Level/School: 4th/Necromancy
Range: Touch
Target: Creature or creatures touched
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Fortitude Partial
Spell Resistance: No

As you slip your hands through your opponents armor, you can vaguely feel the nerves and tendons throughout their body…at least, until you snip them.

Shadow vivisection allows you to remove much of your hand’s corporeality in order to make touch attacks that sever nerves and tendons. A successful strike deals 2d6 dexterity damage and stuns the target for 1 round. If they succeed on their Fortitude Save, the dexterity damage is halves and the target is not dazed.
While using this mystery, you may attempt up to 1 touch attack/3 levels.

Shadow Weaponry
Initiate, Dark Relic
Level/School: 4th/Transmutation
Range: Touch
Target: Weapon Touched
Duration: 1 hour/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will Negates (object)

As you grab hold of the weapon, you allow shadowstuff to flow freely into it. As it leaves your hand, you know it can penetrate most defenses.

One touched weapon passes damage reduction as if possessing all alignments, composed of all materials, was a magic weapon. In addition, the weapon gains a +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls.
For every additional daily use of a 4t level or higher mystery you expend as you cast this mystery, the enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls is increased by +1 (to a maximum of +5).

Shadow Weather
Master, Blackened Sky
Level/School: 8th/Illusion (shadow)
Range: 5 miles
Area: 5 mile-radius circle, centered on you
Duration: 4d8 hours; see text
Saving Throw: Will partial

You reach into the skies and infuse your surroundings with shadow magic, changing the weather to fit your needs.

This mystery functions as the spell Control Weather, with a few exceptions. First of all, the mystery comes into effect 1 hour later instead of 10 minutes later. Secondly, you can only cause forms of weather that cause precipitation, heat, or strong winds, and may cause any weather regardless of the season. Third, anyone within range of the weather who succeeds on a will save ignores all effects of the new weather, other than effects that directly limit their senses.

Shadow’s Appeal
Apprentice, Umbral Charm
Level/School: 3rd/Enchantment (Charm) [Mind-Affecting]
Range: Medium (100 ft.+10 ft./level)
Target: 1 humanoid creature
Duration: 1 round/level or 1 round
Saving Throw: Will partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

You flood your opponent’s perceptions with shadow, forcing yourself into the best possible light. You watch them seem to notice you for the very first time.

This mystery may be cast as an immediate action. For the duration of this ability, the target’s attitude towards you is increased by one step or up to indifferent, whichever would produce a better attitude. Targets hostile towards you gain a +2 bonus on their will save and targets in combat against you gain an additional +2 bonus.
If this mystery is used in response to an attack (or other violent action) against you, they must make another will save against the mystery’s dc or else lose that attack (or other violent action). If they failed on the first will save, they take a –2 penalty on this one.
If a target succeeds on their first saving throw, the duration of this ability is lowered to 1 round.
At the end of this mystery’s duration, the target gains full knowledge that they were charmed, changing their attitude towards you accordingly.

Shadow’s Path
Apprentice, Winding Trail
Level/School: 1st/Transmutation
Range: Personal and Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: You and up to 1 individual/level
Duration: 1 hour/level or until expended and then 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: None

As you take your first few steps, you see that your footprints seem to radiantly grow. Not that anyone else can see them.

While under the effects of this mystery, you appear to leave no tracks and possess no scent. However, to you and all targets designated when you cast this mystery, your footprints appear to glow with the approximate light of a candle and last until the duration of the mystery wears off.
Once during the mystery’s duration, as a full-round action, you may teleport up to 5 feet/2 levels backwards along your trail, although this lowers the remaining duration to 1 round/level. The glow is visible with a see invisibility spell, true seeing spell, or Truth Revealed mystery.

Shadow’s Release
Initiate, Dark Journey
Level/School: 4th/Abjuration
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 hour/level

Your skin suddenly seems to sweat forth a dark, reflective liquid. As this happens, you slip out from whatever binds you.

This mystery functions like the spell Freedom of Movement

Shadow’s Venom
Apprentice, Shadow Snare
Level/School: 3r/Conjuration (creation)
Range: 0 ft (see text)
Effect: one dose of poison
Duration: 10 minutes/level

You capture some of the detrimental effects of shadow within a small vial of poison.

You generate one dose of poison, held in a glass vial, which appears directly in your hand (or by your feet if you have no free hand). Any form of poison other than inhaled poison can be made in this way. In addition, only poison costing up to 100 gp/level can be created by this mystery.
You are at no risk of accidentally exposing yourself to poison while applying it (although you are still subject to its effects if the poison is used against you). At the end of the duration, the poison and vial it appears with disappears. At this time any creature that has taken initial damage from the poison but has not yet made a saving throw against its secondary damage must make a Fortitude save or immediately take the secondary damage.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-15, 07:28 PM

Mysteries: Shadow's Weaponry - Without a Trace

Shadow’s Weaponry
Fundamental
Level/School: 0/Transmutation
Range: Touch
Target: weapon touched
Duration: 1 minute/level

Your weapon is consumed by deep shadows, turning it a deep shade of black. Controlling this shadow, the weapon seems much simpler to use.

For the duration of this fundamental, you gain proficiency with the touched weapon.
In addition, the touched weapon deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage for as long as the fundamental continues.

Shadowed Landscape
Master, Blackened Sky
Level/School: 7th/Transmutation
Range: 1 mile
Area: 1 mile-radius circle, centered on you.
Duration: 1 hour

As you invoke this mystery, the ground upon which you step darkens, as if a huge cloud had passed in front of the sun. When you look up, however, the sky is clear.

This mystery darkens the surrounding area. All areas of bright illumination become areas of shadowy illumination, all areas of shadowy illumination become areas of darkness, and all areas of darkness become areas of magical darkness. All mundane light sources within radius go out and any spell with the light descriptor of 6th level or less is instantly dispelled. Spells of 7th level or higher with the light descriptor work normally in this area but do not dispel this mystery, merely suppressing it in the area that the spell is in.

Shadowstep
Fundamental
Level/School: 1st/Transmutation
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

You conjure a small patch of shadowstuff, helping you move through the battlefield unhindered.

During the round that this fundamental is cast, you may move over difficult terrain with no penalty.

Shadows Passing
Initiate, Dark Relic
Level/School: 5th/Conjuration (teleportation)
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 feet/level)
Target: up to 1 small object/level
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Will Negates (object)

Reaching out into the objects of shadows, you learn how to move them about. Of course, it would be wasteful to leave this power unused.

You may attempt to teleport up to 1 small or smaller object/level anywhere within range, once per round, as a swift action. For this purpose, 2 small objects equal one medium object, 4 equal one large object, 8 equal one huge object, 16 equal one gargantuan object, and 32 equal one colossal object. No object containing a living creature within (whether a mouse trap with a mouse or a castle with a king) can be teleported in this way. An attended or magical item is granted a Will save to resist but a success only saves it for that round. New items may be teleported each round.

Shadowy Touch
Fundamental
Level/School: 1st/necromancy
Range: touch
Target: creature touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

As a soft black aura conceals your hand, you feel the power of the void run through it.

You must succeed on a melee touch attack to deal 1d3 negative energy damage. Undead are healed by this ability instead of damaged by it.

Shattering Image
Apprentice, Hollow Facade
Level/School: 1st/Illusion (Figment)
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Effect: Visual and audio figment that cannot extend beyond 4 10-ft. cubes + one 10-ft. cube/level (S)
Duration: Concentration + 1 minute
Saving Throw Will disbelief (if interacted with); see text
Spell Resistance: Partial; see text

From nothing, you call forth sight and sound, filling the void with your figment. Many will be foolish enough to believe it. Some won’t be so lucky.

This mystery creates the visual and audio illusion of an object, creature, or force, as visualized by you. The illusion does not create smell, texture, temperature, or intelligible speech. So long as you concentrate on the image, you may move it within the limits of the size of the effect. Otherwise, it remains static.
Anyone who successfully disbelieves this illusion takes 1d6 + 1/level piercing damage as the realization harms their body. Spell resistance applies against the damage but not against the figment itself.

Skeleton Key
Fundamental
Level/School: 1st/Conjuration (creation)
Range: Close (25 feet + 5 ft/2 levels)
Target: one lock
Duration: See text

Slowly, a large black key comes into existence within the desired lock. It changes its form with every passing moment, looking for the one that fits the lock.

This fundamental can unlock any lock, given enough time. For every 5 points of the lock’s open lock DC, it takes 1 minute for the skeleton key to unlock. Furthermore, while the skeleton key is active, all open lock checks made against that lock automatically fail as the key occupies too much space to work around.

Spun of Myth
Initiate, Twilight Lore
Level/School: 6th/Divination

Your head is filled with stories and tales; with legends and myths of the highest order. The ones you need fall neatly into place in the center of your mind.

This mystery functions like the legend lore spell.

Squelch Light
Fundamental
Level/School: 0/Transmutation
Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels)
Area or Target: 1 5-foot square or one or more spells with the light descriptor.
Duration: Instantaneous or 1 round

The lights are beginning to bug you, so you decide it is time that they go away.

Squelch light allows you to make a dispel check (1d20+1 per caster level, maximum +15) against each light-based spell within range. The DC to dispel such checks is 11 + the caster level of the light spell. Remember that you take a –4 penalty on dispel checks made against spells.
If there are no light effects within range, this mystery fills a single 5-foot square within range with nonmagical darkness for 1 round.

Stuff of Nightmares
Apprentice, Waking Nightmares
Level/School: 2nd/conjuration (summoning)
Range: Close (25 ft.+5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: 1 pseudonatural shadow elemental
Duration: 1d4+1 rounds
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

You open a rift to a very dark place as you brace your mind for the aide you call upon.

Anywhere within range, you summon a creature of great destruction and fear. The exact creature you can summon depends on your caster level.

Caster level Creature Summoned
1st-5th Small Pseudonatural Shadow Elemental
6th-10th Medium Pseudonatural Shadow Elemental
11th-15th Large Pseudonatural Shadow Elemental
16th-20th Huge Pseudonatural Shadow Elemental
Ignore the normal prerequisites for the Pseudonatural template. As long as the being remains, it remains under the control of the shadowcaster that summoned it. The Pseudonatural template is found on page 160 of Complete Arcane.

Sudden Pit
Apprentice, Dark Snare
Level/School: 1st/Conjuration (creation)
Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels)
Area: 1 5-foot square
Duration: 1 hour/level
Saving Throw: Reflex Negates
Spell Resistance: No

As your target moves right as you expected, they watch in horror as the floor drops from under their feet.

The first time that the designated 5-foot square is stepped into by a small or larger creature, it instantly lowers to form a 10 foot pit below the creature’s feet. A Reflex save saves the target from falling into the pit. The walls of the pit are formed of solid shadowstuff and the climb DC to emerge from the pit is 10 + your caster level. For every 4 caster levels you possess, the depth of the pit you create is increased by 10 feet.

Summon Ooze
Apprentice, Ebon Alluvium
Level/School: 3rd/Conjuration (summoning)
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: One summoned ooze
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw None
Spell Resistance: No

A single black dot emerges on the surface from which you are going to summon your servant. The dot expands, larger and larger. Then, something starts to bubble out of it…

This mystery summons an ooze to your aid. It appears where you designate and acts immediately, on your turn. It attacks your opponents to the best of its ability. Although you can’t communicate with the creature, you can direct it not to attack, to attack particular targets, or to move where you desire it through sheer force of will (other orders are too complicated to communicate).
Your caster level limits what types of ooze you are capable of summoning, as listed on the table below. You are free to summon weaker creatures, however, if you do so prefer.
A new ooze created through the split ability disappears at the same time as the original when the mystery’s duration ends. Furthermore, the ooze cannot be summoned into an environment that cannot support them.

Caster Level Ooze
5th-8th Dark Gelatinous Cube (MM 3.5)
7th-8th Dark Gray Ooze (MM 3.5)
9th-10th Dark Reason Stealer (MM 2)
11th-12th Dark Shadow Jelly (Planar Handbook)
13th-14th Dark Black Pudding (MM 3.5)
15th-16th Dark Void Ooze (Planar Handbood)
17th+ Dark Corrupture (MM 4)

Sustained Stride
Fundamental
Level/School: 1st/Necromancy
Range: Touch
Target: Touched Creature
Duration: 24 hours or until expended
Saving Throw: Fortitude Negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: No

You send a bit of shadow around your target's legs, allowing it to keep them moving.

The target of this mystery automatically succeeds on all Constitution checks to continue a forced march, but not those made to continue running. Whenever the target fails a Constitution check to continue running, they may end this mystery prematurely as an immediate action to treat the failure as a success.

Symbol of Whelming
Master, Ancient Ward
Level/School: 7th/Enchantment
Duration: 24 hours or until expended, and then 10 minutes
Saving Throw: Fortitude Negates
Spell Resistance: No

As the symbol is placed upon the wall, it dimly glows with hidden power.

This spell functions like symbol of death, except that all creatures within the radius of the symbol of whelming instead take nonlethal damage equal to their current hit points +10.
Unlike Symbol of death, symbol of whelming has no hit point limit; once triggered, a symbol of whelming simply remains active for 10 minutes. Unlike symbol of death, only 1 creature/5 levels other than yourself can be attuned to the Symbol of Whelming, although this does not increase the casting time. Creatures immune to nonlethal damage do not trigger the Symbol of Whelming

Thought of Oblivion
Master, One with Naught
Level/School: 7th/Transmutation
Range: Close (25ft+5ft./2levels)
Target: 1 object
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None or Fortitude Partial
Spell Resistance: No

With a quick thought and momentary expenditure of energy, you force something into nothing.

This mystery allows you to completely destroy 1 object or construct that weighs up to 50lbs./level. Nonmagical items are granted no saving throws. Magical items and constructs are granted a saving throw with a –4 penalty. If a Magic Item succeeds, its hit points and hardness are each halved. If a Construct succeeds, they take only 1d6/level damage (maximum 20d6). An Item destroyed with this mystery leaves no trace behind save for their shadow, which remains for 24 hours and is noticeable with a dc15 spot check. Objects heavier than what this mystery can affect cannot be targeted by this mystery.
Note: Artifacts are immune to this mystery.

Tome of Night
Apprentice, Twilight Studies
Level/School: 2nd/Divination
Range: 0 ft.
Effect: One magical book
Duration: 10 minutes/level or until expended
Saving Throw None
Spell Resistance: No

As the shadows congregate before you, a single page slowly sews itself from fibers of shadow, followed by another and another. In seconds, you possess a sizeable volume with a dark black binding. The book floats gently into your hand.

Through this mystery you create a magical book. If you have at least one hand free, the Tome appears in that hand. If you have no hands free, it falls by your feet. Once during the book’s existence, you may use it either to imitate the effects of any fundamental of shadow (cast at your caster level) or to gain a +5 bonus on a single knowledge check. Upon utilizing either of these functions, the book disappears into the shadows once more.

Tools of the Trade
Fundamental
Level/School: 0/Conjuration (creation)
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: 1 nonmagical item weighing 5 pounds or less.
Duration: 1 hour

Reaching into the shadows, you pull out a small item.

This mystery creates a temporary nonmasterwork, nonmagical item that costs no more than 1 gp and weighs no more than 5 lbs.

Torment Nature
Initiate, Midnight Savagery
Level/School: 4th/Enchantment [Fear, Mind-Affecting]
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target: Up to 1 animal/level
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

Most natural being can only pray to understand the nature of shadows. As you fill such targets with shadow magic, they become angry and confused

When casting this mystery, up to one animal/level is either dazed, confused, frightened, or has its attitude towards all other creatures changed to hostile. All animals must be affected in the same way.
Starting at caster level 13th, you may affect magical animals with this mystery as if they were animals. Even magical beasts with high intelligence can be affected in this way.
Starting at caster level 17th, you may affect fey creatures with this mystery as if they were animals or magical beasts.

Treacherous Hoard
Master, Dark Dreams
Level/School: 7th/Transmutation
Range: Medium (100ft.+10ft./level)
Target: Up to 1 creature/2 levels
Duration: 1 round/level+ 1d4 rounds or Permanent (D); see text
Saving Throw: Fortitude or Will partial; see text
Spell Resistance: Partial; see text

Weaving shadow magic through coin after coin, you greatly increase your enemies burden.

Upon casting this mystery, all coins, gems, and art items on the targets have their weight multiplied by 10 (to a minimum of 1 pound apiece) for 1 round/level.
If any creature is rendered immobile by this new weight, they must make a Fortitude save or become petrified, transformed into a statue of semiprecious stones (worth 10 gp/5 pounds.) Their gear is unaffected.
Any creature not rendered immobile must make a will save or become dazed for 1d4 rounds.
Spell resistance protects against the petrification and daze but not against the multiplied weight of the valuables.

Trick of the Light
Fundamental
Level/School: 1st/illusion (shadow)
Range: 10 feet.
Effect/Target: See Text
Duration: 1 minute
Saving Throw: Will disbelief (if interacted with)

Summoning shadow, you manipulate your surroundings to your liking

This is the most basic of mysteries, used to change the surroundings, create an air of mystery, or intimidate foes. Any effect within the limitations of prestidigitation, silent image, and ghost sound can be accomplished through this fundamental (and abilities from more than one may be used simultaneously). Effects imitating prestidigitation are real and there is no saving throw to avoid them. With each casting, you gain a +1/4 level bonus (max +5 at 20th level) on one charisma-based skill check, other than use magic device checks, chosen at the time of casting.

Truth Beyond Truth
Master, Ebon Truth
Level/School: 8th/Divination
Range: 30 feet
Target: See text
Duration: 5 rounds + 1 round/2 levels
Saving Throw None
Spell Resistance: No

You deny the reality around you, placing in a shadowy reflection of what could have been.

Once per round, when you or an ally or enemy within 30 feet rolls an attack roll, saving throw, or skill check, you may force it to be rerolled. The target must take the results of the reroll, even if it is worse than the original.
Every time that you make another creature reroll using this mystery, you gain a +1 deflection bonus to your AC. At the end of this mystery, however, you gain a number of negative levels equal to the size of this deflection bonus. These negative levels never result in actual level lost and go away after 24 hours. However, if the number of negative levels gained are sufficient to kill you, you disappear without a trace, leaving not even so much as dust behind.

Tugging Shadows
Apprentice, Shadow Puppetry
Level/School: 2nd/Transmutation
Range: Medium (100 ft + 10 ft./level)
Target: 1 creature
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw Reflex negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

Shadows whirl around your targets feet, locking them soundly in place, unless you wish otherwise.

If the target of this mystery fails their saving throw, they are immobilized. However, once per round as a standard action, you may move the target 30 feet along the ground in any direction that you wish. This is not a teleportation effect and a creature so dragged may set off traps in the process. If this effect is used to drag the target into an obviously harmful area, such as off a cliff, into a pool of lava, or underwater, the target is entitled to a new saving throw with a +4 bonus.

Turbulent Dreams
Apprentice, Waking Nightmares
Level/School: 1st/enchantment
Range: Close (25 ft.+5 ft./2 levels)
Target: 1 living creature
Duration: 1 hour (see text)
Saving Throw: will negates (see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes

You fill the mind of your foe with indescribable nightmares, forcing them into an involuntary sleep.

If the foe fails on their will save, they fall asleep. If they are woken up before the end of this mystery’s duration, they must make a second will save or take 1d4 wisdom damage.

Twilight Gap
Master, Endless Void
Level/School: 8th/Conjuration (Teleportation)
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial; see text
Spell Resistance: No

Traveling along a road of shadows, you quickly reach your destination.

The emptiness of darkness connects all planes and all locations in a web of nothingness. By means of this mystery, you travel to any location you have seen (including places you have seen a likeness of, so long as the likeness is accurate). You may carry up to 20 pounds/level of inanimate objects with you on this journey, and any living creatures managing to travel with you (such as through extradimensional space) die immediately.
This trip is not for the faint of heart, however. If the destination is feet away, you become dazed for one round upon reaching your destination. If the destination is miles away, you fall unconscious upon reaching your destination. If the destination is on another plane, you die upon reaching your destination. Each of these instances is negated by a successful fortitude save. When traveling to or within the plane of shadows, these penalties do not apply (although the continually changing landscape makes use of this mystery difficult).

Twilight Paranoia
Initiate, Twilight Conspiracy
Level/School: 4th/Enchantment
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Area: 40-foot radius emanation
Duration: 10 minutes/level
Saving Throw None
Spell Resistance: Yes

As the energies of shadow play among your hands, so too do they play among the minds of your enemies, creating perceptions of unseen foes, perhaps in each other.

All creatures in the area of this mystery have their senses sharpened, gaining a bonus to spot and listen checks equal to 1/2 of your caster level.
However, this benefit has its price, as creatures in the area see potential for ambush, spies, and betrayal at each turn. First of all, all creatures in the area are considered flanked. Secondly, they take a –4 penalty on saving throws against fear affects. Lastly, you are unable to coordinate yourself with others in your group. No creature in the area can willingly use the aid another action or administer advantageous magic to another. Charms are not enough to force cooperation but compulsions are.

Twisted Summons
Initiate, Twisted Mockery
Level/School: 6th/Conjuration (Creation)
Range: Close (25ft.+5ft./2 levels)
Effect: one shadowy, warping creature
Duration: 1 round/level (D)

Reaching into the inky darkness of shadows, you conjure forth a near duplicate to another creature.

This Mystery summons any living, corporeal creature with no more than 1 HD/level. That creature gains the dark template and all attacks made against it have a 20% miss chance but that creature gains no spell-like or supernatural abilities normal for that creature.
As a Full-Round action, The Shadowcaster can change the form of the summoned creature into another with no more than half the HD of the previous form.
No creature summoned or warped into through this mystery may have a CR higher than 6. At caster level 13th, you may summon CR 7 creatures. At caster level 15th, you may summon CR 8 creatures. Lastly, at 17th level, you may summon CR 9 creatures.

Ubiquitous Shadow
Initiate, Twilight Conspiracy
Level/School: 5th/Divination
Range: 1,000 feet
Target: You + 1 willing creature/level
Duration: 1 hour/level
Saving Throw None or Fortitude Partial; see text
Spell Resistance: No

Shadows connect all. That has always been true. Now, you use that principal to connect you to your allies in both body and mind.

You form a telepathic bond with up to 1 willing creature/level. All creatures in this bond can communicate to you or each other telepathically. Furthermore, as a full-round action, anyone in the telepathic bond can gain sensory input from another participant for 1 round.
Unfortunately, the bond also links the participants in a more bodily sense. Whenever a creature in the bond takes damage, all other participants take an equal amount of nonlethal damage, or half that much if they succeed on a Fortitude Save. Any participants receiving sensory input from a creature while they are damaged instead takes an equal amount of lethal damage and is not entitled to a Fortitude save.

Umbral Authority
Apprentice, Umbral Charm
Level/School: 2nd/Enchantment [Fear, Mind-Affecting]
Range: Close (25 ft.+ 5 ft./2 levels)
Targets: up to 1 target/level
Duration: 1d4 rounds and 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Will partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

You force authority into you, making your visage more impressive and frightening.

All targets within range with no more than 1 HD/2 levels must make a saving throw or become frightened for 1d4 rounds.
In addition, you gain a +10 bonus on diplomacy checks for 1 round/level.

Umbral Citadel
Master, Castle of Darkness
Level/School: 9th/Conjuration (Creation)
Range: Long (400 ft + 40 ft/level)
Effect: one castle up to 10 ft/level on each side and up to 5 ft/level tall.
Duration: 24 hours

A castle of black rock rises up before you, just as you envisioned it.

This mystery creates a stronghold from raw shadowstuff to meet your needs. The stronghold can measure up to 10 feet/level to a side, and up to 5 feet/level high. For every twenty feet of height beyond the first twenty feet, you may add an additional floor beyond the first to the stronghold. In addition, if your stronghold has more than one level you may put in a number of staircases, ramps, or similar structures ranging between the floors up to your level. You may split off the contents into any number of rooms and control the positioning of doorways. All rooms must possess at least 5 feet to a side, however. All walls are 2 feet thick and are made out of rock. All doors are made out of iron. Even if destroyed, the walls and doors heal damage at a rate of 1/hour. As soon as a destroyed wall section or door has recovered a single hit point, it is rebuilt. No furnishings are created by this mystery.
You may also choose from one of three additional effects:
Trapped: When casting this mystery, you may select a number of traps, both mechanical and magical, from the dungeon master’s guide whose total CR does not exceed your caster level x 2. These traps are set throughout the stronghold as you desire.
Minions: When casting this mystery, you may create a number of creature whose total CR does not exceed your caster level – 5. These creatures obey your orders if you can communicate with them and do not attack you if you cannot communicate. They may not leave your stronghold and lose all spell-like and supernatural abilities.
Flying: 10 minutes after the castle’s creation, it floats up into the sky at a rate of 5 feet/round until it reaches a height of 100 feet. From that point on, you can direct it to fly as a swift action. The castle effectively possesses a fly speed of 40 feet with average maneuverability, but it must remain at least 100 feet above the ground at all times (giving it a flight order that would go against this results in that order being ignored). When the spell is dispelled or its duration ends, all creatures within are subjected to a feather fall effect until they hit the ground.
You can only use the Umbral citadel mystery where there is enough space to support the resulting stronghold. Multiple castings of this ability can be used to make larger strongholds. You cannot form the citadel around yourself. You must enter and make your way through just like everyone else.

Umbral Explosion
Master, Penumbral Master
Level/School: 7th/Evocation
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: instantaneous

You build up the power of shadow within you before allowing it to explode outwards.

Upon casting this mystery, you simultaneously cast a total of 9 levels of mysteries, in any combination. Daily uses are used up as normal.

Umbral Immunity
Initiate, Shadow’s Shield
Level/School: 6th/Abjuration
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/2 levels

You quickly connect yourself to the shadows around you, affording you some defense.

This mystery may be cast as an immediate action. For its duration, you gain a deflection bonus to your AC and immunities to certain conditions and effects based on your caster level.

Caster Level AC Bonus Immunities
Up to 11th +1 Fatigue, Sickened, Shaken
12th-14th +2 Exhaustion, Nauseated
13th-15th +3 Frightened, Panicked
16th-18th +4 Ability Damage, Ability Drain
19th-20th +5 Death Effects, Critical Hits

Umbral Sludge
Apprentice, Ebon Alluvium
Level/School: 1st/Conjuration (creation)
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area: 10-ft. square
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw see text
Spell Resistance: No

A stain of black spreads along the ground as if from a thousand unseen pores. Although it possesses none, the liquid gives the vague impression of life

This mystery functions as the area function of grease. Any creature who falls prone within the area, however, becomes nauseated for 1 round, or sickened with a successful fortitude save.
In addition, once per round, as a swift action, you may command the sludge to move up to 10 feet. The sludge can climb up and down vertical surfaces, such as stairs or walls, and can even hang on ceilings (although it cannot be commanded to fall from the ceiling to the floor). Anyone climbing a surface covered in umbral sludge must make a reflex save to avoid falling and a fortitude save to resist being nauseated (or sickened) each round.

Unbidden Strike
Fundamental
Level/School: 0/Transmutation
Range: Touch
Target: Touched weapon
Duration: 1 hour/level or until expended
Saving Throw: Will negates (object)

You grant a weapon the ability to strike on its own. If anyone gets too close, that it.

Whenever another creature approaches within range of an unattended and unsheathed weapon affected by this mystery, it makes an immediate melee attack against that individual, modifying the attack and damage rolls only with your charisma modifier and the weapon’s enhancement bonus (if any). A weapon’s range is equal to that it would possess if wielded by an appropriately sized creature. A ranged weapon must be provided with some piece of ammunition in order for it to function properly. Once a weapon has made an attack in this way, the mystery’s effect ends.
If the weapon is left unattended and unsheathed while another individual is nearby, that individual is instantly attacked.

Unearth Secrets
Initiate, Midnight Secrets
Level/School: 6th/Divination
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: one minute or one hour
Saving Throw Will negates (object) or none
Spell Resistance: No

Every fact about a person, place, or thing is hidden within its shadows. By siphoning lore from the plane of shadows, you gain the information you desire.

As you cast this mystery, ask one yes or no question about a person, place, or thing with which you are familiar. If a person or object is targeted, it is entitled to a Will Save. If they succeed on their save, you are delivered the opposite answer.
If the person, place, or thing is at hand, the answer is delivered to you at the end of 1 minute. If they are not at hand, the answer is delivered to you at the end of one hour.

Unearthly Marsh
Initiate, Nightmarish Domain
Level/School: 6th/Transmutation
Range: 100 feet/level
Effect: Supernatural marsh spreads in 100 foot/level radius from you
Duration: 10 minutes/level
Saving Throw See text
Spell Resistance: No

The ground around you dissolves into liquid as vapors rise up from the newly formed marsh.

The area within the range of this spell becomes an supernatural marsh of shadows. First of all, the ground is covered with a thin layer of acid, dealing 1d6 acid damage each round, 2d6 acid damage on a round in which a creature moves at their full land speed, or 5d6 acid damage on a round in which a creature runs or charges.
In addition, hallucinogenic fumes rise up from the marsh. When any creature moves at least their land speed in one round, they trigger these fumes to rise up, forcing them and all adjacent creatures to make fortitude saves (DC equal’s mystery’s DC) or take 2d4 Wisdom damage. Any creature who fails on such a fortitude save must make another one at the same DC 1 minute later or take an additional 2d4 wisdom damage. In addition, anyone who has taken wisdom damage from the marsh’s fumes takes a –2 penalty on saving throws made against your other mysteries so long as they remain in the marsh. Creatures immune to poison or who don’t need to breathe are immune to these fumes.
Lastly, you can manifest latent shadow energy in the marsh in order to manifest illusions. You may manifest one illusion each round and can maintain concentration on up to one illusion/4 caster levels. No single illusion may take up more than a single 10-foot cube and illusions created in this way may not leave the area of this mystery. The illusions creates visuals and sounds (including intelligible speech) but not smell, texture, or temperature. Each illusion lasts for as long as it is concentrated on + 1 round or until the duration of this mystery expires, whichever occurs first. As with all mysteries, these ones may be disbelieved with a successful will save if interacted with.

Unnatural Life
Fundamental
Level/School: 0/Necromancy
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous

As you will the energy of shadows to run through you, you can visibly observe your flesh closing up your wounds

You heal 1 health. This health is neither the result of positive nor negative energy, and heals you regardless of whether you are alive, undead, or neither.
If an attack would lower you to below 0 health, you may cast this mystery as an immediate action to stabilize you as soon as you fall unconscious, although you do not heal any health if the mystery is used in this way.

Unshakable Quest
Master, Eternal Servitude
Level/School: 7th/Enchantment (Compulsion)[Mind-Affecting]
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One living creature
Duration: One day/level or until discharged (D)
Saving Throw Will Negates and Will Partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

Using authority granted to your by the shadows themselves, you set a task for your target. They will not easily escape your grasp.

This mystery functions as Geas/Quest with a few exceptions. First of all, remove curse may not remove this ability, regardless of the caster level. Secondly, the nature of the command is completely telepathic, communicated to the target even if you do not share a language or if you are unable to talk.
Instead of suffering damage each day that they do not follow the quest, they are prevented from deviating altogether. In order to abandon the quest, the target must make a Will save. Furthermore, an additional will save is required each day.

Voices From Nowhere
Apprentice, Voice from Beyond
Level/School: 1st/Illusion (Figment)
Range: Medium (100 ft.+10 ft./level)
Effect: Up to one phantom voice/level.
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

You reach out around you, forcing sound from shadow. Focusing harder, you force the sound into your own voice.

This mystery functions as the Ventriloquism spell, except that your voice seems to come from up to 1 place/level. Not all locations need say the same thing.
Note: Despite the name of the mystery, no actual words are required.

Visage of Falsehood
Apprentice, Hollow Facade
Level/School: 2nd/Illusion (glamer) [Fear, Mind-Affecting]
Range: Personal and Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels)
Target: You and all living creatures within range
Duration: 10 minutes/level or until discharged
Saving Throw Will partial; see text
Spell Resistance: Partial; see text

Your features shift slightly, making you seem genial and trustworthy. Others are more at ease with you, so long as they are willing to believe what you say.

You gain a +10 enhancement bonus on bluff checks. The enhancement bonus increases to +20 at caster level 7th, and to +30 (the maximum) at caster level 13th.
In addition, the first time in the duration of this mystery that someone succeeds on a sense motive check to see through your lies, this mystery ends and all living creatures within range must make a will save or become shaken for 1d4+1 rounds.

Volcanic Ruin
Master, Dark Wasting
Level/School: 8th/Transmutation
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Effect: One or more lava jets or steam vents
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw Reflex half
Spell Resistance: No

The ground below you trembles slightly with the stress that you build below it, allowing it to release volcanic destruction into the world.

Once per round, you may create a lava pool or steam vent anywhere within range as a standard action. A lava pool extends to cover the square in which it is called and all adjacent squares. A steam vent effects only the square it is in.
A lava pool deals 1d6/level fire damage to all in its area each round, or half of that with a successful reflex save. For each lava pool created beyond the first, each lava pool deals 1d6 less fire damage each round.
A steam jet deals 4d4 fire damage each round to anyone in its square, or half of that with a successful reflex save. In addition, the air above is filled with this steam, providing that creature with concealment against all attack from outside of that square and giving all other creatures concealment in relation to that creature. For each steam vent created beyond the first, each steam vent deals an additional 1d4 fire damage.

Walking Dead
Initiate, Twisted Mockery
Level/School: 5th/Necromancy
Range: Close (25ft.+5ft./2 levels)
Target: 1 corpse
Duration: 1 day/level (D)

Wrapping tendrils of darkness around a corpse, it gets raised in the air like a marionette.

This mystery animates the dead, as animate dead, with a couple of exceptions. First of all, only one corpse can be raised with each casting and there is no maximum number of HD that can be controlled in this way. In addition, skeletons created with this mystery are limited to 1 standard or move action each round while zombies take a –2 penalty on attack and damage rolls. Furthermore, as they are directly controlled rather than flushed with negative energy, undead created in this way are immune to both positive energy and negative energy effects (such as turning or rebuking). Lastly, at the end of this Mystery’s duration, the skeleton or corpse collapses into a pile of dust.

Wall of Darkness
Initiate, Darkened Wards
Level/School: 5th/Evocation [Force]
Range: Close (25 ft.+5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: a 10-ft. square wall.
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

A wall of condensed shadow springs up where you desire, protecting you from the most dire of fates.

Wall of Darkness creates a completely opaque wall of force, through which only you can move. The Wall cannot move, is immune to all damage, and cannot be destroyed by most spells, such as dispel magic, disintegrate, or Mordenkainen’s disjunction. Rods of Cancelation similarly fail to destroy it. A Sphere of Anhilation, rather than destroying it, can pass through it as if it were not there.

Ward of Reflection
Master, Ancient Ward
Level/School: 9th/Illusion (Shadow)
Range: Close (25 ft+5 ft/2 levels)
Area and Effect: 2 5-foot squares and one duplicate creature
Duration: 24 hours or until expended
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

As your enemy steps forth to oppose you, they suddenly find a new contender in the fray, themselves.

When a creature steps into one of the selected squares, a copy of them is made in the other selected square, which must also be within range at the time of the casting. The Duplicate has only one-half of the real creature’s level or Hit Dice (and the appropriate hit points, feats, skill ranks, and special abilities for a creature of that level or HD). The Shadow duplicate possesses a functional copy of all of the original’s equipment. The original is made of extremely resilient shadowstuff, however, gaining 10 temporary hit points/Hit Dice or level and regeneration 5, which only fire damage can overcome. It takes a dc 30 spot check to tell the fake from the original. This mystery only works if the creature’s hit dice or levels don’t exceed twice your caster level.
The Duplicate immediately tries to destroy the original, to the exclusion of all other activities, although it may protect itself from others who attack it. In addition, the Duplicate only lasts for the duration of the encounter, dissolving into shadows regardless of whether it wins or loses.

Warp Body
Initiate, Twisted Mockery
Level/School: 4th/Transmutation
Range: Touch
Target: Living Creature Touched
Duration: 10 minutes/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

Sending the unstable energies of the Plane of Shadow down your arms, you warp the flesh of your target.

The touched target has their speed halved but gains a 50% chance of resisting any extra damage dealt by a critical hit or sneak attack.
In addition, the touched target takes 1d6 charisma damage +1/5 levels. They gain a +10 bonus on intimidate checks or Disguise Checks (chosen by the Shadowcaster at the time of casting). These bonuses do not apply when the skill is used against the Shadowcaster.

Wave of Emptiness
Apprentice, Darkland Walker
Level/School: 2nd/Necromancy
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target: One living creature/2 levels
Duration: 1 round/level or until discharged
Saving Throw Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

Waves of dark power spread from where you stand, making them doubt the existence of their fellows.

All creatures who fail their saving throw against this effect lose the ability to see other living creatures, treating all other living creatures as if invisible, scentless, and silent. Such creatures lose their dexterity modifier against attacks made against them while in this state. In addition, the first creature to successfully damage a target ends the effect upon that target (and that target only), dealing them an extra 1d6 negative energy damage/2 levels (maximum 5d6).

Withdraw Thought
Fundamental
Level/School: 1st/Necromancy
Range: Touch
Target: Touched nonmagical parchment or creature.
Duration: Instantaneous or 1 round/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

As you touch your target, you will all information to fade away, one way or another.

If this mystery is used on nonmagical parchment, up to 1 piece of parchment + 1 additional piece/5 levels is rotted into dust.
If this mystery is used on a creature, they take a -1d6 penalty to their intelligence score, lowering their intelligence to a minimum of 3. Multiple uses of this mystery on one creature do not stack.

Without a Trace
Apprentice, Out of Mind
Level/School: 3rd/ Illusion (Glamer)
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: Concentration (up to 1 round/level)+1d4 rounds

As you invoke this mystery, your physical appearance fades from existence for a short amount of time.

While this mystery is in effect, the target is completely invisible. See invisibility fails to reveal this ruse and True Seeing only succeeds if they beat the target's hide check (with a +20 bonus) with a spot check. The target’s shadow remains, although far diminished. Those who succeed on a spot check against the target's hide check (with a +30 bonus) see the shadow. When targetting a creature other than yourself, concentrating on the mystery requires a full-round action each round.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-15, 07:35 PM

Ok, Here I go.

New Feats:

Path Mastery Feats:
A Shadowcaster faces a strange predicament. If they want more powerful mysteries, they must take from less paths, meaning less versatility. Some Shadowcasters have overcome this ability with special Path Mastery Feats, each requiring a complete path to function, along with the path mastery feat. Unless otherwise noted, all Path Mastery Feats are supernatural abilities.

Shadowcraft Feats:
Users of shadow magic have their entire body flooded by the energies of shadow, even when not casting mysteries. Shadowcraft Feats are feats that allow you to create magic items, using your body as the medium for creation. A Shadowcraft item possesses half of its market price in gp to create but possesses no XP cost. Instead, your body pays the price, reducing your maximum hit points a certain amount for each item you have crafted. At any point, you may possess a number of shadowcraft items up to your constitution score, although certain shadowcraft items may have additional limitations. You may not willingly destroy a shadowcraft item to make room for a new one unless you possess the Unravel Shadowcraft feat.
Furthermore, no physical technique short of your body’s complete destruction will destroy a shadowcraft item. A shadowcraft item is supernatural in nature and can thus not be dispelled, although it is suppressed in the area of a antimagic zone. If a shadowcraft item effect is naturally ended (such as if it imitates a scroll or potion), the price you paid in maximum hit points is restored (although your current hit points are not effected).
Shadowcasters may select Shadowcraft feats as their bonus feats. Shadowcraft items take up no item slot.

Shadow Essence Feats:
Shadow Essence feats represent a tangible connection to shadows. Each feat taken increases this connection further. However, you lose the benefit during the day or while in bright light unless you have an uncast mystery of your highest spell level available to you. Furthermore, if you possess so much as a single shadow essence feat, you are treated as an undead for the purposes of effects with the light descriptor.
In addition, taking these feats binds you in a more definite sense to the darkness. For each shadow essence feat you possess, you take a –1 penalty on all attack rolls, skill checks, and saving throws made during the day.

Dark Store Feats:
Almost all individuals who have ever heard of shadow magic, including most shadow magic users, assume that all shadow magic hails from the plane of shadow. However, there are rumors of infinitely vast stores of shadow magic, completely separate from the plane of shadows. Some shadow magic users have managed to tap into these stores by using some of their own strength, much as a mosquito taps into a vein. This connection is called upon to create lesser displays of shadow magic, but it may be called upon without limit.
In game terms, whenever the possessor of this feat restores their mysteries, they may opt to gain the benefits of a dark store feats by giving up the use of a mystery of the indicated level for 24 hours. An individual can gain the benefits of multiple dark store feats by giving up the use of multiple mysteries. Any ability granted by a dark store feat is considered to be a supernatural ability. If the effect of a dark store feat allows a saving throw, its DC equals 10 + level of mystery given up + 1/2 character level.

Shadow Magic Feats

General Feats Prerequisites Benefit
Advice of Shadows Shadowcaster level 1 gain bonus on one mental skill check.
Arcane Acknowledgement Shadowcaster level 1 qualify for prestige classes more easily.
Divine Acknowledgement Cultist level 1 qualify for prestige classes more easily.
Ebon Pocket Shadowcaster level 1 you can store items in an extradimensional pocket of shadow.
Erudite Magus — wizard and eventide magus levels stack for certain purposes.
Extra Fundamental Shadowcaster level 1 learn extra fundamental
Extra Mystery Shadowcaster level 2 gain use of extra mystery
Extra Mystery Use — gain an extra daily use of a mystery each day.
Forceful Shadowcaster Shadowcater level 1 charisma helps you learn more powerful mysteries
Insightful Shadowcaster Shadowcaster level 1, Wis 13 wisdom increases the power of your mysteries.
Master Dabbler access to 6 different paths, mysteries with metashadow effects are more powerful
any metashadow feat
Metashadow Mastery access to 12 different paths, gain an extra use of each metashadow feat.
Master Dabbler
Midnight Alchemist Shadowcaster level 1 craft better alchemic items faster.
Mystery Focus Access to one apprentice mystery improve mystery once per day.
Path Mastery access to a 3rd, 6th, gain benefit for completing paths.
or 9th level mystery.
Path Versatility — feats that improve paths are more versatile
Sight of Shadows Umbral sight class feature shadows improve your senses
Scholarly Shadowcaster Shadowcaster level 1 intelligence helps make your mysteries more virulent.
Shaded Mysteries — mysteries are more powerful when cast in shadows
Shadow Master Access to one apprentice mystery shadow abilities are more virulent
Shadow Reserve Shadowcaster level 1 gain small number of extra mysteries each day.
Shadow Resiliance — give up a mystery to heal yourself
Shadow Tome Shadowcaster level 1, write your mysteries in a tome like a wizard
Liquid Night Fundamental
Shadow Redundancy — Gain additional power from learning one mystery multiple times.
Shadowy Combatant Shadowcaster or Cultist level 1 gain more proficiency with weapons and armor.
Shifting Shadows Shadowcaster level 5 You can give up stronger mysteries to use weaker ones more.
Signature Mystery Favored Mystery You have increased power with your favored mystery
Tainted Shadowcaster Mild taint, Shadowcaster level 1 taint grants you extra uses of mysteries
Umbral Focus The Price class feature +1 bonus on umbral strain checks.
Improved Umbral Focus Umbral Focus +2 bonus on umbral strain checks.
Unnatural Reflexes Shadowcaster or Cultist level 2 sacrifice mystery to improve reflexes
Escape Into Shadow Shadowcaster or Cultist level 8 gain evasion when improving your reflexes

Metashadow Feats Prerequisites Benefit
Complicate Casting — complicate the casting of your mysteries to gain additional power from them.
Delayed Mystery Any two metashadow feats delay a mystery’s activation by 3 rounds.
Ghostly Mystery Any other metashadow feat your mystery affects those on other dimensions.
Impeding Mystery Any two metashadow feats slow down foes in the area of your mystery
Magebane Mystery — inflict caster level penalty on those affected by mystery.
Persistent Mystery Any five metashadow feats make a mystery last all day
Retributive Mystery — prepare a mystery to be cast when damaged.
Runebound Mystery — cast a mystery into a rune that acts as a trap.
Shadowstuff Mystery Any two metashadow feats exclude allies from the effects of your mysteries
Subduing Mystery — replace lethal damage from mysteries with nonlethal damage.
Warped Mystery Any other metamagic feat. replace one form of damage with another.
Widen Mystery — enlarge a mystery’s area.

Path Mastery Feats Prerequisites Benefit
Above Nature ability to cast the Rebellion of Nature creatures of nature cannot attack you.
mystery, Path Mastery

Arcane Veil ability to caste the Greater Shadows Fade you gain spell resistance.
mystery, Path Mastery
Astray in the Dark ability to cast the Umbral Fist mystery, extend your reach in shadows.
Path Mastery
Battlefield Blaster Ability to cast the Disastrous Orbs mystery, Ignore the effects of your own mysteries.
Path Mastery

Blur of Shadows ability to cast the Clinging Darkness mystery, warp the surrounding terrain.
Path Mastery
Cloak and Dagger ability to cast the Sharp Shadows mystery, defend and retaliate using shadow
Path Mastery
Curtain of Shadow ability to cast the Unveil mystery, you gain concealment in all but bright sunlight.
Path Mastery
Dark Charm ability to cast the Shadow’s Appeal mystery, gain diplomacy as class skill.
Path Mastery
Dark Concealment ability to cast the Deadly Shade mystery, become invisible in magical darkness.
Path Mastery
Dark Puppeteer ability to cast the Shadow Surge mystery, redirect the target of attacks.
Path Mastery
Dark Trekker ability to cast the Voyage into Shadow mystery, provoke no attacks of opportunity with your movement.
Path Mastery

Ebon Form able to cast the Shadow Time mystery, you gain fast healing 2.
Path Mastery
Ebon Hand ability to cast the Umbral Touch mystery, gain extra strength with touch attacks.
Path Mastery
Embrace of Shadow ability to cast the Umbral Immunity mystery, add your charisma modifier on saving throws.
Path Mastery
Ephemeral Palm ability to cast the Invisible Pyre mystery, gain damaging touch attack.
Path Mastery
Escaping Shade ability to cast the Black Labyrinth mystery, enter a state that helps you escape from danger.
Path Mastery
Esoteric Knowledge ability to cast the Afraid of the Dark mystery, gain all knowledge skills.
Path Mastery
Eyes of Twilight ability to cast the Reflections of Things you gain blindsight out to 60 feet.
to Come mystery, Path Mastery

Forsaken Lore ability to cast the Pry the Truth mystery, +1 bonus to caster level.
Path Mastery
Grasp of Shadow ability to cast the Consume Essence mystery, trap foes in place.
Path Mastery
Guarded Mind ability to cast the Spun into Myth mystery, you are immune to intelligence, wisdom, and charisma damage.
Path Mastery
Hollow Being ability to cast the Without a Trace mystery, sneak around at high speeds without penalty.
Path Mastery
Master of Mysteries ability to cast the Shadow Absorption you use one mystery at will each day.
mystery, Path Mastery
Morphic Form ability to cast the Dark Transformation you have a 25% chance to ignore critical hits.
mystery, Path Mastery
Night’s Guard ability to cast the Dancing Shadows mystery, darkness protects you.
Path Mastery
Nightmarish Master ability to cast the Dark Will mystery, gain immunity to fear.
Path Mastery
Phantom Assault ability to cast the Army of Shadow mystery, gain various combat-oriented abilities.
Path Mastery
Piercing Gaze ability to cast the Killing Shadows mystery, improve your sight.
Path Mastery
Pull of the Grave able to cast the Ephemeral Storm mystery, curse your opponents with the power of shadow.
Path Mastery
Quick Arrival ability to cast the Awaited Destination +10 speed; run twice as long.
mystery, Path Mastery
Shaded Supremacy ability to cast the Desires Manifest Mystery, +4 bonus to any ability score.
Path Mastery
Shadow Renewal ability to cast the Shadow Investiture mystery, sustain your body with shadow
Path Mastery
Shadowy Imitator ability to cast the Greater Shadow Evocation imitate weaker forms of magic.
mystery, Path Mastery
Shady Magician ability to cast the Flood of Shadows mystery, manipulate magic with greater ease.
Path Mastery
Shady Observer ability to cast the Contingent Shadow mystery, stop flanking and detect divination.
Path Mastery
Silent Speaker ability to cast the Curse of Silence mystery, speak without speaking.
Path Mastery
Subtle Observer ability to cast the Flicker mystery, Recognize subtle communication.
Path Mastery
Twilight Ascendance ability to cast the Shadow Immersion mystery, become incorporeal for 1 round/level.
Path Mastery
Twilight Guard ability to cast the Shadow Storm mystery, absorb elemental damage.
Path Mastery
Twilight Warper ability to cast the Twisted Summons mystery, gain immunity to poison and paralysis.
Path Mastery

Visage of Shadow ability to cast the Faceless Shadow mystery, gain powers related to speech.
Path Mastery
Ward of Dusk ability to cast the Dark Aura mystery, defend yourself against one attack each round.
Path Mastery
Unending Journey ability to cast the Immortal Shadow mystery, teleport as a full-round action.
Path Mastery
Shadowcraft Feats Prerequisites Benefits
Shadowcrafter access to 1st level mysteries, Constitution 13 you may take other shadowcraft feats
Contingent Mystery Caster level 11th, Shadowcrafter you may make shadowcraft contingent mysteries.
Dark Eidolon Caster level 7th, Shadowcrafter you may make shadowcraft constructs.
Ebon Bargon Caster level 12th, Shadowcrafter you may make shadowcraft rings.
Efficient Shadowcrafting Shadowcrafter you may spend XP to speed shadowcrafting process
Osseus Rune Caster level 3rd, Shadowcrafter you may make shadowcraft wondrous items.
Shadow Draught Caster level 3rd, Shadowcrafter you may make shadowcraft potions.
Shadowscript Shadowcrafter you may make shadowcraft scrolls.
Umbral Essence Caster level 5th, Shadowcrafter you may make shadowcraft wands.
Unravel Shadowcraft Shadowcrafter you may unravel your shadowcraft items.
Shadow Essence Feats Prerequisites Benefits
Black Resistance — Shadow essence feats allow you to add charisma bonus to saving throws.
Creeping Shadows — Shadow essence feats allow you to sneak about with ease.
Dark Awareness Two shadow essence feats Shadow essence feats allow you to avoid being caught flat-footed.
Dark Lifeline One shadow essence feat Shadow essence feats allow you to ignore extra damage from sneak attacks and critical hits.
Darkened Soul — Shadow essence feats allow you to ignore negative levels.
Ebon Collector — Shadow essence feats let you create inexpensive items.
Ephemeral Combat — Shadow essence feats make incorporeal creatures easier to hit.
Face of Shadow — Shadow essence feats make intimidation easier task.
Knowledgeable Shadows — Shadow essence feats grant you great insight.
Lightened Shadow — Shadow essence feats make you as light as a feather.
Midnight Armor — Shadow essence feats makes your armor less liberating.
Nimble Shadows One shadow essence feat Shadow essence feats allow you to dodge attacks.
Perceptive Shadows — Shadow essence feats extend your perceptions
Protective Shadows — Shadow essence feats protect you from magic.
Quickened Shadows One shadow essence feat Shadow essence feats make your movements faster.
Reactive Shadows — Shadow essence feats improve your reaction time.
Resilient Shadows — Shadow essence feats grant you extra hit points.
Shadow Blood — Shadow essence feats grant you damage reduction.
Shadow Metabolism — Shadow essence feats slow down your metabolism
Shadow Mind Two shadow essence feats Shadow essence feats allow you to ignore compulsions
Shadowy Spellcaster — Shadow essence feats allow you to power spellcasting with your life force.
Subduing Shadow — Shadow essence feats allow you to subdue others.
Warding Shade One shadow essence feat Shadow essence feats protect you from energy damage.
Wisps of Shadow — Shadow essence feats allow you to immobilize foes.
Dark Store Feats Prerequisites Benefits
Blast of Cold Access to a 4th level mystery unleash a blast of cold energy.
Dark Insulation Access to a 2nd level mystery protect a creature from heat or cold.
Dark Retribution Access to a 6th level mystery harm others as you have been harmed.
Draining Surge Access to a 3rd level mystery cause a surge of adrenaline followed by a period of fatigue.
Ebon Force Access to a 2nd level mystery create a temporary combatant of sorts.
Elude Detection Access to a 5th level mystery protect a creature from divination effects.
Ephemeral Curse Access to a 3rd level mystery place a curse of sorts on others
Ephemeral Wings Access to a 6th level mystery grant yourself a fly speed
Fading Arcana Access to a 6th level mystery dispel a weak mystery or spell
False Recovery Access to a 5th level mystery temporarily restore a creature to health.
Grasp Mind Access to a 1st level mystery cloud a creature’s mind to penalize their attack roll.
Graze of Shadows Access to a 1st level mystery make a nonlethal touch attack.
Midnight Avoidance Access to a 4th level mystery grant yourself a miss chance against an attack.
Midnight Illusion Access to a 3rd level mystery create a small illusion
Roughen Ground Access to a 1st level mystery make squares harder to pass through.
Sensory Denial Access to a 4th level mystery deny all nearby creatures of their senses.
Shadow Scaling Access to a 4th level mystery grant yourself ability to scale walls and ceilings.
Shadow’s Freedom Access to a 6th level mystery hinder your own movement to grant freer movement to another.
Shape of Shadow Access to a 5th level mystery enlarge and bolster yourself.
Slipping Gaze Access to a 1st level mystery weaken a creature’s sense of sight.
Squelch Fear Access to a 2nd level mystery allow others to ignore fear.
Twilight Tongue Access to a 3rd level mystery learn almost any language.
Umbral Blast Access to a 5th level mystery bulrush an opponent from far away.
Umbral Light Access to a 3rd level mystery reveal the presence of an invisible creature.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-17, 12:25 AM

Above Nature [Path Mastery]
Your rampant abuse of nature has taught it not to mess with you.
Prerequisites: Ability to cast the Rebellion of Nature mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: Animals, Magical Beasts, and Fey cannot attack you unless they succeed on a will save (dc 10 + 1/2 caster level + cha modifier). Magical Beasts get a +2 bonus on this save and Fey get a +4 bonus.

Advice of Shadows:
The shadows you surround yourself with impart useful advice.
Prerequisites: Shadowcaster level 1
Benefit: choose one Intelligence-, Wisdom-, or Charisma-based skill. While in shadowy illumination or darkness, you add half of your shadowcaster level as a bonus on all such skill checks and can make such skill checks untrained, if applicable.

Arcane Acknowledgement
You have taken advantage of your arcane nature.
Prerequisites: Shadowcaster level 1
Benefit: You may treat the mysteries you possess by virtue of the Shadowcaster class as either mysteries or arcane spells (even if they are cast as spell-like or supernatural abilities) for the purposes of meeting the prerequisites of prestige classes or feats, as well as for the purpose of caster levels granted by prestige classes.

Arcane Veil [Path Mastery]
You are protected from magical energies
Prerequisites: ability to caste the Greater Shadows Fade mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: you gain Spell Resistance 11+class level.

Astray in the Dark [Path Mastery]
You can fight from further away than other suspect.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Umbral Fist mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: on the first round of combat the range of your mysteries and your natural reach are both doubled. This only functions in areas no brighter than shadowy illumination.

Battlefield Blaster [Path Mastery]
Your normal tactics of taking out huge armies at once has made you an expert at avoiding your own mysteries.
Prerequisites: Ability to cast the Disastrous Orbs mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: You are immune to the effects of your own mysteries unless they specifically target you or you choose to waive this immunity.

Black Resistance [Shadow Essence]
The shadows protect you against most affects
Benefit: once per day for each shadow essence feat you possess, you may add your charisma modifier to a single saving throw as an insight bonus as an immediate action. This action must be declared before rolling the saving throw.

Blast of Cold [Dark Store]
You can unleash a potent blast of cold.
Prerequisites: access to a 4th level mystery.
Benefit: In order to gain the benefits of Blast of Cold on any given day, you must surrender the use of any 4th level mystery while recovering your mysteries for that day.
As a standard action, you may make a ranged touch attack against any target within close range, dealing 2d6 cold damage with a successful hit, +1d6 cold damage/5 caster levels.

Blur of Shadows [Path Mastery]
You cause the very ground to buckle and ripple.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Clinging Darkness mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: As a move action, you may cause the world around you to distort, turning all adjacent squares into difficult terrain (this does not stack with preexisting difficult terrain) for 1 round.

Cloak and Dagger [Path Mastery]
Your mastery of defense and retaliation has been honed.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Sharp Shadows mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: While wearing no armor, you gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC.
While unarmed, any foe striking you with a non-reach melee weapon takes 1 point of piercing damage.

Complicate Casting [Metashadow]
Though most shadow magic users revel in the ease with which shadow magic comes to them, others prefer to complicate matters in order to gain greater benefits.
Benefit: A number of times per day equal to your intelligence modifier, you may modify mysteries to become more complicated, increasing their power at the same time. You have two ways to use this feat:
Verbal Component: If you add a verbal component to your mystery, it becomes backed by your words of power, granting you a +2 bonus on checks to overcome spell resistance against that mystery, if any would be allowed.
Material Component: If you add an onyx gem worth 500 gp/spell level of the mystery to be enhanced, the mystery gains a +2 bonus to its caster level.
XP cost: If you pay 50 XP/spell level of the mystery to be enhanced, the mystery gains a +2 bonus to its save DC.
Special: This feat may be taken multiple times. Each time it is taken, you gain an additional number of daily uses equal to your intelligence modifier.
Note: This feat can add components to spell-like and supernatural mysteries that such abilities do not normally have.

Contingent Mystery [Shadowcraft]
You have learned how to set semipermanent spells to yourself that will activate under certain conditions
Prerequisites: Shadowcrafter, Caster level 11th
Benefits: You can now create shadowcraft contingent spells, called contingent mysteries. Each contingent mystery lowers your maximum hit points by 10. Whenever the condition of a contingent mystery is met, the mystery is cast and you take nonlethal damage equal to your character level. A contingent mystery can only trigger if you are conscious (although it can trigger even if doing so would knock you unconscious).
In addition, the nature of contingent mysteries protects you from death. For every contingent mystery you possess, you may survive for one round after being knocked to –10 hit points. If you possess the diehard feat, you still fall unconscious at under –9 hit points. However, if you are healed to –9 hit points or higher during this time, you do not die.

Creeping Shadows [Shadow Essence]
You have learned how to hide in complete darkness
Benefits: you gain a +2 bonus on hide and move silently checks for each shadow essence feat you possess.

Curtain of Shadow [Path Mastery]
You are protected by a veil of shadows.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Unveil mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: You gain concealment in all conditions other than bright daylight.

Dark Awareness [Shadow Essence]
Your shadows inform you of your surroundings.
Prerequisites: two shadow essence feats
Benefit: So long as you are conscious and capable of movement, you cannot be caught flat footed by anyone except those whose levels or hit dice exceed twice the number of shadow essence feats you possess.

Dark Charm [Path Mastery]
Your personality can end battles before they start.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Shadow’s Appeal mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: you gain diplomacy as a class skill (this is not a supernatural ability) and you add half of your caster level as a competence bonus on diplomacy checks.

Dark Concealment [Path Mastery]
You can hide in the shadows you create.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Deadly Shade mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: while in an area of darkness, you become invisible.

Dark Eidolon [Shadowcraft]
You have learned how to create short-term servants of shadow.
Prerequisites: Shadowcrafter, Caster level 7th
Benefits: you can now craft shadowcraft constructs, called dark eidolons. At any time, you may only possess one dark eidolon. If you possess a dark eidolon, your maximum hit points are reduced by 20. A Dark Eidolon spends much of its time in extradimensional space. Once per day, you may call it out of this extradimensional space for up to 1 minute/level. At the end of this time, it disappears back into its extradimensional space unless it has been destroyed, in which case it is gone forever. Whenever it is called, it is healed of any damage that it had taken when it was previously called.
If you possess a dark eidolon, any critical hit or sneak attack has a 25% chance of dealing normal damage to you.

Dark Insulation [Dark Store]
You can insulate a target with the power of shadow
Prerequisites: access to a 2nd level mystery.
Benefit: In order to gain the benefits of Dark Insulation on any given day, you must surrender the use of any 2nd level mystery for while recovering your mysteries for that day.
As an immediate action, one target within 20 feet gain fire or cold resistance 5 (chosen when used). This does not stack with existing fire or cold resistance.

Dark Lifeline [Shadow Essence]
The shadows work to prevent your untimely demise
Prerequisites: one shadow essence feat
Benefit: You have a 5% chance per two shadow essence feats you possess to ignore any extra damage from a sneak attack or critical hit.

Dark Puppeteer [Path Mastery]
You have a knack for controlling others
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Shadow Surge mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: when attacked, you may make a Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate check against the DC of their attack roll. If you succeed, you change the target of the attack to anyone else within reach or simply stop the attack. You cannot make the target attack themselves.

Dark Retribution [Dark Store]
You can unleash a mighty retributive blast
Prerequisites: access to a 6th level mystery.
Benefit: In order to gain the benefits of Dark Retribution on any given day, you must surrender the use of any 6th level mystery while recovering your mysteries for that day.
As a full-round action, you can unleash a retributive blast in a 10-foot radius spread anywhere within 100 feet. All within this area take damage equal to the amount of damage you suffered since the end of your last turn. A successful reflex save halves this damage.

Dark Trekker [Path Mastery]
You can move in shadow without leaving openings.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Voyage into Shadow mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: While in shadowy illumination or darkness, you provoke no attacks of opportunity for movement.

Darkened Soul [Shadow Essence]
Your shadow absorbs any damage that would be dealt to your soul
Benefit: you may ignore a number of negative levels each day equal to the number of shadow essence feats you possess.

Delayed Mystery [Metashadow]
You can put a short delay on your mysteries.
Prerequisites: Any two metashadow feats
Benefit: Once per day, you may delay the effects of a mystery come into play 3 rounds after it is cast. Only touch, area, and personal mysteries can be affected in this way. All decisions for the mystery are made at the time of casting and can be altered as a full-round action. If conditions change during that time to make the mystery impossible to cast, it simply fails.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times.

Divine Acknowledgement
You have taken advantage of your divine nature.
Prerequisites: Cultist level 1
Benefit: You may treat the mysteries you possess by virtue of the Cultist class as either mysteries or divine spells (even if they are cast as spell-like abilities) for the purposes of meeting the prerequisites of prestige classes or feats, as well as for the purpose of caster levels granted by prestige classes.

Draining Surge [Dark Store]
You can cause a burst of adrenaline within another, followed by fatigue.
Prerequisites: access to a 3rd level mystery.
Benefit: In order to gain the benefits of Draining Surge on any given day, you must surrender the use of any 3rd level mystery while recovering your mysteries for that day.
As a standard action, you can give anyone within 30 feet a burst of rage, followed by a period of fatigue. The target gets a +2 bonus to their strength and dexterity scores for 1 round. Afterwards, the target is fatigued for 2 rounds. The entire effect is negated with a successful will save.

Ebon Bargain [Shadowcraft]
You can grant yourself further power by pushing a part of yourself into the shadows.
Prerequisites: Shadowcrafter, Caster level 12th
Benefits: You can now create shadowcraft rings through a process called an ebon bargain. This process sends a small part of your body (generally a pound of meat and flesh, but sometimes more) physically into the shadows, allowing the power of shadow to follow the same path back to your body. Despite the gruesomeness of this process, it is not an evil act. At any time, you can only possess a number of ebon bargains up to half of your constitution modifier (minimum 1). Each ebon bargain lowers your maximum hit points by 15 (these points are restored whenever your maximum hit points would be restored).
For each ebon bargain active on your person, you may negate the effect of the first death effect aimed at you in a 24 hour period.

Ebon Collector [Shadow Essence]
The shadows collect a large amount of unused items, which you now have access to.
Benefits: once per day per shadow essence feat you possess, you may create any item costing no more than 1 gp as a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity, so long as it is no larger than one foot in its largest dimension. Such items are instantly destroyed once exposed to daylight (or to the area of a daylight spell). If a second item is created in this way while a first one is in existence, the first one is destroyed.

Ebon Force [Dark Store]
You create a pseudo-living creature from the shadows around you.
Prerequisites: access to a 2nd level mystery.
Benefit: In order to gain the benefits of Ebon Force on any given day, you must surrender the use of any 2nd level mystery while recovering your mysteries for that day.
As a standard action, you can create a pseudo-animate force in any square within 30 feet, which lasts for 1 round. This force weighs up to 5 pounds/level and permits flanking opportunities, although it may not attack in any way. In addition, to pass through the square possessing the force, a creature must make a strength check (DC 10 + class level).

Ebon Form [Path Mastery]
Your form is heavily reinforced by shadow.
Prerequisites: able to cast the Shadow Time mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: You gain the Timeless body class feature.
In addition, under any condition other than direct sunlight, you gain fast healing 2.

Ebon Hand [Path Mastery]
You have learned how to channel shadow through your hands.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Umbral Touch mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: When making touch attacks, your reach increases by 5 feet.
In addition, each successful touch attack you make deals 1 nonlethal damage to its target, in addition to any other effects delivered by touch.

Ebon Pocket
You have developed a small extradimensional space to store items in.
Prerequisites: Shadowcaster level 1
Benefit: You have a small extradimensional space, that only you can access to store items in or withdraw items out of as a standard action. This pocket may be accessed to store items in or withdraw items from a number of times each day equal to your Shadowcaster level. This extradimensional space is the size of a belt pouch. A 5th level or higher Shadowcaster has an Ebon Pocket the size of a Backpack. A 10th level or higher Shadowcaster has an Ebon Pocket that can hold 5 cubic feet of material/level and up to 10 pounds/level. A 15th level or higher shadowcaster can access their Ebon Pocket as a swift action. A 20th level or higher shadowcaster can access their Ebon Pocket at will. The Ebon Pocket is a supernatural ability and cannot be accessed within an antimagic zone.

Efficient Shadowcrafting [Shadowcraft]
You can create shadow craft items with incredible speed if you spend some of your own essence
Prerequisites: Shadowcrafter
Benefits: If you choose to pay an XP cost equal to 1/25 of the gp cost of a shadowcraft item, every day it would take to create that item takes only one hour instead.

Elude Detection [Dark Store]
You can escape the effects of any divination spell.
Prerequisites: access to a 5th level mystery.
Benefit: In order to gain the benefits of Elude Detection on any given day, you must surrender the use of any 5th level mystery while recovering your mysteries for that day.
As a standard action, you can put a ward around yourself. The next time within 1 minute/level that you are subject to a divination effect or are caught in one’s effect, you may make a will save with a +2 bonus, even if that spell does not normally allow will saves. If you succeed on a will save against a divination effect that does not normally allow a saving throw, you are undetected or otherwise unaffected by it.

Embrace of Shadow [Path Mastery]
Your power of shadows protects you from adverse effects.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Umbral Immunity mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: you add your charisma modifier as an insight bonus to all saving throws.

Ephemeral Combat [Shadow Essence]
You can more effectively attack insubstantial creatures.
Benefit: for each shadow essence feat you possess, all of your attacks, spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities are 5% more likely to affect incorporeal creatures.

Ephemeral Curse [Dark Store]
You can curse those around your to future failure.
Prerequisites: access to a 3rd level mystery.
Benefit: In order to gain the benefits of Ephemeral Curse on any given day, you must surrender the use of any 3rd level mystery while recovering your mysteries for that day.
As a standard action, you can curse your foe, imposing a –2 penalty on all saving throws that they make for 1 round/level. A successful will save negates this effect.

Ephemeral Palm [Path Mastery]
You have focused the more baleful of shadow energies into your hands.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Invisible Pyre mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: as a swift action, you may engulf your hands in shadowstuff for 1 round. While so engulfed, you gain a touch attack that deals 1d6 damage.

Ephemeral Wings [Dark Store]
You can fly for a few moments upon wings of shadow.
Prerequisites: access to a 6th level mystery.
Benefit: In order to gain the benefits of Ephemeral Wings on any given day, you must surrender the use of any 6th level mystery while recovering your mysteries for that day.
As a standard action, you may grant yourself a fly speed of 30 feet (average maneuverability) for 1 round.

Erudite Magus
Your experience as a wizard and as an eventide magus complement each other.
Benefits: Your wizard and eventide magus levels stack when determining the abilities of your familiar and ebon staff.

Escape Into Shadow
Your reflexes allow you to escape from sticky situations.
Prerequisites: Shadowcaster or cultist level 8, Unnatural Reflexes
Benefit: Whenever you utilize your unnatural reflexes feat, you gain the evasion class feature for 1 round.

Escaping Shade [Path Mastery]
You can escape from the toughest of situations.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Black Labyrinth mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: as a swift action, you can enter a state that helps them escape. First of all, each of your speeds are doubled. In addition, animals and vermin cannot attack you. Lastly, you can move through crowds without any penalty. This ability deals you 2 nonlethal damage each round until you either fall unconscious or end the effect with another swift action. If you are immune to nonlethal damage, you instead take an equal amount of lethal damage each round.

Esoteric Knowledge [Path Mastery]
Your have learned much from your time in the shadows.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Afraid of the Dark mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: You gain all knowledge skills as class skills (this is not a supernatural ability).
In addition, a number of times per day equal to your Intelligence bonus (if any), you may reroll a knowledge check. You must stay with the result of the reroll, even if it is worse than the original.

Extra Fundamental
You can call upon more fundamentals
Prerequisites: Shadowcaster level 1
Benefit: You gain access to a new fundamental, which you may use as a supernatural ability 3 times per day. This fundamental follows the same rules as the Shadowcaster’s normal fundamentals.
Special: you may select this feat a number of time up to your intelligence modifier. Each time, you either gain more uses of a previously known fundamental or gain daily uses of a new fundamental.

Extra Mystery
You gain a bit of extra power
Prerequisites: Shadowcaster level 2
Benefit: You gain access to an additional apprentice mystery that you meet all prerequisites for. In order to use this mystery, you must succeed on a DC 20 concentration check. If you use apprentice mysteries as spell-like abilities, the DC is lowered to 15. If you use apprentice mysteries as supernatural abilities, the DC is lowered to 10.
Special: A shadowcaster may select extra mystery as one of their bonus feats.
The mystery you gain access to through this feat does not count as the ability to cast that mystery for the purpose of learning higher-level mysteries or meeting the prerequisites of feats or prestige classes.

Extra Mystery Use
You have learned how to get more use out of mysteries.
Benefit: when regaining mysteries, you may select one mystery. You gain an extra use of that mystery until you next regain mysteries. The same mystery need not be chosen each time.
Special: This feat may be taken as a bonus shadowcaster feat.

Eyes of Twilight [Path Mastery]
You see everything around you.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Reflections of Things to Come mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: you gain blindsight out to 60 feet.

Face of Shadow [Shadow Essence]
You gain the ability to intimidate others more thoroughly
Benefit: you gain a +1 bonus on intimidate checks for each shadow essence feat you possess.
In addition, if you manage to demoralize a foe through the use of the intimidate skill, they remain demoralized for a number of rounds equal to the number of shadow essence feats you possess.

Fading Arcana [Dark Store]
You can dispel weaker magic’s at a whim.
Prerequisites: access to a 6th level mystery.
Benefit: In order to gain the benefits of Fading Arcana on any given day, you must surrender the use of any 6th level mystery while recovering your mysteries for that day.
As a standard action, you may attempt to dispel any 3rd level mystery or spell. You make a dispel check (1d20 + your class level, maximum +15) against a DC of 11 + the spell or mystery’s caster level. As this ability is neither a mystery nor a spell, no penalty is taken when attempting to dispel either.

False Recovery [Dark Store]
You can offset damage to a target’s health or abilities.
Prerequisites: access to a 5th level mystery.
Benefit: In order to gain the benefits of False Recovery on any given day, you must surrender the use of any 5th level mystery while recovering your mysteries for that day.
As a standard action, you may grant a touched target a number of temporary hit points up to your caster level or an enhancement bonus of up to +4 to any ability score. The temporary hit points plus the target’s current hit points may not exceed the target’s maximum hit points. The enhancement bonus plus the target’s current ability score may not exceed that target’s normal (undamaged, undrained, and unpenalized) ability score. These bonuses last up to 1 minute/level.

Forceful Shadowcaster
You force your mysteries with sheer force of personality.
Prerequisite: Shadowcaster level 1
Benefit: You add your Charisma bonus (if any) to your intelligence score for the purpose of determining the highest level mystery you can cast.
Special: This feat can only be taken at 1st level.

Forsaken Lore [Path Mastery]
Your general knowledge has taught you much about your shadowy abilities.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Pry the Truth mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: you gain a +1 insight bonus to your caster level.

Ghostly Mystery [Metashadow]
Your mysteries intrude upon those in other dimensions.
Prerequisites: Any other metashadow feat.
Benefit: Once per day, you can apply the effect of the Ghostly Mystery feat to any mystery with an area of a burst, cone, emanation, or spread that you cast. The mystery functions fully against any incorporeal and ethereal creatures within the area of the mystery, as well as on all creatures within an extradimensional space within the area of the mystery.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times.

Grasp Mind [Dark Store]
You cause others to lose some control over themselves.
Prerequisites: access to a 1st level mystery
Benefit: In order to gain the benefits of Grasp Mind on any given day, you must surrender the use of any 1st level mystery while recovering your mysteries for that day.
As an immediate action, you can force a creature within 30 feet to make a will save. If they fail, they take a –2 penalty on their next attack roll, so long as it is made before the start of your next turn.

Grasp of Shadow [Path Mastery]
Shadow holds others who neglect to move around you soon find themselves trapped.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Consume Essence mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: As a swift action, you can cause shadows to entrap enemies within 10 feet/level of you. If such a foe neglects to move at least 5 feet in one or more rounds, they find it a harder task later, needing a strength check (dc15+1/round not spent moving). When the Shadowcaster uses another swift action to end the ability or moves out of range, targets are automatically freed. This is the equivalent of a 6th level spell but if it is dispelled, it can be reactivated on the next round as a swift action.

Graze of Shadows [Dark Store]
You can cause slight damage to others by touch.
Prerequisites: access to a 1st level mystery.
Benefit: In order to gain the benefits of Graze of Shadow on any given day, you must surrender the use of any 1st level mystery while recovering your mysteries for that day.
As a standard action, you may make a touch attack that deals 1 nonlethal damage +1 nonlethal damage/2 caster levels.

Guarded Mind [Path Mastery]
The shadows you use as informants also protect your mind.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Spun into Myth mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: you are immune to intelligence, wisdom, and charisma ability damage and ability drain.

Hollow Being [Path Mastery]
You have emptied much of your own essence into the shadows
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Without a Trace mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: you take no penalties for hide and move silently checks made while moving, even if they are made while attempting to run or charge. All other limitations for the above skills still apply.

Impeding Mystery [Metashadow]
You cause the area of a spell to impede movement.
Prerequisites: Any two metamagic feats.
Benefit: Once per day, you can apply the effect of the Impeding Mystery feat to any mystery with an area that you cast. Anyone within the area who fails their saving throw (or who fails a reflex save, should no save normally be allowed) when the mystery is cast is immobilized for 1 round. If the mystery’s duration is longer than instantaneous, all movement speeds made across the mystery’s area are slowed by 5 feet.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times.

Improved Umbral Focus
Your control of shadow is even more efficient.
Prerequisite: Umbral Focus
Benefits: you gain an additional +1 bonus on Umbral Strain checks.

Insightful Shadowcaster
Your perception of the world has lent you the power you need to change it.
Prerequisites: Shadowcaster level 1, Wis 13
Benefit: You add your Wisdom bonus (if any) as an enhancement bonus to your effective caster level when casting mysteries.
Special: This feat can only be taken at 1st level.

Knowledgeable Shadows [Shadow Essence]
The shadows vastly increase your knowledge and insight.
Benefits: you gain a +1 bonus on all knowledge checks for each shadow essence feat you possess. This does not allow knowledge skills to be used untrained.
In addition, once per day per shadow essence feat you possess, before rolling an attack roll, skill check, or saving throw, you may declare that the roll gains a +1 insight bonus.

Lightened Shadow [Shadow Essence]
Your weight is lowered by your connection to the shadow, granting you certain benefits.
Benefits: You gain a +2 on jump and climb checks for each shadow essence feat you possess.
For each shadow essence feat you possess, you may ignore the first 10 feet of a fall (this ability stacks with the slow fall class feature or any tumble checks made)
Your weight is halved.

Magebane Mystery [Metashadow]
Your mysteries are detrimental to spellcasters.
Benefit: Once per day, you can apply the effect of the Magebane Mystery feat to any mystery you cast. A magebane mystery imposes a –2 penalty to the caster level of all spellcasters targeted by or caught in the area of the mystery for 1d4 rounds.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times.
Special: The empower mystery and maximize mystery feats do not affect the variable aspect of this feat.

Master Dabbler
You can alter your mysteries to greater effect.
Prerequisites: access to 6 different paths, any metashadow feat
Benefit: whenever a metashadow feat other than still shadow is applied to a mystery, it gains a +1 bonus to caster level for each metashadow feat applied to it.

Master of Mysteries [Path Mastery]
Your practice in pure shadow magic has lead to control over shadow magic in general.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Shadow Absorption mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: Whenever you reclaim your mysteries, choose one apprentice mystery. For the next 24 hours, you may use that apprentice mystery at will.

Metashadow Mastery
You can alter shadows in much greater amounts.
Prerequisites: access to 12 different paths, Master Dabbler
Benefit: you gain an extra daily use of all metashadow feats.
Special: You may select this feat multiple times. Its effects stack.

Midnight Alchemist
Your ability in alchemy is unmatched by those of normal magic.
Prerequisites: Shadowcaster level 1
Benefits: Whenever you make a craft check to determine the daily or weekly progress made on an alchemic item, double the results (effectively halving the time needed to make them).
In addition, all alchemic items made by you add your intelligence modifier (to a maximum of your shadowcaster level) as a bonus to all damage rolls and to all save DCs.

Midnight Armor [Shadow Essence]
Shadows allow you to move more fluently in your armor.
Prerequisites: one shadow essence feat
Benefits:[/B] for every two shadow essence feats you possess, the armor check penalty of armor you wear is reduced by one and the maximum dexterity bonus is increased by one.

Midnight Avoidance [Dark Store]
You can dodge attacks with uncanny ease.
Prerequisites: access to a 4th level mystery.
Benefit: In order to gain the benefits of Midnight Avoidance on any given day, you must surrender the use of any 4th level mystery while recovering your mysteries for that day.
As an immediate action, you can gain a 20% miss chance against a single attack.

Midnight Illusion [Dark Store]
You create a small illusion in the area
Prerequisites: access to a 2nd level mystery.
Benefit: In order to gain the benefits of Midnight Illusion on any given day, you must surrender the use of any 2nd level mystery while recovering your mysteries for that day.
As a standard action, you can create a figment effect anywhere within a 5-foot/level radius of yourself. The figment’s largest dimension cannot exceed 5 feet and it cannot move. This ability only creates a visual element for the figment and a will save allows others to disbelieve it.

Morphic Form [Path Mastery]
Your morphic form helps protect you from more dangerous blows.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Dark Transformation mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: any critical hit or sneak attack made against you has a 25% chance of dealing normal damage instead. This percentile is rolled separately from that provided by fortification armor.

Mystery Focus
You can give a mystery a last moment boost
Prerequisites: Access to one apprentice mystery.
Benefit: once per day, as a swift action, you may increase the save DC of the next mystery you cast by 2, so long as it is cast before the end of your next round.

Night’s Guard [Path Mastery]
Within the Darkness, none can harm you.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Dancing Shadows mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: While in shadowy illumination, you gain a +2 bonus on initiative checks and a +4 dodge bonus to AC.

Nightmarish Master [Path Mastery]
Your nightmares have inured you to any fear in the waking world.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Dark Will mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: you gain immunity to fear effects.

Nimble Shadows [Shadow Essence]
You have learned how to evade blows with great ease.
Prerequisites: One shadow essence feat.
Benefits: At the beginning of each turn, you may select one visible opponent within 30 feet. You gain a +1 dodge bonus to your AC for every two shadow essence feats you possess (including this one) against that target.

Osseus Rune [Shadowcraft]
You have learned how to inscribe the power of shadows into your very bones.
Prerequisites: Shadowcrafter, Caster level 3rd
Benefits: you can now craft shadowcraft wondrous items, called Osseus Runes, directly onto your bones through an incredibly bloody process. Each ebon rune lowers your maximum hit points by its caster level. In addition, you can gain only limited use out of your osseus runes. You may only utilize an Osseus Rune once per day if you only have access to apprentice mysteries, twice per day if you have access to initiate mysteries, and three times per day if you have access to master mysteries. Each use is activated as a swift action and lasts for a number of rounds equal to your character level (or less, depending on the item). Only items that grant constant bonuses or possess uses per day may be made in this way. Instead of imitating other wondrous items with this effect, you create Osseus Runes from scratch, using the pricing guidelines on Page 285 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide.
For each osseus rune you possess, you heal an additional hit point whenever you rest. If receiving long-term care, you instead heal an additional two hit points per osseus rune.
Note: The DM has complete authority over what effects are plausibly or implausibly imitated in this way. For example, although a cape of resistance may make enough sense, a mask of the skull may not.

Path Mastery
You have learned to stick with your mystical studies until full fruition.
Prerequisites: ability to cast a 3rd, 6th, or 9th level mystery.
Benefits: Whenever you complete a path, you gain an extra daily use of the first mystery in that path. This applies both to past and future completed paths.
Special: This Feat may be taken as a bonus shadowcaster feat.

Path Versatility:
You favor mysteries of equal power equally
Prerequisite: Shadowcaster level 1
Benefit: Whenever you gain another feat that boosts one apprentice path of mysteries, all apprentice paths are affected.
Special: This feat may be taken a second time once you have access to initiate mysteries and a third time once you have access to master mysteries. When you take it the second time, any feat that modified one initiate path affects all initiate path. When you take it the third time, any feat that modified one master path affects all master path.

Perceptive Shadows [Shadow Essence]
Shadows aid your perceptions, allowing them to border on the supernatural
Benefits: You gain a +2 bonus on spot, listen, and search checks for each shadow essence feat you possess.
In addition, for up to 1 round/shadow essence feat you possess, you may see invisible creatures. Initiating or ending this ability takes a swift action and it need not all be used at once.

Persistent Mystery [Metashadow]
Your mysteries may last all day.
Prerequisites: Any five metashadow feats.
Benefits: When you take this feat, select one mystery you possess access to of up to 1st level with a range of personal. If your level is high enough to cast Initiate mysteries, you may instead choose a mystery of up to 2nd level. If your level is high enough to cast Master mysteries, you may choose a mystery of up to 3rd level.
Whenever you regain your mysteries for the day, the chosen mystery is cast on your person automatically and its duration is increased to 24 hours. If the mystery is dispelled, subsequent uses retain their normal duration.
Special: You can take this feat up to 3 times. To take it a second time, you must have ten metashadow feats. To take it a third time, you must have fifteen metashadow feats.

Phantom Assault [Path Mastery]
Shadows seem to surround your foes, leaving them vulnerable.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Army of Shadow mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: all adjacent foes are considered flanked.
In addition, casting mysteries as spells does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Lastly, you may use the aid another action as a swift action.

Piercing Gaze [Path Mastery]
You can see what others can’t.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Killing Shadows mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: You gain darkvision out to 30 feet and can see through magical darkness out to that range. In addition, you may make a spot check as a swift action (this is not a supernatural ability).

Protective Shadows [Shadow Essence]
The shadows protect you against minor spells
Benefit: You gain SR 2 for every shadow essence feat you possess. This stacks with any preexisting spell resistance you may possess.

Pull of the Grave [Path Mastery]
You can pull others to their doom.
Prerequisites: able to cast the Ephemeral Storm mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: A number of times per day equal to your charisma bonus (minimum once per day), you can place a curse upon a foe within close range as a standard action. The next time within the next hour that they make a fortitude save to avoid a mystery or take ability damage/drain from a mystery, they roll two saving throws and take the lower result or take twice as much ability damage/drain. This is the equivalent of a 7th level spell.

Quick Arrival [Path Mastery]
Your ability to travel unhindered is unparalleled.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Awaited Destination mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: your speed is increased by 10 feet.
You may run for twice as long as normal before needing to make constitution checks.

Quickened Shadows [Shadow Essence]
You can walk and run with great speed
Prerequisites: One shadow essence feat
Benefits: your speed is increased by +5 feet for every two shadow essence feats you possess (including this one). This bonus is considered an enhancement bonus.

Reactive Shadows [Shadow Essence]
Shadows aid your reaction time, giving you an upper hand
Benefits: You gain a +1 bonus on initiative checks for each shadow essence feat you possess.

Resilient Shadows [Shadow Essence]
Your body is more resistant to attack.
Benefits: you gain 2 hit points for each shadow essence feat you possess.
These hit points are not lost first like temporary hit points and increase or decrease your current hit points whenever you gain them or lose them.

Retributive Mystery [Metashadow]
You can prepare a mystery to be released in case of attack.
Benefit: Once per day, you can cast a mystery with a range of personal or touch, which takes no immediate effect. The next time that you are dealt damage, the mystery activates. A touch mystery automatically hits if the damage originated from a natural or melee weapon or a touch attack but otherwise dissipates. A personal spell always activates (although death from the damage may render its effects moot).
Special: You can take this feat multiple times.

Roughen Ground [Dark Store]
You can cause the ground around you to roughen
Prerequisites: access to a 1st level mystery
Benefit: In order to gain the benefits of Roughen Ground on any given day, you must surrender the use of any 1st level mystery while recovering your mysteries for that day.
As a swift action, designate one 5-foot square + one 5-foot square/5 levels within 20 feet of you. All movement through that square takes 2 squares of movement, but tumble checks made through it are not penalized and the square can be run and charged through.

Runebound Mystery [Metashadow]
You can instill your mysteries in small runes.
Benefit: Once per day, you may inscribe a rune into an adjacent square, casting a mystery into it. This requires either chalk, ink (ink from liquid night is sufficient) or some similar surface to draw the rune on a solid surface (such a rune can be removed with a gallon of water) or a strong stick or pole to carve one into loose earth (such a rune is removed with strong or stronger winds). Divination effects do not detect any magic within the rune but anyone who steps into the rune’s square activates the mystery. Runes take a dc 20 spot or search check to find and they retain potency for 24 hours. Mysteries with a range of personal may not be used in combination with the Runebound Mystery feat. The inscription of a rune takes a full-round action.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-17, 12:27 AM

Scholarly Shadowcaster
You have studied ways to increase a the virulence of a mystery
Prerequisite: Shadowcaster level 1
Benefit: You add your Intelligence bonus (if any) to your charisma score for the purpose of determining the dcs of a mystery you cast.
Special: This feat can only be taken at 1st level.

Sensory Denial [Dark Store]
You can deny all nearby creatures their senses.
Prerequisites: access to a 4th level mystery.
Benefit: In order to gain the benefits of Sensory Denial on any given day, you must surrender the use of any 4th level mystery while recovering your mysteries for that day.
As swift action, you can render all targets (including yourself) within a 30 foot radius either deafened or blinded for 1 round. A successful fortitude save negates this effect.

Shaded Mysteries
Your mysteries gain extra power when cast from the shadows.
Benefit: while in areas of shadowy illumination (but no brighter or dimmer), the caster level of your mysteries are increased by 1.
If both you and your target are in one area of continuous shadowy illumination, the save DC of any mystery used against them is increased by 1.
Special: This feat may be taken as a bonus shadowcaster feat.

Shaded Supremacy [Path Mastery]
Your power over shadow empowers you however you do so choose.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Desires Manifest Mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: you gain a +4 enhancement bonus to one ability score of your choice. As a swift action, you can switch the affected ability score.

Shadow Blood [Shadow Essence]
Your blood is infused with shadowstuff, allowing it to remain in your body more effectively
Benefit: You gain Damage Reduction 1/bludgeoning. The value of this damage reduction is increased by one for every two shadow essence feats you possess.

Shadow Draught [Shadowcraft]
You have learned how to circulate magical power through your own blood.
Prerequisites: Shadowcrafter, Caster level 3rd
Benefits: You can now create shadowcraft potions, called shadow draughts, which use the medium of your own blood. Each Shadow Draught you possess lowers your maximum hit points by 1. In order to use a Shadow Draught, you must spend a standard action to inflict a minor wound to yourself, dealing yourself 1 damage.
In addition, for each shadow draught you possess, the chance of you automatically stabilizing yourself is increased by 3% due to your increased control over your blood.
Note: although you may make shadowcraft potions in this way, you may not make shadowcraft oils.

Shadow Master
You are accomplished at using shadows.
Prerequisites: Access to one apprentice mystery.
Benefit: all mysteries of the shadow subschool and spells of the shadow subschool gain a +1 bonus to their save DC and are 5% more real, if applicable.

Shadow Metabolism [Shadow Essence]
You are more resilient than others would give you credit for.
Benefits: You gain a +2 bonus on constitution checks for every shadow essence feat you posses.
In addition, you may choose roll your daily constitution checks against starvation and thirst at night rather than during the day.

Shadowy Spellcaster [Shadow Essence]
You can feed yourself to the shadows to gain increased spellcasting.
Benefits: one per day per shadow essence feat you possess, you may take 2 constitution damage instead of expending a spell slot or a daily use of a mystery or fundamental. This ability damage cannot be cured via magical or supernatural means.

Shadow Mind [Shadow Essence]
Your shadow absorbs any effects that would alter your mind
Prerequisites: two shadow essence feats
Benefit: you can ignore one compulsion effect each day for every two shadow essence feats you possess.

Shadow Renewal [Path Mastery]
You have learned to sustain yourself with the power of shadow.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Shadow Investiture mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: Whenever you are knocked below 0 health, you may sacrifice a daily use of a 1st-level or higher mystery to heal twice as much health as the level of the mystery. If your health is still under 0 health, this healing stabilized you.

Shadow Redundancy
You have learned to expand your power while using a smaller selection of mysteries.
Benefit:Each time beyond the first that you learn a mystery, you gain an additional extra use of that mystery and you add a +1 bonus to that mystery’s save DC.
In addition, one mystery learned twice now counts as the two mysteries that must be known to access a new level of mysteries.

Shadow Reserve
You can procure more power from shadows
Prerequisite: Shadowcaster level 1
Benefit: You gain a number of points equal to your combined intelligence and charisma modifier. By spending a number of points equal to the mystery’s level, the Shadowcaster can gain an extra use of that ability. A Shadowcaster can only use this feat to gain extra uses of mysteries at least one grade (fundamental, apprentice, initiate, master) less than the maximum grade that the Shadowcaster can use. 0-level mysteries cost 1 point.

Shadow Resilience
You have learned how to call upon shadows for stamina
Benefit: 1/day, you may sacrifice a daily use of a 1st level or higher mystery as a swift action in order to heal life equal to the number of feats named Shadow Resilience that you possess.
If you are a Cultist, add your wisdom modifier to the amount healed.
Special: A Shadowcaster may take this as a bonus feat. This feat may be taken multiple times, its effects stack.

Shadow Scaling [Dark Store]
You can scale any shadowy surface.
Prerequisites: access to a 4th level mystery.
Benefit: In order to gain the benefits of Shadow Scaling on any given day, you must surrender the use of any 4th level mystery while recovering your mysteries for that day.
As a full-round action, you can grant yourself the ability to climb up walls and ceilings with ease, as the spider climb spell, for 1 round/2 levels. This ability only functions in shadowy illumination or darkness.

Shadow Tome
You have emulated the Wizard’s ability to record your spells.
Prerequisites: Shadowcaster level 1, Liquid Night Fundamental
Benefit: You gain a tome of magic, resembling a Wizard’s spellbook. It costs half as much to add new pages and ink from Liquid Night is sufficient enough to negate the cost of ink. The tome itself gains a +2 bonus on all saving throws.
More impressively, whenever a Shadowcaster gains a new level, they learn an extra mystery, so long as its grade (fundamental, apprentice, initiate, master) is at least one less than the maximum grade that a Shadowcaster is capable of using.
New mysteries cannot be transcribed into the tome. Regaining mysteries takes 30 minutes instead of the normal 15 minutes and all mysteries within the tome are regained (as with the normal recovery of mysteries).
Finally, whenever you would get a bonus shadowcaster feat, you instead gain an extra daily use of any mystery you know.
Special: This feat can only be taken at 1st level. In all other aspects, the tome imitates the wizard (including a sudden loss of access to mysteries if the tome is destroyed).

Shadow’s Freedom [Dark Store]
You can grant others freedom of movement at the price of personal mobility.
Prerequisites: access to a 6th level mystery.
Benefit: In order to gain the benefits of Shadow’s Freedom on any given day, you must surrender the use of any 6th level mystery while recovering your mysteries for that day.
As a full-round action, you may grant a touched target other than yourself the benefits of the ability to ignore all effects that impede movement, such as dazed, stunned, paralysis, immobilization, solid fog, slow, and web for 1 round/caster level. However, for each target so affected in this way at a time, you take a –2 penalty to your Dexterity score and an additional –1 penalty to all reflex saves.

Shadowcrafter [Shadowcraft]
You have learned the secret of inscribing yourself with magical power.
Prerequisites: access to 1st level mysteries, Constitution 13
Benefits: You now qualify for all other Shadowcrafter Feats.
In addition, for each shadow-craft item you possess, you gain a +1 bonus on fortitude saves made to avoid death from massive damage
Special: This feat cannot be taken if you possess any item creation feats. If you possess the Shadowcrafter feat, you cannot take any item creation feats.
Special: Upon taking your first level in shadowcaster, you may gain this feat as a bonus feat by lowering your constitution score by 2, assuming that you still qualify for it afterwards.

Shadowscript [Shadowcraft]
You have learned how to record arcane secrets upon your skin.
Prerequisites: Shadowcrafter
Benefits: You can now create shadowcraft scrolls, called shadowscripts, which use the medium of your own skin. Each Shadowscript can hold only one mystery and each shadowscript you possess lowers your maximum hit points by the spell level of the mystery it is used to hold (minimum 1). In order to use a shadowscript, you must spend a full round action scratching across the skin where it was placed (this deals no damage)
In addition, for each shadowscript you possess, you ignore the first point of nonlethal damage that you take from any attack as your skin deadens blows.

Shadowstuff Mystery [Metashadow]
By manipulating shadow’s fickle nature, you only harm those you intend to with your mysteries.
Prerequisites: Any two metashadow feats.
Benefit: Once per day, you can apply the effect of the Shadowstuff Mystery feat to any mystery with an area that you cast. As you cast the mystery, select up to one target/level. Those targets are unaffected by the effects of the mystery. The mystery gains the shadow subschool.
Casting an shadowstuff mystery is a full-round action.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times

Shadowy Combatant:
You are better trained for combat
Prerequisites: Shadowcaster or Cultist level 1.
Benefit: If you are a shadowcaster, you gain proficiency with light armor and one martial weapon of your choice. Furthermore, you ignore all arcane spell failure gained from wearing light armor.
If you are a cultist, you gain proficiency with heavy armor and one exotic weapon of your choice.
Special: This feat must be taken at 1st level.

Shadowy Imitator [Path Mastery]
You have learned the art of imitation from your command of shadows.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Greater Shadow Evocation mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: You may use Prestidigitation at will as a supernatural ability. In addition, you may give up a daily use of any mystery to imitate the effect of any 0-level arcane spell.

Shady Magician [Path Mastery]
You have learned to harness both mysteries and magic.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Flood of Shadows mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: You gain use magic device as a class skill (this is not a supernatural ability).
In addition, you don’t take a –4 penalty when your mysteries interact with spells.

Shady Observer [Path Mastery]
Your paranoia has kept you alive. Now, your shadow can help.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Contingent Shadow mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: you cannot be flanked. In addition, you automatically know whenever a divination spell detects or targets you.

Shape of Shadow [Dark Store]
You can enlarge and bolster your form using the power of shadows.
Prerequisites: access to a 5th level mystery.
Benefit: In order to gain the benefits of Shape of Shadow on any given day, you must surrender the use of any 5th level mystery while recovering your mysteries for that day.
As a full-round action, you can increase your size to the next category. When so changed, you gain +2 strength, -4 dexterity, and a number of temporary hit points equal to your caster level. In all other ways, this functions as the enlarge person spell.

Shifting Shadows:
You can shift your power as you wish
Prerequisites: Shadowcaster level 5
Benefit: With 1 minute of focus, you may sacrifice a daily use of a mystery to gain an extra daily use of another mystery at least 2 spell levels lower.

Sight of Shadows:
The shadows around open your senses.
Prerequisites: Umbral Sight class feature
Benefit: you add your charisma modifier as a bonus on all listen checks, as well as on all spot checks made within the range of your darkvision.
Add search to your list of class skills.

Signature Mystery
The ease with which you utilize a given mystery is astounding.
Prerequisites: Favored Mystery
Benefit: Choose one mystery that you have taken the favored mystery feat for. That mystery gains a +1 bonus to its save DC.
By sacrificing a daily use of a higher-level mystery as a standard action, you gain an extra daily use of your Signature Mystery.
Special: This feat may be taken as a bonus shadowcaster feat. This feat may be taken multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time it is taken, select a new spell for which you have taken Favored Mystery.

Silent Speaker[Path Mastery]
You can speak to others without noise or expression.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Curse of Silence mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: Once each hour, you may deliver a message of up to 1 word/level to another individual within 100 feet, so long as both you and the receiver remain in one uninterrupted area of shadow. This ability grants the receiver of the message no ability to communicate back along the same lines.
In addition, you gain bluff as a class skill (this is not a supernatural ability).

Slipping Gaze [Dark Store]
You cause others to see less clearly for a few moments
Prerequisites: access to a 1st level mystery
Benefit: In order to gain the benefits of Slipping Gaze on any given day, you must surrender the use of any 1st level mystery while recovering your mysteries for that day.
As a standard action, you can force a creature within 30 feet to make a will save. If they fail, they take a –5 penalty on all spot checks, the range of any darkvision they possess is halved, and they gain a 20% miss chance on all attacks against creatures in shadowy illumination and darkness (unless the chance would otherwise be higher) for 1 round/level.

Squelch Fear [Dark Store]
You suppress the fear of others with shadow
Prerequisites: access to a 2nd level mystery.
Benefit: In order to gain the benefits of Squelch Fear on any given day, you must surrender the use of any 2nd level mystery while recovering your mysteries for that day.
As a standard action, you may allow one target + one target/4 levels to ignore any fear that they suffer from for 1 round. If the fear’s duration is measured in rounds, this round does not count towards the duration of that fear effect.

Subduing Mystery [Metashadow]
You can modify a mystery to keep your opponent alive.
Benefit: Whenever you cast a mystery that deals energy damage, you may replace the energy damage with an equal amount of nonlethal damage.

[B]Subduing Shadow [Shadow Essence]
Your shadows aid your ability to knock your opponents senseless.
Benefit: Whenever one of your attacks, spells, or mysteries deals nonlethal damage, it deals an extra amount of nonlethal damage equal to the number of shadow essence feats you possess.

Subtle Voice [Path Mastery]
You can communicate at a completely subconscious level.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Flicker mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: You can communicate telepathically at a range of 30 feet and gain a +2 bonus on intimidate checks.

Tainted Shadowcaster
Your taint aids you in the manifestation of mysteries.
Prerequisites: Shadowcaster level 1, Mild Taint
Benefit: you gain an extra daily use of all apprentice mysteries known.
If you have moderate taint, you also gain an extra daily use of all initiate mysteries known.
If you have severe taint, you also gain an extra daily use of all master mysteries known.

Twilight Ascendance [Path Mastery]
You have ascended to a state of almost pure shadow.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Shadow Immersion mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: 1 round/level each day, a Shadowcaster can become incorporeal. Starting or ending this ability takes a swift action and this duration need not all be used at once. In addition, once per day, as an immediate action, a Shadowcaster can merge with shadow, ignoring all damage from one source.

Twilight Guard [Path Mastery]
Your power of shadow serves to protect you.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Shadow Storm mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: You gain acid resistance 10, cold resistance 10, electricity resistance 10, fire resistance 10, and sonic resistance 10. Once this ability has prevented damage equal to or greater than twice your caster level, you lose all benefits until you next regain your mysteries.

Twilight Tongue [Dark Store]
The shadows have granted you the gift of tongues.
Prerequisites: access to a 3rd level mystery.
Benefit: In order to gain the benefits of Twilight Tongue on any given day, you must surrender the use of any 3rd level mystery while recovering your mysteries for that day.
As a swift action, you may learn one non-secret language for 1 round, gaining the ability to speak it, understand it, read it, and write it.

Twilight Warper [Path Mastery]
Your form has lost coherence, granting you certain benefits.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Twisted Summons mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: you gain immunity to ingested poisons and paralysis effects. In addition, given 10 minutes of work, you can fit through opening as small as 1 inch in diameter.

Umbral Blast [Dark Store]
You can blast others away with shadows alone.
Prerequisites: access to a 5th level mystery.
Benefit: In order to gain the benefits of Umbral Blast on any given day, you must surrender the use of any 5th level mystery while recovering your mysteries for that day.
As a standard action, you may bulrush a target as far away as 30 feet. For this purpose, you are treated as being one size category larger and possess a strength score equal to 10 + your caster level. This ability may press the target further than 30 feet away from you.

Umbral Essence [Shadowcraft]
You have learned how to set up a large but exhausting reservoir of power within shadows.
Prerequisites: Shadowcrafter, Caster level 5th
Benefits: You can now create shadowcraft wands, called umbral essences, that are weaved into your very essence. At any time, you can only possess a number of umbral essences equal to your constitution modifier. Each umbral essence lowers your maximum hit points by 5. Whenever you expend a “charge” from an umbral essence, you take 5 nonlethal damage. In addition, only one umbral essence “active” at any given time. Switching between two umbral essences takes a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity.
In addition, for each umbral essence you possess, you may ignore the effects of up to one negative level active on yourself. While protected from a negative level in this way, you are not at risk of it causing level loss.

Umbral Focus
You can control the power of shadow more efficiently
Prerequisites: The Price class feature
Benefits: You gain a +1 bonus on Umbral Strain checks.

Umbral Light [Dark Store]
You can illuminate the invisible with your touch.
Prerequisites: access to a 3rd level mystery.
Benefit: In order to gain the benefits of Umbral Light on any given day, you must surrender the use of any 3rd level mystery while recovering your mysteries for that day.
As a standard action, you can make a touch attack against an invisible creature, ignoring the normal 50% miss chance for doing so. If you succeed, the invisible creature is outlined by dim light for 1 minute.

Unending Journey [Path Mastery]
Your ability to see the connections of darkness allows you to travel through them.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Immortal Shadow mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: as a full-round action, you can teleport anywhere within sight, so long as its distance away is within your movement rate.

Unnatural Reflexes
Shadows forewarn you of future dangers.
Prerequisites: Shadowcaster or Cultist level 2
Benefit: As an immediate action, you may sacrifice a daily use of a mystery to gain a bonus on your next reflex save equal to the spell-level of the Mystery whose daily use was sacrificed.

Unravel Shadowcraft [Shadowcraft]
You have learned how to destroy your own shadowcraft items to make room for new ones.
Prerequisites: Shadowcrafter
Benefits: You can now dismantle your own shadowcraft items. Doing so takes a 24 hour period during which you can engage in nothing else other than light activity.

Visage of Shadow [Path Mastery]
Your power over the senses allows you certain privileges.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Faceless Shadow mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: you gain a +1 bonus on charisma-based skill checks and sentient creatures take a -1 penalty on wisdom based checks made against you.
In addition, you may imitate any mundane sound as long as it is not louder than the equivelant of what 1 human/level could make, recognizable as unreal with a successful will save (dc 10 + 1/2 class level + Charisma modifier).

Ward of Dusk [Path Mastery]
The power of shadows that you command repel attacks away from you.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Dark Aura mystery, Path Mastery
Benefit: as an immediate action, you may surround yourself with your own shadow, adding your charisma modifier as a deflection bonus to your AC against a single attack.

Warding Shade [Shadow Essence]
Your shadow protects you against some forms of attack
Prerequisite: one shadow essence feat
Benefit: When you take this feat, name one energy type (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic). For every two shadow essence feats you possess, you gain energy resistance 1 against that energy type.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times, choosing a new energy type each time.

Warped Mystery [Metashadow]
You can warp a spell to deal different types of damage.
Prerequisites: Any other metamagic feat.
Benefit: Whenever you cast a mystery that deals energy damage, you may convert all of that damage to cold damage. Whenever you cast a mystery that deals cold damage, you may replace that damage with any other energy type (fire, acid, sonic, electricity).

Widen Mystery [Metashadow]
Your mysteries occur over a larger area.
Benefit: Once per day, you can apply the effect of the Widen Mystery feat to any burst, emanation, line, or spread-shaped mystery you cast. Any numeric measurements of the mystery’s area increase by 100%.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times.

Wisps of Shadow [Shadow Essence]
Your shadow can extend to others, momentarily gluing them to the floor.
Benefit: Once per day per shadow essence feat you possess, as a standard action, you may force another creature within 30 feet to make a reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 character level + Cha modifier) or become immobilized for 1 round.

Note to Self: Make path mastery feats for the 30 new paths.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-17, 12:31 AM

Alternate Class Abilities:

Bolster Shadow
Although most bards try to inspire competence in their companions. Some bards, however, decide that keeping their compatriots alive is of greater importance.
Class: Bard
Level: 3rd
Replaces: A bard taking this ability does not gain the inspire competence ability.
Benefit: A bard with this ability and 6 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use his music or poetics to bolster a companion’s shadow. The ally must be within 30 feet of bard and must be able to hear the bard but need not actually be able to see him. The bard needs neither line of sight nor line of effect to bolster an ally’s shadow. The ally gains temporary hit points equal to the highest number of ranks that that bard possesses in any Perform skill. In addition, they also gain cold resistance equal to half of the remaining amount of temporary hit points from this ability. Unlike most temporary hit points, temporary hit points from this ability do not stack with temporary hit points from any other source, and if they receive a greater amount of temporary hit points from another source, the cold resistance fades. The effect lasts as long as the bard concentrates, up to a maximum of 2 minutes, and two rounds after the last temporary hit point is lost or the bard stops concentrating, the target becomes sickened for the remainder of the encounter. The bard may not bolster their own shadow with this ability and may not bolster an ally more than once per day.

Caster of Shadows
You sneakily cast your spells in a manner similar to a shadow magic user.
Class: Spellthief
Level: 1st
Replaces: Trapfinding class feature, Steal Spell effect at 2nd level
Benefit: Whenever you cast a spell (whether by your own graces or if you are casting a spell you have stolen), you do not require somatic components. Furthermore, you may ignore the requirement of any focus or material component costing up to 100 gp as well as any XP cost up to 100 xp. Whenever you cast a spell, however, your shadow acts up, gesturing separately from your body, visible with a DC 15 spot check.

Cave Warden
As strange as the concept may sound after watching shadow magic, shadow is indeed a part of the natural world. This is perhaps realized in no place more than the numerous caves across the world. The Druids who take it upon themselves to guard these areas are granted with seemingly unnatural abilities.
Class: Druid
Level: 4th
Replaces: This alternate class feature replaces the standard druid’s resist nature’s lure ability, in addition to their ability to wild shape into fire, water, earth, and air elementals.
Benefit: You gain darkvision out to 60 feet, or your existing darkvision is extended by 60 feet.
At 16th level, you gain the ability to wild shape into a small, medium, large, or huge shadow elemental once per day. At 20th level, you gain the ability to wild shape into an elder shadow elemental and can enter their elemental form twice per day. At In all other ways, this functions as standard druid’s ability to wild shape into elementals.

Cursed Shadow
A Hexblade wields curses as weapon. By wielding the power of shadows, their power seems to become even more alien than it was before.
Class: Hexblade
Level: 10th
Replaces: A Hexblade with this alternate ability does not cast spells.
Benefit: At 10th level and every level afterwards, the Hexblade learns an apprentice mystery, which they cast as an arcane spell, using their charisma score to determine both is they can cast a mystery of a certain level and to determine their mystery’s spell DCs.

Dark Facade
While most beguilers learn the secrets of disarming traps, some instead choose to increase their competence with their illusions.
Class: Beguiler
Level: 1st
Replaces: Trapfinding class feature.
Benefit: At will, you may disguise you and your possessions, as if through the disguise self spell. In addition, once per day, as an immediate action, you may grant yourself a 20% miss chance against a single attack. After doing so, however, any current disguise is lost and you lose the ability to make further disguises through this ability for 24 hours.

Dark Heritage
A Warlock often receives their power from various diabolic sources. Some lend unholy resilience. Others lend the power of shadows itself.
Class: Warlock
Level: 1st
Replaces: A Warlock with this alternate ability does not gain the fiendish resilience ability or the energy resistance ability.
Benefit:
The Warlock adds hide and move silently to their list of class skills.
At 3rd level, the Warlock gains Cold Resistance 1, which increases by an additional point every 4 levels.
At 8th level, a Warlock can see through darkness as easily as light.
At 13th level, a Warlock can take 10 on hide checks, even when under stress.
At 18th level, a Warlock can make hide checks even without cover or while observed, so long as they are at least in shadowy illumination.

Devout Heretic
Although they are reviled for the way in which they do so, some Cultists who worship gods gain some of their divine power.
Class:Cultist
Special Requirement: Must worship a real deity
Level: 1st
Replaces: This alternate class feature replaces the fundamental normally gained at first level.
Benefit: You gain the granted abilities of two domains offered by the deity you worship.

Ebon Sage:
A Shadowcaster is, through their methods, a counterpoint to the wizard, gaining what it has not and losing some of what it has. Some Shadowcasters choose to emulate wizards, providing a more balanced array of abilities.
Class: Shadowcaster
Levels: 1st, 3rd,4th,8th,11th,12th,14th,16th,20th
Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain extra fundamentals at 4th level and every 4 levels afterwards, you do not gain the umbral sight ability, you do not gain unlimited use of fundamentals at 14th level, you do not gain bonus feats, and you must spend 1 hour each day to gain back your mysteries.
Benefit: at 1st level, You gain Shadow Tome (see above) as a bonus feat and add all knowledge skills to your list of class skills.
At 3rd level, you gain shadow familiar as a bonus feat.
At 4th and 8th levels, you learn any single 0-level arcane spell. You may use it three times each day as an arcane spell, following all normal rules (including needed components). It is regained along with the other mysteries.
At 11th level, you gain any metashadow or item creation feat that you qualify for.
At 12th and 16th levels, you learn any single 1st-level arcane spell. You may use it three times per day as an arcane spell. In addition, at 12th level, all previously chosen 0-level spells become spell-like abilities.
At 14th level, you gain an extra daily use of all fundamentals and arcane spells learned by virtue of the Shadowcaster class. This applies both to ones gained in the future and those already gained.
At 20th level, you learn any single 2nd-level arcane spell. You may use it three times each day as an arcane spell. In addition, all previously learned 0-level spells become supernatural abilities and all 1st-level spells become spell-like abilities.

Empty Traveler
You have found spaces between spaces, allowing you to slip through dimensions.
Class: Monk
Level: 3rd
Replaces: Fast Movement, Abundant Step at 12th level, and Empty Body at 19th level
Benefit: As a standard action, you may teleport yourself any distance up to the amount of speed that your fast movement class feature would otherwise provide. Each encounter, you may teleport yourself up to a maximum distance, even over multiple teleportations, equal to the amount of speed that your fast movement class feature would otherwise provide.
At 19th level, you may use shadow walk once per day as a supernatural ability.

Escalating Shadows
Some shadowcasters, through unorthodox training, learn their art as an irreversible series of steps and progressions, rather than focusing on paths alone.
Class: Shadowcaster
Level: 1st
Replaces: You do not gain bonus feats or bonus fundamentals.
Benefit: You do not need to learn paths in order. The maximum level of mystery you can learn is equal to 1/2 of your character level (minimum 1st). Once you take a mystery of a higher spell level, you may no longer select any mystery of lower spell levels.
In addition, rather than being able to use each mystery a certain number of times per day, you may cast mysteries of each spell level equal to twice the number of mysteries of that spell level known.
Lastly, your shadow moves more subtly when you cast mysteries, increasing the spot check DC to 20.

Eventide Binder
You’re influence over your vestiges is unquestioned at night.
Class: Binder
Level: 2nd
Replaces: Pact Augmentation class feature
Benefit: At night, you need not meet the special requirement of any vestige that you bind. Furthermore, at night, you may ignore the influence of any vestige with which you make a bad pact with. Lastly, you gain a +2 bonus on binder checks made at night.

Guardian of Night
Your guardian spirit protects you while you sleep.
Class: Wu-jen
Level: 1st
Replaces: Guardian Spirit class feature
Benefit: While asleep, you suffer no penalty to listen checks and are awakened if any creature of small size or larger approaches within 5 feet of you.
Furthermore, you gain a taboo stating that you must sleep on the ground in preference to any mat or mattress provided.

Haunted
Some users of Shadow Magic seem off. Although no one can identify anything wrong with them, something not quite natural seems to play across their features. This effect is a mistake, an enlargement of their shadow. This mistake, however, is useful to some.
Class: Shadowcaster or Cultist
Level: 1st
Replaces: Nothing.
Benefit: You emanate an aura of uneasiness out to 10 feet. All creatures within this aura take a –2 penalty on will saves against fear effects and all animals within range become one category closer to hostile towards you.
It takes only a dc 10 spot check to notice the movement of your shadow during shadowcasting.
You take a –2 penalty on Charisma-based checks except intimidate checks, with which you gain a +2 bonus.

Hunter of Darkness
Some rangers, instead of hunting creatures upon the surface, dedicate themselves to the extermination of all creatures that lie below.
Class: Ranger
Level: 1st
Replaces: Favored Enemy.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on damage rolls and a +2 bonus on saving throws to negate the special abilities of creatures whose natural environment is either underground or the plane of shadow. Furthermore, you gain a +2 bonus on all knowledge checks made against such creatures. This ability counts as favored enemy for the purposes of meeting prerequisites. Whenever you would gain a new favored enemy ability, the bonuses of this ability instead increase by +2.

Logical Mystery:
As a Shadowcaster continues along their path, their mysteries become more natural to them, allowing them more ease with their casting. At no point, however, do these mysteries become more natural to the outside world, however. Some Shadowcasters, wanting to surpass mundane magic in one more aspect, have worked to make their mysteries a part of the natural world, although doing so has slowed their progress.
Class: Shadowcaster
Level: 3rd
Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not learn a new mystery at 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th, 15th, 17th, and 19th levels.
Benefit: At each of the indicated levels, choose one mystery (including fundamentals) that you use as a Supernatural ability. You gain an extra daily use of that ability and can use it as an extraordinary ability, meaning that it can function even in antimagic zones and dead magic areas. Furthermore, the save dc (if any) of that mystery changes to 10 + 1/2 your class level + your charisma modifier. The Favored Mystery Feat still grants extra uses as if it were a supernatural ability. Mysteries converted in this way affect incorporeal creatures as if they were still supernatural abilities.

Martial Shadow
You have specialized yourself in the arts of shadow.
Class: Swordsage
Level: 1st
Replaces: If you choose this alternate ability, you may not learn maneuvers or stances from the desert wind, stone dragon, or tiger claw disciplines.
Benefit: Whenever you use a strike or counter maneuver from the shadow hand or setting sun discipline, you may make a hide check immediately afterwards, even if you lack cover or concealment. Regardless of success or failure, you may only keep yourself hidden for 1 round in this way.
If a maneuver requires an attack roll and you miss (or otherwise fail), you may not use this ability.

Midnight Companion
Some druids see no point in calling the forces of nature to their assistance. Instead, they rely on the help of their animal companion, a companion blessed by darkness.
Class: Druid
Level: 1st
Replaces:Remove summon nature's ally I-IX from your spell list. You may not spontaneously cast these spells.
Benefit:Your animal companion gains the dark template.

Patron’s Weapon
Most Cultists try to refine and practice their art in silence, away from those who would oppress them. Some more proactive Cultists take the fight to their enemy to display their prowess.
Class: Cultist
Level: 2nd
Replaces: You do not gain the Patron’s Gift or Shadow Guardian abilities.
Benefit: As a full-round action, you may summon a melee weapon formed from shadows. Although the form of the weapon is decided as it is formed, it always has the same statistics (1d8+Str mod/19-20). The weapon is instantly destroyed the moment that it leaves your hands, making it unsuitable as a throwing weapon. If destroyed, a new one can be formed as a full-round action. You gain a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls made with the shadow weapon for every four class levels you possess.
Once per day, plus once per day for every five class levels you possess, you may make a single attack with the shadow weapon as a full-round action, treating the attack as a touch attack. If it hits, all mysteries cast by you within the next round are treated as spell-like abilities if they would otherwise be treated as spells or as supernatural abilities if they would otherwise be treated as spell-like abilities. Mysteries that would be cast as supernatural abilities (such as through the favored mystery feat) gain no benefits.
This weapon is a supernatural ability, and is suppressed in the area of an antimagic field.

Shadow Acolyte
Some clerics, worshipping gods of night, shadow, and darkness may end up with a certain amount of control over shadows.
Class: Cleric
Level: 1st
Special Requirement: The Cleric’s patron deity must have night, shadow, or darkness in their portfolio.
Replaces: This alternate class feature replaces the standard cleric’s ability to turn or rebuke undead.
Benefit: a number of times per day equal to your charisma modifier (minimum 1/day), you may use any fundamental of shadow as a supernatural ability. They use their charisma modifier to determine mystery DCs.
Note: At the DM’s discretion, patron deities with additional aspects in their portfolios may provide this ability.

Shadow Annul
Shadowcasters and Illusionists often end up drawing from overlapping sources of power. As such, they gain the unique ability to counterspell each other more efficiently.
Class:Shadowcaster or Wizard
Level: 1st
Requirements: A wizard taking this ability must be a specialist illusionist.
Replaces: A wizard taking this ability does not gain scribe scroll or a familiar.
A shadowcaster taking this ability only starts with one fundamental known.
Benefit: Wizards taking this ability can counterspell shadow magic with no penalty. Shadowcasters taking this ability can counterspell spells with no penalty.
In addition, regardless of class, anyone with this alternate ability gains improved counterspell as a bonus feat.

Shadow Blood
Sorcerers have inherited their power from dragons, celestials, or fiends, making one think that they are unrelated to shadow. However, every now and then, a sorcerer’s shadow magic leaks into their veins, tainting the blood that has granted them magic.
Class: Sorcerer
Level: 1st
Replaces: a sorcerer with this alternate class feature cannot learn spells with the [light] or [fire] descriptors, and may not use the energy substitution or energy admixture feats to deal fire damage. In addition, they may not exchange spells known at 12th level and every even level afterwards.
Benefit: add hide and move silently to your list of class skills.
At 4th level, your familiar (as well as all future familiars) gains the dark template.
At 8th level, you gain concealment in any condition other than bright light.
At 12th level, you gain cold resistance 10.
At 16th level, you gain the hide in plain sight class feature.
At 20th level, you learn any spell of your choice from the shadow subschool.

Shadow Specialization
A Wizard spends much time studying various types of magic. It is natural that some would choose to specialize in shadow magic.
Class: Wizard
Level: 1st
Replaces: This alternate class feature replaces the standard wizard’s ability to specialize in a school of magic. In addition, this replaces their ability to cast 0-level spells.
Benefit: you gain a bonus spell slot per spell level that can only be used to prepare spells with the shadow subschool.
In addition, instead of learning cantrips, choose 2 fundamentals of shadow. You may use each one 3/day as a spell-like ability. They use their intelligence to determine mystery DCs. You may later choose to learn cantrips by spending your new spells learned at each level or by scribing them from scrolls.

Shadow Assailant:
Many fighters choose to attack by light of day. Some, however, prefer to immerse themselves in the dark embrace of shadows.
Class: Fighter
Level: 1st
Replaces: proficiency with heavy armor and tower shields, bonus feat at 1st level.
Benefits: Add hide and move silently to your list of class skills. In addition, you gain one additional skill point per fighter level. You gain a shadow essence feat as a bonus feat. Furthermore, you may select shadow essence feats as you bonus fighter feats.

Shadow Concealment
The shadows can hide all. For an enterprising hunter, they can let you avoid almost any form of detection.
Class: Ranger
Level: 13th
Replaces: Camouflage at 13th level and Hide in Plain Sight at 17th level
Benefit: At 13th level, you may use the hide skill in any form of concealment, even if a target can see through that concealment. For example, you may hide in darkness even if a creature possesses darkvision.
At 17th level, you may use the Move Silently skill to move quietly, making yourself invisible to creatures with blindsense and blindsight. In order to do so, make a moved silently check against the opponent’s listen check as normal.

Shadow’s Rage
While in the grip of rage, you become a creature of shadows, allowing them to give your stealth and protect you from devastating attacks.
Class: Barbarian
Level: 1st
Replaces: Fast Movement at 1st level,Trap Sense, and Mighty Rage at 20th level.
Benefit: While in a rage, you gain the dark template. Furthermore, you gain a +1 dodge bonus to your AC against critical conformation rolls. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 3rd level and every three levels afterwards.
At 20th level, while in a rage, you are immune to critical hits. Furthermore, you may use the hide and move silently skills while in a rage. Lastly, you gain a 20% miss chance against all attacks while in a rage.

Shadowy Stunt
Rogues hide within the shadows for most of their careers. Some develop a special affinity with it, imitating feats normally reserved for Cultists and Shadowcasters
Class: Rogue
Special Requirement: Knowledge (the planes) 5 ranks
Level: 10th,13th,16, and/or 19th
Replaces: This alternate class feature replaces the special ability gained at each level that it is taken.
Benefit: The Rogue selects any 0- or 1st-level Mystery (or fundamental of shadow) and can cast it three times per day as a shadowcaster with a caster level of 1/2 the rogue’s class level, so long as their intelligence score is at least 10+the mystery’s level. The save dc of the mystery is determined by the Rogues Charisma modifier. The fundamental or mystery is cast as an arcane spell.
Special: If this alternate class feature is chosen multiple times, the rogue may access higher-level mysteries (using the same rules for selecting mysteries as a shadowcaster).

Sight in Darkness
You never dabbled with the arts of poison application. Instead, you have extended your senses to an almost supernatural level.
Class: Ninja
Level: 3rd
Replaces: Poison Use at 3rd level and Improved Poison Use at 9th level
Benefit: At 3rd level, you gain darkvision out to 60 feet. If you possess darkvision, its range is extended by 60 feet.
At 9th level, the range of your darkvision is extended by 60 feet and you may see through mundane and magical darkness with equal ease.

Tainted Shadowcaster
A Shadowcaster uses dark and mysterious powers. Some wander too far in their studies, becoming depraved and warped creatures.
Class: Shadowcaster
Level: 1st
Replaces: Any bonus feats gained through high taint must be used to acquire a metashadow feat.
Benefit: you gain tainted shadowcaster as a bonus feat and immediately gain one point of depravity and corruption. In addition, all mysteries you cast gain the evil descriptor.
Whenever you gain a level in Shadowcaster, you gain an additional point of depravity and corruption.

Umbral Fist
Imitating the style of ephemeral watchers, you can deliver fewer blows than a regular but can deliver blows that are far more effective.
Class: Monk
Level: 1st
Replaces: Flurry of Blows class feature
Benefit: Whenever you make an unarmed strike for nonlethal damage, you may add your wisdom modifier in place of your strength modifier to damage and ignore any miss chance for attacking incorporeal targets.
Starting at 11th level, you may take a full round action to make an unarmed strike against any foe within 30 feet of you. This attack may be used to deliver either lethal or nonlethal damage.

Umbral Trickery:
Some bards tell tall tales of shadows used as a source of alien magic. Some bards are part of those stories.
Class: Bard
Level: 1st
Replaces: This alternate class feature replaces the standard bard’s ability to cast 0-level spells.
Benefit: you gain one fundamental of shadow, which you can use 3/day as a supernatural ability. At 2nd level, and again at 3rd level, you may choose additional fundamentals, each usable 3/day as supernatural abilities. They use their charisma score to determine mystery DCs.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 12:27 PM

Racial Substitution Levels:

Gnome Shadowcaster:
As regular users of Shadow magic, gnomish shadowcasters are the next logical step. Gnomish shadowcasters approach this art just as an illusionist practices theirs, sneakily and with an emergency exit in reach. These gnomes have less of a penchant for stories and pranks but still create mischief all the same.
Hit Die: d6

Requirements:
To take a gnome shadowaster substitution level, a character must be a gnome about to take his 1st, 3rd, or 14th level of shadowcaster.

Class Skills: Gnome Shadowcaster substitution levels grant the same class skills as the standard shadowcaster class.
Skill points at each level: 2+Int modifier (or four times that number as a beginning character).

Class Features:
All of the following are the features of the gnome shadowcasters racial substitution levels.

Fundamental Mastery (Sp): Whenever a 1st level or higher gnome shadowcaster learns a fundamental, they gain that fundamental 1/day as a spell-like ability, in addition to its 3 or more uses as a supernatural ability. This ability replaces the mystery normally learned at 1st level.

Master of Surprise (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, whenever a gnomish uses a stilled, spell-like, or supernatural mystery, their opponent is caught flat-footed as the attack seems to come from nowhere. This effect replaces the umbral sight ability gained at 3rd and 11th levels.

Shadowy Jaunt (Su): Starting at 14th level, whenever a gnomish shadowcaster would be allowed an attack of opportunity, they may instead take an immediate action to teleport anywhere within 20 feet. This effect replaces use of fundamental at will, as would normally be gained at 14th level.

Gnome Shadowcaster Substitution levels

Level B.A.B. Fort Ref Will Special
1st +0 +2 +0 +2 Fundamental mastery, fundamentals of shadow, apprentice mysteries
3rd +2 +3 +1 +3 Master of surprise
14th +7 +9 +4 +9 Shadowy jaunt

Shadowswyft Shadowcasters: It is rare nowadays to hear anything of the elusive shadowswyfts. Most still live in seclusion as rogues and assassins. When one turns to spellcasting, however, they almost invariably take up shadowcasting.

Requirements:
To take a Shadowswyft Shadowcaster substitution level, a character must be a Shadowswyft about to take their 1st, 2nd, or 4th level of Shadowcaster

Class Skills: Shadowswyft Shadowcaster substitution levels grant the same class skills as the standard shadowcaster class.
Skill points at each level: 2+Int modifier (or four times that number as a beginning character).

Class Features:
All of the following are the features of the Shadowswyft shadowcasters racial substitution levels.

Planar Connection (Su): The Shadowswyft Shadowcaster gains a +1 bonus to the caster level of their Mysteries at night. This increases to a +2 bonus on the Plane of Shadows. This replaces 2 of the fundamentals normally gained at 1st level.

Negate Blindness (Ex): A 2nd level Shadowswyft Shadowcaster loses their light blindness.

Shadow’s Master: Whenever a 2nd level or higher Shadowswyft Shadowcaster would gain a bonus feat from access to multiple paths, they may instead learn an extra fundamental. This ability modifies but does not eliminate the normal bonus feats ability gained at 2nd level.

Shadow’s Guard (Su): A 4th level Shadowswift gains a +1 bonus to their AC as long as they remain in shadowy illumination or darkness. This bonus increases by +1 every 4 levels afterwards. This replaces the bonus fundamentals normally gained at 4th level and every 4 levels afterwards.

Shadowswyft Shadowcaster Substitution levels

Level B.A.B. Fort Ref Will Special
1st +0 +2 +0 +2 Planar connection, fundamentals of shadow, apprentice mysteries
2nd +2 +3 +1 +3 Bonus feat, shadow’s master
4th +2 +4 +1 +4 Shadow’s Guard

Drow Shadowcaster: Although the drow have little chance to advance in society as a Shadowcaster, some still take up this path, even managing to pass off as warlocks for short periods of time. Their increased power, it seems, is sponsored by Lolth, leading to a limited inclusion within the faith. Within the Underdark, there is much to be learned about the powers of shadow. Drow have learned much of it.

Requirements:
To take a Drow Shadowcaster substitution level, a character must be a Drow about to take their 1st, 3nd, or 11th level of Shadowcaster

Class Skills: Drow Shadowcaster substitution levels grant the same class skills as the standard shadowcaster class.
Skill points at each level: 2+Int modifier (or four times that number as a beginning character).

Class Features:
All of the following are the features of the Drow shadowcasters racial substitution levels.

Lolth’s Favor (Sp): With each racial substitution level gained, the Drow Shadowcaster gains an extra use of each of their racial spell-like abilities.

Unbound Sight (Ex): A Drow Shadowcaster does not possess light blindness. This replaces one of the fundamentals normally gained at 1st level.

Truedark Sight (Su): A 3rd level Drow Shadowcaster gains the ability to see through magical darkness out to 60 feet.
At 11th level, this ability improves, allowing them to see through magical and mundane darkness as if it were bright light, even allowing them to see color.
This ability alters, but does not replace, the umbral sight ability of the Shadowcaster.

Drow Shadowcaster Substitution levels

Level B.A.B. Fort Ref Will Special
1st +0 +2 +0 +2 Lolth’s favor, unbound sight, fundamentals of shadow, apprentice mysteries
3rd +2 +3 +1 +3 Lolth’s favor, truedark sight (magical darkness)
11th +7 +9 +4 +9 Lolth’s favor, truedark sight (se through darkness)

Shadar-Kai Shadowcaster: Many have forgotten the cursed Shadar-Kai. Not a surprise, as they have cloistered themselves away from the rest of the world for quite some time. Recently, however, sightings have started again. The Shadar-Kai are starting to return, and their souls seem to be more intact. This repair of their soul has been accomplished through study of Shadow Magic.
Hit Die: d6

Requirements To take a Shadar-Kai shadowcaster substitution level, a character must be a Shadar-Kai about to take his 1st, 4th, or 14th level of shadowcaster.

Class Skills
Shadar-Kai shadowcaster substitution levels have the class skills of the standard shadowcaster.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier (or four times this number as a beginning character).

Class Features
All the following are features of the Shadar-Kai ranger racial substitution levels.
Waning Curse (Su): The Will save DC to avoid the shadow curse is lowered to 10. In addition, the Shadar-Kai can be healed by a greater restoration on the material plane and by a restoration on the plane of Shadows.
Sneak Attack: At 4th level and every 4 levels afterwards, the Shadar-Kai’s sneak attack damage increases by +1d6. This replaces the bonus fundamentals gained at 4th level and every 4 levels afterwards.
Fade into Shadow (Su): At 14th level, by spending a full-round action, the Shadar-Kai can take 20 on a hide check. This replaces the normal unlimited use of fundamentals gained at 14th level.

Shadar-Kai shadowcaster substitution levels

Level B.A.B. Fort Ref Will Special
1 +0 +2 +0 +2 Fundamentals of Shadow, apprentice mysteries, waning curse
4 +2 +4 +1 +4 Sneak attack +2d6
14 +7 +9 +4 +9 Fade into Shadow

Note to self/spoiler: make illumian midnight seer, blot rogue, croob cultist, and loress archivist.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 12:32 PM

New Mundane Items

Sun Parasol: This parasol, when held up as a move action, fills the holder’s square with shadowy illumination.

Glare Spectacles: These spectacles block out sunlight. When warn, light sensitivity is ignored and light blindness is reduced to light sensitivity. In addition, the wearer gains a +2 bonus on saving throws against gaze attacks. Lastly, the spectacles block out useful light, imposing a –2 penalty on search and spot checks.

Shadow Infuser: Created by the Shadar-Kai long ago, these are worn on the back of Shadar-Kai that expect a long foray onto the material plane. A small reservoir holds liquid shadowstuff. When the Shadar-Kai would fall victim to their curse, the shadowstuff is injected into them, negating the curse. Only one dose of liquid shadowstuff can be held at a time.

Sonar Pick: In areas where mining is done underground, communication is sometimes established through special picks, that let loose a small noise when they hit against stone (DC 20 listen check hears). This can be used to coordinate locations. In addition, a character with the stonecunning ability who hits a stone with it and makes a dc 20 appraise check can identify what form of stone was hit. In battle, it functions as a light pick, but a clumsily made one, imposing a –1 penalty on attack and damage rolls made with it.

Rough Signet: In areas of darkness, the normal, colorful system of stamps and symbols are not nearly as effective. Although races with darkvision prefer to use it, other races use rough signets that are felt, rather than looked at, to check their authenticity.

New Alchemic Items

Instant Night: This black powder is highly compressed into little black balls. When thrown against the ground, it fills a 5-foot square with what appears to be darkness. The “darkness”, however, is really smoke, and therefore cannot be seen through with darkvision.

Sun Blocker: This white, pasty substance was originally developed by the Nightshade Covenant for their spies sent into the light of day. When applied to the body of a corporeal creature, any light sensitivity, light blindness, or weakness to light is cancelled out for 12 hours. It takes 1 minute to apply it.

Glow Mark: When normal creatures travel into areas of darkness, it is useful to have markers that are visible. This alchemically treated liquid glows with the approximate light of a candle. Enough liquid is in each tube to leave 10 effective markers or 1 reasonably long sentence.

Swarm Repellant: The bane of every adventurer in the subterranean are swarms. Luckily, some individuals have figured out a way to repel such swarms. When applied to a creature, that creature gains damage reduction 5/- against swarm damage and a +4 alchemic bonus on saving throws to resist becoming nauseated by swarms. Applying Swarm Repellant takes 1 minute one application lasts for 1 hour.

New Living Items

Dark Beetle: Originally discovered an cultivated by the Nightshade Covenant, these small beetles are pitch black and are about the size of a human fist. Originating from the plane of shadow, they recognize prey by heat rather than by sight. They detect sources of heat within 60 feet. Due to their strong legs and even stride, they can support an item weighing up to one pound tied to their back without a risk of it falling off. Typically, a dark beetle bearing a flask of alchemist fire or something similar is let loose onto the ground and its user runs away. On its initiative (0), it moves 10 feet towards the nearest source of heat it detects, or in any direction should it not detect heat. If it enters a target’s square, it impacts against them unerringly and the beetle dies, releasing whatever substance was tied to them. Undead members of the Covenant unleash them and let the beetles act as weapons. Keeping a Dark Beetle alive requires a constant supply of air and at least one meal of grubs each week.

Umbral Blossom: The dark blossom grows directly out of the soil, with no stem at all. It is dark grey flower found only on the plane of shadows, originally growing only one inch high and one inch in diameter. Whenever a mundane source of light approaches within 60 feet of the dark blossom, the light goes out and the flower grows (1 inch higher, 1 inch in radius, and one pound heavier). At least 1 such meal is needed each month to keep the dark blossom alive, along with rich soil. Some creatures with darkvision carry around a potted one (or place one in an important place) to douse the lights of intruders or potential victims.

Non-Magical Items Price Weight
Dark Beetle 300 gp 2 lbs.
Glare Spectacles 20 gp 1 lb.
Glow Mark 1 gp —
Instant Night 30 gp —
Rough Signet 5 sp —
Shadow Infuser 50 gp + 10 gp/dose 5 lbs.
Sonar Pick 20 gp 4 lbs.
Sun Blocker 10 gp —
Sun Parasol 5 sp 1 lb.
Swarm Repellant 40 gp —
Umbral Blossom 200 gp 1 lb.

New Materials:

Shadow Ore: On the plane of shadows, a rare ore, infused with shadowstuff, grows in veins. The ore is several times more malleable than gold, granting a +2 circumstance bonus on all profession (miner) checks to mine it and craft checks made to turn it into an item. In addition, Shadow Ore is lightweight, weighing only half of the weight of normal items. Lastly, if Shadow Ore is exposed to even trace amounts of another type of metal during the forging process, the shadow ore gains that metal’s properties (with the exception of weight) for 1 month after completion. Only one type of metal can be imitated at a time.
Weapons or armors fashioned from Shadow Ore are always masterwork items as well; the masterwork cost is included in the prices given below.

Type of Shadow Ore Item Item Cost Modifier
Light Armor +500 gp
Medium Armor +2,000 gp
Heavy Armor +5,000 gp
Shield +500 gp
Other Items +250 gp/lb.

Type of Added Metal Item Cost Modifier
Adamantine +200 gp
Alchemical Silver +20 gp
Astral Drift Metal +50 gp
Baatorian Greensteel +100 gp
Blended Quartz +100 gp
Cold Iron +100 gp
Entropium +50 gp
Gehennan Morghuth-Iron +200 gp
Kheferu +100 gp
Mithral +150
Pandemonic Silver +250 gp
Solanian Truesteel +50 gp
Starmetal +500 gp
Susalian Chainweave +1,000 gp
Thinaun +300 gp
Urdrukar +100 gp
Ysgardian Heartwire +75 gp

Night Stone: Nightstone is a rare rock that exists only in shadowy illumination or darkness, making it far more common on the plane of shadow. Night Stone is strangely malleable, allowing it to imitate any steel item with the proper craft check. Night Stone items weigh half again as much as their steel counterparts, but armor made from it has its armor check penalty decreased by two and its maximum dexterity bonus increased by two. Lastly, if exposed to daylight, or if placed within the radius of a daylight spell, the stone crumbles to dust. This stone was once used heavily by drow but reliance upon it has dropped in recent years.

Type of Night Stone Item Item Cost Modifier
Ammunition +20 gp
Light Armor +400 gp
Medium Armor +1,000 gp
Heavy Armor +1,500 gp
Weapon +100 gp

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 12:34 PM

New Magic Items:
Boots of Dark Flame:
Price: 10,800 gp
Body Slot: Feet
Caster Level: 3rd
Aura: Faint; (DC 16) evocation
Activation: Swift (command)
Weight: 2 lbs.

These black, leather boots feel cold to the touch.

When activated, Boots of Dark Flame burst into harmless flames for 1 round. During this time, every space that the boots pass through is ignited with black flames, dealing 1d6 cold damage to any who pass through that space. The flames last for 3 rounds.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Black Fire
Cost to Create: 5,400 gp, 432 XP, 11 days.

Boots of Unhindered Travel:
Price: 1,800
Body Slot: Feet
Caster Level: 1st
Aura: Faint; (DC 15) transmutation
Activation: Standard (command)
Weight: -

These boots bear images of rubble, vines, and other such impediments.

While wearing these boots, a spoken command word allows its wearer to walk unhindered across difficult terrain for 1 round, but not across terrain magically animated to hinder movement.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Shadowstep
Cost to Create: 900 gp, 72 XP, 2 days.

Bottomless Pouch:
Price: 1,000 gp
Body Slot: –
Caster Level: 1st
Aura: Faint; (DC 15) conjuration
Activation: Standard (manipulation)
Weight: –

This small, brown belt pouch appears completely empty.

This whenever this belt pouch is reached into, you can pull out any small, nonmagical item you wish, within the limits of the tools of the trade mystery. The items last for 1 hour, after which time they disappear.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Tools of the Trade
Cost to Create: 500 gp, 40 XP, 1 day

Bracers of Shadow:
Price: 1,000 gp (+1), 4,000 gp (+2), 9,000 gp (+3), 16,000 gp (+4), 25,000 gp (+5), 36,000 gp (+6), 49,000 gp (+7), 64,000 gp (+8)
Body Slot: Arms
Caster Level: 2nd (+1), 4th (+2), 6th (+3), 8th (+4), 10th (+5), 12th (+6), 14th (+7), 16th (+8)
Aura: Faint; (DC 16) abjuration (+1); Faint; (DC 17) abjuration (+2); Moderate; (DC 18) abjuration (+3); Moderate; (DC 19) abjuration (+4); Moderate; (DC 20) abjuration (+5); Strong; (DC 21) abjuration (+6); Strong; (DC 22) abjuration (+7); Strong; (DC 23) abjuration (+8)
Activation: -
Weight: 1 lb.

These bracers are pitch black and attach to the arms like a second skin.

As long as the wearer is in shadowy illumination (but not darkness or bright light), they gain a deflection bonus to their AC that ranges from +1 to +8.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Caul of Shadow
Cost to Create: 500 gp, 40 XP, 1 day (+1); 2,000 gp, 160 XP, 4 days (+2); 4,500 gp, 360 XP, 9 days (+3); 8,000 gp, 640 XP, 16 days (+4); 12,500 gp, 1,000 XP, 25 days (+5); 18,000 gp, 1,440 XP, 36 days (+6); 24,500 gp, 1,960 XP, 49 days (+7); 32,000 gp, 2,560 XP, 64 days (+8).

Cloak of Shadowfighting:
Price: 33,600 gp
Body Slot: Shoulders
Caster Level: 7th
Aura: Moderate, (DC 18) transmutation, abjuration, and illusion
Activation: Automatic activation
Weight: 1 lb.

This black cloak seems to blow as if caught in an unseen breeze.

This cloak grants whoever wears it’s the power to keep fighting even in their darkest hour. The first time in a 24-hour period that its wearer is knocked below half of their total hit points, they are protected by a dancing shadows effect, granting them total concealment for 7 rounds.
The first time in a 24-hour period that its wearer is knocked below 2 hit point/level, they are automatically protected by a bolster effect, granting them 35 temporary hit points for up to 70 minutes.
Lastly, the first time in a 24-hour period that its wearer is attacked while below 1 hit point/level, the cloak briefly fuses into their skin, granting them DR 10/Magic for 1 round.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Bolster, Dancing Shadows, Shadow Skin.
Cost to Create: 16,800 gp, 1,344 XP, 34 days.

Ebon Veil:
Price: 200 gp
Body Slot: Head
Caster Level: 1st
Aura: Faint; (DC 15) abjuration
Activation: automatic
Weight: –

This black veil seems strangely inviting.

This small, black veil protects its wearer in times of misfortune. The first time each day that the wearer fails a saving throw, they gain a +1 resistance bonus on their next saving throw, so long as it is made within the next hour.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Midnight Veil
Cost to Create: 100 gp, 8 XP, 1 day

Ephemeral Eye:
Price: 2,400 gp
Body Slot: None
Caster Level: 1st
Aura: Faint; (DC 15) divination
Activation: standard (mental)
Weight: –

This small quartz orb possesses a deep whole on one size, reminiscent of an eye’s pupil.

This small, quartz orb floats through the air at its owner’s command, looking wherever you wish it to with a fly speed of 30 feet (perfect maneuverability). It sends its owner back a mental image of everything that it sees. The Ephemeral Eye cannot be ordered out of its owner’s line of sight. If the Ephemeral Eye leaves your line of sight, it become inactive for 24 hours. The Ephemeral Eye can remain active for 1 minute each day, but this duration need not be consecutive. The Ephemeral eye has an AC of 18 while active and has 1 hit point.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Bend Perspective
Cost to Create: 1,200 gp, 96 XP, 3 days.

Ghost Knife:
Price: 50 gp
Body Slot: None (held)
Caster Level: 1st
Aura: Faint; (DC 15) conjuration
Activation: standard (manipulation)
Weight: –

The small cube of ivory almost seems to glow.

This small cube of ivory, when grasped into the palm, bursts into a dagger (not dealing damage to its holder). The dagger is normal in all ways except that it deals damage to ethereal and incorporeal creatures as if it were a force effect. The moment that the dagger is released for any reason, the dagger and cube are both destroyed.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Ghostly Dagger
Cost to Create: 25 gp, 2 XP, 1 day

Gloves of Ranged Trickery:
Price: 5,000
Body Slot: Hands
Caster Level: 1st
Aura: Faint; (DC 15) transmutation
Activation: Standard (command)
Weight: 1 lb.

These white gloves appear to have been stained black

Gloves of Ranged Trickery provide a +5 enhancement bonus on sleight of hand checks.
In addition, when the command word is whispered, the gloves can be made to fly off of their wearer’s hands, fly up to 20 feet away, make a sleight of hand check (including both its and its owner’s bonuses), and return. If prevented from returning, they get as close as possible (using an effective strength score of 4) and then fall to the ground.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Quicker than the Eye, Umbral Hand
Cost to Create: 2,500 gp, 200 XP, 5 days.

Helmet of Dark Lore:
Price: 2,400
Body Slot: Head
Caster Level: 3rd
Aura: Faint; (DC 16) divination
Activation: – and immediate (mental)
Weight: 1 lb.

muffled echoes continuously emerge from this iron helmet.

This Ebon Helmet is filled with shadows that whisper into its wearer’s ears. It grants its wearer a +2 bonus on all knowledge check. In addition, once per day, the wearer may reroll a knowledge check.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Darkened Lore
Cost to Create: 1,200 gp, 96 XP, 3 days

Mask of Truth:
Price: 10,800 gp
Body Slot: – or Head
Caster Level: 5th
Aura: Faint; (DC 17) divination
Activation: Standard (command)
Weight: 1 lb.

This pitch black mask is almost completely featureless, featuring only a mouth hole.

This black mask seems featureless but its wearer has no problems seeing through it. By placing it on your head and speaking a command word, you can discern lies (as the spell) for 5 rounds. By placing it on the head of a corpse and speaking the command word, you can ask up to 2 questions of the corpse, as speak with dead. Regardless of how it is used, the Mask of Truth can only be used 3 times each day.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Pry the Truth
Cost to Create: 5,400 gp, 432 XP, 11 days

Pallid Quill:
Price: 1,800 gp
Body Slot: None (held)
Caster Level: 1st
Aura: Faint; (DC 15) conjuration
Activation: Free (command)
Weight: –

This ghostly white quill seems to glow with an unearthly light.

This writing quill remains completely white, regardless of how it is treated and what it is dipped into. Furthermore, it glows with the strength of a candle. With a command word, the ink is continually covered in an endless supply of ink until the command word is spoken once more.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Liquid Night
Cost to Create: 900 gp, 72 XP, 2 days

Pendant of Immediate Mysteries:
Price: 26,400 gp
Body Slot: Throat
Caster Level: 11th
Aura: Moderate: (DC 20) evocation
Activation: -
Weight: 1 lb.

This Pendant bears a deep black stone, in which dim lights sometimes appear to swirl about.

Once per day, its wearer may cast a mystery or spell with the shadow subschool as an immediate action.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Contingent Shadow
Cost to Create: 13,200 gp, 1,056 XP, 27 days

Portable Pyre:
Price: 750 gp
Body Slot: – (held)
Caster Level: 5th
Aura: Faint; (DC 17) evocation
Activation: – and standard (manipulation)
Weight: –

This miniature pyre creates neither smoke nor heat

This miniature pyre provides light as an everburning torch. In addition, when planted into the ground, it turns invisible (and no longer provides light), The next time that something enters its square, it explodes as the invisible pyre mystery (CL 5).
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Invisible Pyre
Cost to Create: 375 gp, 30 XP, 1 day

Robe of Fixed Follies:
Price: 5,600 gp
Body Slot: Body (non-armor)
Caster Level: 7th
Aura: Moderate; (DC 18) divination
Activation: – (automatic)
Weight: 2 lbs.

This mottled grey robe is covered in patches, stitches, and scorch marks.

The first time each day that its wearer fails an attack roll, saving throw, or skill check by 5 or more, they reroll it with a +5 bonus.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Answers Unbidden
Cost to Create: 2,800 gp, 224 XP, 6 days

Scarab of Echoes:
Price: 16,200
Body Slot: Throat
Caster Level: 9th
Aura: Moderate; (DC 19) universal
Activation: Swift (command)
Weight: –

This ghostly white scarab appears to have been crafted from crystal

Once per day, when the command word is spoken, the next 4th level or lower spell cast within 30 feet of the scarab within the next round is stored in it. On its owner’s next round, they automatically spend a standard action to cast that spell themselves, making new decisions where applicable. Whether it absorbs and echoes a spell or not, it remains inactive for 24 hours.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Echo Spell
Cost to Create: 8,100 gp, 648 XP, 17 days

Shadow Incense:
Price: 3,300 gp
Body Slot: —
Caster Level: 11th
Aura: Moderate; (DC 20) abjuration
Activation: See Text
Weight: 1 lb.

This rectangular block of faintly-scented incense is a deep shade of grey.

When lit, the wispy smoke of this incense forms spiraling patterns on the floor, recognizable through a dc 15 spot check.Any shadowcaster who regains their mysteries while within 20 feet of the lit incense has all of their mysteries empowered for 24 hours, as if through the metashadow feat.
A block of Shadow Incense burns for 1 hour and disappears 1 hour after it is ignited (even if the fire would be prevented from burning it away).
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Flood of Shadow, Empower Mystery
Cost to Create: 1,650 gp, 132 XP, 4 days.

Shadow’s Retaliation:
Price: 34,000 gp
Body Slot: Shoulders
Caster Level: 5th
Aura: Faint; (DC 17) abjuration
Activation: immediate (mental)
Weight: 1 lb.

This dark blue cape seems to stick by its wearer’s back, as if covered in a sticky paste

This cape helps its wearer respond to physical attack. When attacked, the wearer may speak a command word as an immediate action to gain the benefits of the Sharp Shadows and Shadowskin mysteries against one attack.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Shadowskin, Sharp Shadows
Cost to Create: 17,000 gp, 1,360 XP, 34 days

Sphere of Sequestration:
Price: 6,000
Body Slot: – (held)
Caster Level: 15th
Aura: Strong; (DC 22) abjuration
Activation: Standard (thrown)
Weight: 5 lb.

This small metallic sphere is completely smooth and surprisingly heavy

This small, smooth sphere is used as a projectile weapon. If it successfully hits its mark, the sphere disintegrates and the foe is removed from existence for 1d4+1 rounds, as by the Shadow Sequestration mystery. If the sphere misses its mark, it does not disintegrate but requires a dc20 search check to find again.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Shadow Sequestration
Cost to Create: 3,000 gp, 240 XP, 6 days

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 12:36 PM

New Cursed Items

Bedroll of the Fool:
Price: 2,000 gp
Body Slot: -
Caster Level: 1st
Aura: Faint; (DC 15) enchantment
Activation: -
Weight: 1 lb.

This bedroll is covered with peaceful images of flowers and fields

Anyone who sleeps in this bedroll for 8 hours heals an extra hit point per level. If a target is awoken early while sleeping in this bedroll, however, they take 1d4 wisdom damage.

Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Turbulent Dreams
Cost to Create: 1,000 gp, 80 xp, 2 days.

Boots of Immobilization:
Price: 3,000 gp
Body Slot: Feet
Caster Level: 5th
Aura: Faint; (DC 17) transmutation and conjuration.
Activation: – and standard (command)
Weight: –

These boots display images of bogs, sand dunes, and tar pits.

These boots function much like boots of unhindered travel. Whenever its wearer runs or charges, however, the curse of the boots activate, immobilizing its wearer for 1 round.

Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Shadowstep, Clinging Darkness
Cost to Create: 1,500 gp, 120 XP, 3 days.

Coin of Impediment:
Price: 10,000 gp
Body Slot: –
Caster Level: 15th
Aura: Strong; (DC 22) transmutation
Activation: –
Weight: –

You see a single, lonely gold piece, sitting on its own

Any creature bearing a coin of impediment on their person (even if it is in an extradimensional space) has the weight of all coins they possess increased to 1 pound at the beginning of the next encounter (including ones held in extradimensional space). The new weight remains until the coin of impediment is removed from its owner’s person.

Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Treacherous Hoard
Cost to Create: 5,000 gp, 400 XP, 10 days

Incense of Explosion:
Price: 750 gp
Body Slot: –
Caster Level: 5th
Aura: Faint; (DC 16) evocation
Activation: standard (manipulation)
Weight: 1 lb.

This cube of dark grey incense smells vaguely of smoke

When this cube of incense is lit, it explodes, dealing 5d6 damage to everyone within a 30 foot-radius (DC 15 reflex save for half). Half of this damage is fire damage, and the other half is pure shadow energy.

Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Invisible Pyre
Cost to Create: 375 gp, 30 XP, 1 day

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 12:37 PM

New Artifact

Sphere of Mystery:
Price: N/A
Body Slot: None (held)
Caster Level: 21st
Aura: Overwhelming; (DC 25) universal.
Activation: one minute (manipulation)
Weight: –

This item appears to be nothing more than an orb of swirling shadows, but is solid enough to be picked up. When you stick your hand inside of it, you feel various switches, knobs, and levers floating through the orb

This orb is a powerful artifact of shadow. In order to operate successfully, you must first cast a mystery or a spell of the shadow subschool into the orb. An attempt to press a button, push a swith, or pull a lever without doing so deals 5d6 damage to the holder. After inserting shadow into the orb, the holder may make a dc 40 use magic device check. Upon success, an arcane caster who put in a spell gets a free wish spell, a divine caster who put in a spell gets a free miracle spell, or a mystery-user who put in a mystery gets a free desires manifest mystery. The use magic device check takes one minute to perform, provoking attacks of opportunity each round. Each time beyond the first that a single caster attempts to utilize the orb, there is a cumulative 5% chance that the orb of mystery turns into an sphere of annihilation upon completion, destroying the holder.
Prerequisites: N/A
Cost to Create: N/A

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 12:42 PM

Shadow Charm
I was looking around at all of the various things that a “strategic caster” would need and there was one thing that I couldn’t find. I originally designed it as a single item in my head but it grew into its own category of items. Although I have decided to name them shadow charms, their true identity sounds so much better to me…remote detonators.

Enchant Shadow Charm
You can create the small items known as shadow charms.
Prerequisites: Caster level 1st
Benefit: You can create any shadow charm whose prerequisites you meet. Crafting a shadow charm takes one day for each 1,000 gp in its base price. To craft a shadow charm, you must spend 1/25 of its base price in XP and use up raw materials costing one-half its base price.

Using Shadow Charms
Each Shadow Charm is crafted to hold a specific mystery with an area or a target, and a shadow charm only functions for an individual that has been carrying it for at least 24 hours, after which time the individual (if a shadow magic user) learns the identity of the contained mystery. After that period, its owner may place it down on the ground (dropping an item is a free action, as normal, although more time may be taken to hide it well). At anytime within 24 hours of leaving it, its owner may cause the spell within it to activate. If the owner wills it to activate from within 100 feet of it, it takes a mere standard action. If it is willed to activate from further, the owner must spend a full-round action, provoking attacks of opportunity, to give up one of their own daily uses of the contained mystery (for this reason, only shadow magic users can activate them from a distance, although no use magic device check is needed to do so). Shadow Charms may not be activated from across planar boundaries. When a Shadow Charm activates, if it holds an area effect, it is centered upon the square holding the Shadow Charm, or, in the case of a cone, emanates from it in a random direction. If it holds a targeted effect, it effects any creature in its square, or a random adjacent target (who gets a +2 bonus on any saving throw allowed) if no appropriate target resides in its square. It can only be activated once.

Finding Shadow Charms
Finding Shadow Charms is a tricky business. The base search dc to find one is 10+spell level, which is increased by +5 in shadowy illumination or by +10 in darkness. In addition, anyone using detect magic or mystic reflections must make a spellcraft check (DC 15+spell level), although more powerful divinations such as analyze dweomer automatically locate them. In addition to mundane destruction (1 HP, Hardness 2, Break DC 15) or dispelling, a successful disable device check (DC 20+spell level) removes the connection between a shadow charm and its latest owner, effectively disarming it.

Shadow Charm Pricing
The base price of a shadow charm is 100 x spell level x caster level

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 12:48 PM

reserved for further items or type of item.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 12:51 PM

New Prestige Classes:

The Abyssym
”I have seen what lurks in the darkness. I have every right to fear it”
-Grimpt Telgon, Priest of Pelor

Shadows react differently with each type of magic it is paired with. When paired with arcane magic, it struggles to rip away, the force of which cancels out an opponent’s magic. When applied to the inherent magic of a warlock however, the exact opposite reaction ensues. The two forms of magic meld together, forming a mesh of shadowy magic. While children of night ascend into shadow, the Abyssym ascends into darkness.
BECOMING AN ABYSSYM
Due to the prerequisites, it is perhaps best to assume that most are shadowcasters. Cultists have no more difficulty meeting the prerequisites, but shadowcasters will be able to get the most versatility due to their larger selection of mysteries.
Entry Requirements
Alignment: Any Nongood
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 6 ranks, Knowledge (the planes) 6 ranks, Spellcraft 6 ranks
Shadowcasting: Able to cast 2nd-level mysteries
Special: Eldritch blast 2d6

THE ABYSSYM HIT DIE: D4

Level Base Fort Ref Will Special Mysteries
Attack Save Save Save
Bonus
1 +0 +2 +0 +2 Eldritch Blast +1d6, +1 level of existing mystery-using class/+1 level of existing invocation-using class
See in Darkness
2 +1 +3 +0 +3 Abyssym of Cold +1 level of existing mystery-using class/+1 level of existing invocation-using class
3 +1 +3 +1 +3 Bonus Metashadow Feat +1 level of existing mystery-using class/+1 level of existing invocation-using class
4 +2 +4 +1 +4 Eldritch Blast +2d6 +1 level of existing mystery-using class/+1 level of existing invocation-using class
5 +2 +4 +1 +4 Abyssym of Fear, +1 level of existing mystery-using class/+1 level of existing invocation-using class
Eldritch Splice
6 +3 +5 +2 +5 Bonus Invocation +1 level of existing mystery-using class/+1 level of existing invocation-using class
7 +3 +5 +2 +5 Eldritch Blast +3d6 +1 level of existing mystery-using class/+1 level of existing invocation-using class
8 +4 +6 +2 +6 Abyssym of Darkness +1 level of existing mystery-using class/+1 level of existing invocation-using class
9 +4 +6 +3 +6 Bonus Metashadow Feat +1 level of existing mystery-using class/+1 level of existing invocation-using class
10 +5 +7 +3 +7 Greater Eldritch Splice, +1 level of existing mystery-using class/+1 level of existing invocation using class
Eldritch Blast +4d6
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level): Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Hide, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (the planes), Listen, Move Silently, Search, Spellcraft, Spot, Use Magic Device

CLASS FEATURES
As an abyssym, you blend together your shadow magic and invocations with great ease.
Mysteries: At each level, you gain new mysteries and an increase in caster level as if you had also gained a level in a mystery-using class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefits a character of that classes would have gained. If you had more than one mystery-using class before becoming an abyssym, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining caster level and mysteries known.
Invocations: At each level, you gain new invocations known and an increase in caster level as if you had also gained a level in an invocation-using class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level (this does not include eldritch blast). You do not, however, gain any other benefit a characterof that class would have gained. If you had more than one invocation-using class before becoming an eldritch disciple, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining caster level and invocations known.
Eldritch Blast:At 1st level, and then again at 4th, 7th, and 10th levels, the damage from your eldritch blast is increased by +1d6
See in Darkness (Su): Borrowing from shadow magic and fiendish blood alike, you improve your sight, allowing you to see through darkness and magical darkness out to 60 feet.
Abyssym of Cold (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, you can start to modify your eldritch blasts and mysteries through the interaction of energies that they generate. As a free action, you may add the cold descriptor to the next eldritch blast or mystery that you cast. Any creatures that are targeted or who are caught in the area of this eldritch blast or mystery take 1 cold damage/caster level (if a mystery) or invoker level (if an eldritch blast)
Bonus Metashadow Feat: At 3rd level, and again at 9th level, you gain any metashadow feat that you qualify for as a bonus feat.
Abyssym of Fear (Ex): Starting at 5th level, you can draw more power into your mysteries and eldritch blasts. As a free action, you may add the fear subschool and the mind-affecting descriptor to the next eldritch blast or mystery that you cast. Any creatures that are targeted or who are caught in the area of this eldritch blast or mystery must make a will save or become shaken for 1d4 rounds. This ability may be used with abyssym of cold.
Eldritch Splice (Ex): Starting at 5th level, the roiling powers of your magics start to mix. You may apply any eldritch essence or blast shape invocation to any applicable mystery. In addition, you may apply any applicable metashadow feat to your eldritch blast or an invocation, by using up a daily use of that mystery.
Bonus Invocation: At 6th level, an abyssym learns a new invocation, which must be an eldritch essence or blast shape invocation of a grade that they have access to.
Abyssym of Darkness: At 9th level, an abyssym can power their mysteries and eldritch blasts even further. As a free action, you may add the darkness descriptor to the next eldritch blast or mystery that you cast. If the area or target of the invocation or mystery is occupied by a spell with the light descriptor of a lower or equal spell level, the light is dispelled. If the mystery or eldritch blast has a target, a 20 foot-radius emanation, originating from that target, is covered in shadowy illumination for 1d4 rounds. If the mystery or eldritch blast has an area, that area is covered in shadowy illumination for 1d4 rounds. This ability may be used with abyssym of cold and abyssym of fear.
Greater Eldritch Splice (Su): At 10th level, your shadow magic and invocations have nearly roiled together to become one. Once per hour, plus one additional time per day per point of charisma bonus (if any), as a standard action, you may cast both a mystery and an invocation simultaneously. If the mystery would be cast as a spell, it is cast as a spell-like ability. If the mystery would be cast as a supernatural or extraordinary ability, so is the invocation. If both the mystery and the invocation allow saving throws, each one uses the higher of the two save DCs. This ability may not be used in combination with the abyssym of cold, abyssym of fear, or abyssym of darkness abilities.

PLAYING AN ABYSSYM
The depths of your power have been realized. By combining the your tainted blood with shadow magic, you have managed to grasp true power. You have learned that power invariably complements power and search out for any and all new sources to complement that which you already hold. You need not forsake or forget about your compatriots, for they are a power all their own, able to compensate for your shortcomings. Neither, however, do you desire to oppress them, for doing so would make them liabilities. More than your other pursuits, you seek to ascend into darkness, as darkness is your birthright and strength.
The Nightshade covenant sees you in much the same manner as the Votaries of Vecna view children of night, as a paragon of their cause. The Votaries of Vecna, for this reason, is not particularly friendly towards abyssyms, although membership is not denied to them should they truly wish for it. The Tenebrous Cabal admires your control of shadow magic and its interactions with invocations.

COMBAT
At low levels, you are just like any other mystery user or invocation user. As such, is may be wiser to remain at the back of the battlefield, harassing your opponents with mysteries, or, should you run out, with eldritch blasts.
As you advance, your shadow magic and invocations warp and fuse, granting you far greater versatility than practitioners of either path possess. Although this greatly increases your power, it is still best, throughout your career, to remain away from the fray.

ADVANCEMENT
As a practitioner of both learned shadow magic and innate invocations, your methods are somewhat improvised, but not random. Some of the processes must be actively learned and practiced in some manner, but the mixing of the two energies happens all on its own, triggered by increasing the ties to both forms of magic simultaneously. Your ascension to shadow, unlike that of the children of night, is arcane, rather than physical.
Your mental abilities are key as you level up, especially charisma, which makes your abilities more virulent. Of course, you now have to choose both mysteries and invocations carefully. Most of your mysteries will either have an area, modifiable through blast shape invocations, or will deal damage, which allows eldritch essences to function upon them.

RESOURCES
Abyssyms usually take up a live and let live approach towards other abyssyms. They have nothing that they can learn from one another and they naturally vie for sources of power if left in the same vicinity. When an abyssym joins a shadow magic organization, they are more expected to lead than to receive aid, although they may find some if they ask. The most reliable source of aid that an abyssym can call upon are the fiends from which they gained their power. Fiends (devils, demons, and yugoloths alike) respect their desire to ascend to shadow and are generally more willing to help them to such an end.

ABYSSYMS IN THE WORLD
“Children of night, as you call them, have quite their journey midway. I, meanwhile, intend to finish it.”
-Nelson Greymane, Abyssym

Abyssyms communicate a new viewpoint on shadow, seeing it as a midway point towards darkness. These enigmatic arcane practitioners have by far extended the range of what their powers can do through the mixing of two taboo forms of magic. Some players would be overjoyed to mix these dark magics together.

DAILY LIFE
Despite the scarcity of abyssyms in the world, it is easy to describe their everyday life. They typically work by night (or by dusk, if they should need some inconspicuous light). The first part of their day is spent studying or practicing their art, occasionally followed by some experimentation with their abilities. Afterwards, they proceed in their pursuit of power. This pursuit can take multiple forms, ranging from studying an ancient shrine in a library to exploring a tomb for a powerful item.
When abyssyms acquire a position of status, they treat it as another source of power, using it to gain more if possible. As abyssyms need to remain more or less free in their pursuit of power and ascension, they tend to ignore high-maintenance positions, sometimes leading to large problems.

NOTABLES
Despite their scarcity, rumors and stories of one particular abyssym have reached across the planes. Mae Kiar, it is said, managed to bodily and spiritually ascend into darkness after capturing the soul of the balor her family’s soul belonged to. The exact method by which she captured the soul, as no such method exists either in shadow magic nor invocations, remains unknown to this day. Mae Kiar today still lives as a deity of darkness and shadow (see later post for details).

ORGANIZATION
The Tenebrous Cabal officially greets abyssyms with open arms. Unofficially, they are not trusted and the cabal often sends spies to try and gain insight into their power. None has ever found their way onto the parliament of shadow.
The Votaries of Vecna will allow abyssyms to join, but they keep an even shorter leash on them, allowing nothing less than complete and utter compliance from them.
The Nightshade Covenant, which is dedicated to darkness as much as shadow, is the only group that really welcomes someone to aspires to merge their powers with darkness.

NPC REACTIONS:
As a combination of two untrusted sources of magic, very few people think highly of abyssyms. Common folk are normally frightened to death of them, seeing them as darkness incarnate. Stronger opponents seek to drive away such a threat, if possible. Warlocks tend to view you indifferently but most shadow magic users are unfriendly, as the basis of an abyssym’s philosophy is that darkness, and not shadow, is the true eternal power.
Nearly everyone is an enemy of an abyssym, from the paladins that wish them dead, to the mystery users who think them wrong, to the shadow organizations that think them wrong, to the everyday farmer who fears them as he fears death. Most warlocks are used to such solitude, however.

ABYSSYM LORE
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcane) or Knowledge (the planes) can research abyssyms to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including the information from lower DCs.
DC 10:Abyssyms are dark practitioners of both shadow magic and invocations
DC 15:Abyssyms are never good news, and they are almost always evil and self-centered.
DC 20: The mixing of shadow magic and invocations allows them to meld together, lending the abyssym great versatility.
A bardic knowledge check or a Gather Information check can reveal the same information as these Knowledge checks, but in each case the DC is 5 higher than the given value.

ABYSSYMS IN THE GAME
Abyssyms are rare, as they not only need the tainted bloodline of a warlock but the dedication to learn shadow magic and the devotion to shadow that fuels the mixing of the two. For this reason, it is logical to assume that the PCs have neither heard of nor fought one yet
The abyssym is appropriate for players who like both component forms of magic, as the abyssym makes each more versatile. To make the player’s investment worthwhile, try to vary your encounters, for if the player is forced to rely on the exact same tactics in each encounter, then the experience may quickly become dull.

ADAPTATION
Due to the unique nature of both component classes and the ways that they are allowed to interact, it is much harder to adapt this class. To make it more PC friendly, you could easily reverse engineer the abyssym so that it is actually working towards light from darkness. This way, good players will have an equal chance to partake in the benefits of this class.

SAMPLE ENCOUNTER:
Encounters with abyssyms should take advantage of their tremendous versatility. Regardless of their opponent, they should appear as if they were completely prepared. Use of both mysteries and invocations also helps to hammer home exactly what they are fighting against.
EL 8: Nelson Greymane has been an abyssym for under a year, but he is slowly getting the hang of it. The PCs might run into him when researching an ancient power, or they might be in direct conflict with him if they stand in his way. Alternately, the PCs may be contacted to help Nelson reach a new reservoir of strength.
Nelson Greymane CR 8
Male Human Shadowcaster 3/Warlock 3/Abyssym 2
TN Medium humanoid (human)
Init +1; Senses See in Darkness; Listen +0, Spot +0
Languages Common, Abyssal, Infernal
AC 18, touch 11, flat-footed 17
hp 36 (8 HD) DR 1/cold iron
Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +9
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee +2 Club +5 (1d6+1)
Ranged Eldritch Blast +6 (3d6)
Base Atk +4 ; Grp +3
Atk Options Abyssym of Cold
Special Actions Detect Magic, Still Mystery, Extend Mystery, Enlarge Mystery
Combat Gear 2 orbs of shadow (apprentice 1st), 2 Gems of Night
Invocations (CL 5; 1d20+5 to overcome SR)
Least—Breath of Night, Spiderwalk, Summon Swarm
Mysteries Known (CL 5th)
Apprentice paths:
3rd—Invisible Pyre (spell, 1/day)
2nd—Frigid Smoke (spell, 1/day), Sight Eclipsed (spell, 1/day)
1st—Cursed Flame (spell, 1/day), Steel Shadows (spell, 1/day)
Fundamentals
0—Mystic Reflections (supernatural, 3/day), Caul of Shadow (supernatural, 3/day), Arrow of Dusk (supernatural, 3/day)
Abilities Str 8, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 16
Feats Still Mystery, Enlarge Mystery, Extend Mystery, Weapon Focus (Eldritch Blast).
Skills Concentration +9, Hide +12 Intimidate +7, Knowledge (arcana) +7, Knowledge (the planes) +7, Move Silently +12, Spellcraft +6
Possessions combat gear plus +2 club and 400gp

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 12:53 PM

Reserved for Apocryphist:

Reminder to self/spoiler: divine caster/shadow magic user that empowers allies.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 12:57 PM

The Dark Mind
”Every dark corner of our mind has potential.”
-Talias Versago, Dark Mind

Every synapse, every deep and dark corner of the mind has potential for use. A Dark Mind uses the power of shadows to continually put their synapses to work. Where no information would be transfered, however, shadows of thoughts manifest to fill the gap. Some would call them insane, for indeed, the strain of continual thought, even through sleep, does effect them. They know the truth, however. They know that they have unlocked their entire mind.

BECOMING A DARK MIND
The most common dark minds are psions, but psychic warriors and wilders have no real problems qualifying for its prerequisites. All that is really required is the desire to fill the mind, and the willingness to deal with what comes of doing so.

Entry Requirements
Skills: Knowledge (psionics) 8 ranks, Knowledge (the planes) 4 ranks, Concentration 8 ranks
Psionics: Able to manifest 2nd-level powers.
Special: Must have been exposed to shadow at some point prior to taking this class, either through travel on the Plane of Shadow, being subject to a mystery or a spell with the shadow subschool, or through physical contact with a shadow or dark creature.

THE HIT DIE: D6

Level Base Fort Ref Will Special Mysteries
Attack Save Save Save
Bonus
1 +0 +2 +0 +2 Mental Torment, Apprentice Mysteries, +1 level of existing manifesting class
Mind Forced Open
2 +1 +3 +0 +3 Mental Shadow, Fundamental of Shadow +1 level of existing manifesting class
3 +1 +3 +1 +3 Forced Awareness, Fundamental of Shadow +1 level of existing manifesting class
4 +2 +4 +1 +4 Mind’s Shadow, Fundamental of Shadow +1 level of existing manifesting class
5 +2 +4 +1 +4 Hollow Mind, Synergistic Thought +1 level of existing manifesting class
Fundamental of Shadow
Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level): Concentration, Craft, Hide, Knowledge (psionics), Knowledge (the planes), Move Silently, Psicraft, Spot

CLASS FEATURES
As a dark mind, you force your mind open to get the greatest possible performance out of it.
Powers Known: When a new dark mind level is attained, the character gains additional power poins and access to new powers as if she had also gained a level in any one manifesting class she belonged to previously. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If a character had more than one manifesting class before she became a dark mind, she must decide to which class she adds each level of dark mind for purpose of determining power points per day, powers known, and manifester level.
Mysteries Known: You have the ability to cast a small number of mysteries. To cast a mystery, you must have an intelligence score of at least 10 + the mystery level, so if you have an intelligence score of 10 or lower, you cannot cast mysteries. High ability scores do not provide bonus mysteries. Saving throws against your mysteries have a DC of 10 + mystery level + your Int modifier.
Your selection of mysteries is extremely limited. You begin in this class knowing only a single 1st-level mystery. Every level afterward, you gain an additional mystery known. As with the shadowcaster class, you may not skip ahead in a given path. Your mysteries must all be drawn from an apprentice path, and you cast them all as arcane spells. You can use each mystery you know once per day. You gain a fundamental at 2nd level and every level afterwards, each of which is cast as a supernatural ability usable three times per day.
Mental Torment (Ex): The strain of having one’s brain continually used, even during one’s sleep, wears one down. You are continually fatigued and require 10 hours of sleep (or 4 hours of meditation) to regain health. This fatigue does not make the process of regaining spells or power points any more difficult than normal. Any effect that removes fatigue only works for 1d4 hours, after which time the condition returns. In addition, you gain Body Fuel as a bonus feat.
Mind Forced Open (Ex): Once per level each week, you may take 20 on any intelligence based check without expending any extra time.
Mental Shadow (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, you start to back up your mind with a shadowy copy. Whenever you become psionically focused, you remain that way until you have expended your psionic focus twice or until your power point reserve drops to 0.
Forced Awareness (Ex): One benefit of having two minds is that one can be more active at any given time. Starting at 3rd level, you no longer need to sleep, although you are still perpetually fatigued. The strain on the body is far greater, however, leaving the dark mind continually exhausted. The strain of exhaustion does not hinder the regaining of mysteries or power points.
Mind’s Shadow (Ex): Starting at 4th level, your shadow mind can operate individually for short periods of time. Whenever you take ability damage or ability drain to a mental ability score, you gain a temporary equal bonus to that ability score, which decreases by 1 point every hour. If your ability damage or ability drain is healed, simultaneously reduce your temporary bonus by the amount healed.
Hollow Mind (Ex): Starting at 5th level, you can hide your true mind behind your shadow mind. As a result, you are protected as if by the personal mind blank power.
Synergistic Thought (Ex): At 5th level, your dark mind is finally completed. As it forces awareness and works synergistically with the normal mind, all of the dark mind’s mental ability scores are increased by 2. Your health, however, has taken a real battering, lowering your constitution score by 2.

PLAYING A DARK MIND
You have mastered the mind. You alone use every piece of it and have a second, shadowy copy to rely on. The mysteries behind thought are no longer mystery. Your actions now are your own, although many a dark mind has been driven insane by their perpetual fatigue. Without any further goal to look forward to beyond the full formation of your dark mind, you may choose your own destiny.
As a general rule of thumb, you are not allowed into shadow organizations, as your true allegiance remains with the mind. Psionic organizations scoff at your methods but praise your success nonetheless. Some hold you as a paragon, able to think through multiple minds.

COMBAT
Despite your increased mental capacity, your combat capabilities have not changed, with one exception. The addition of shadow magic grants you new abilities, abilities that do not require power points to activate. Although the mysteries will be pretty weak, they should not be discounted.

ADVANCEMENT
Your ways are always learned through experimentation. Even so, the willingness to learn is not enough. You must have also had some encounter with shadow, which leaves a kernel of darkness in your mind, which the dark mind expands.
Continual advancement is desirable for the dark mind, for to quite the path early is to take the strain of the class and not reap all of its benefits. Although you need not be any more careful than normal with your selection of powers, you should select your mysteries and fundamentals carefully.

RESOURCES
The most reliable resource that a dark mind possesses is other dark minds. Although some psionic experts almost worship dark minds for their abilities, only another dark mind can truly appreciate the torment that they had to endure to go through. Make sure not to invest too much in these friends, however, for they can crack at a moment’s notice.
Magic and (to a greater extent) psionic items can also help you in your travels, wherever they may take you. Most useful among them are items that help offset your newfound physical frailness.

DARK MINDS IN THE WORLD
“Yes, I’m his friend. Or, at least I’m the first mind’s friend. The second mind is still deciding.”
-Derk Craigor, companion of a dark mind

The dark mind prestige class is a perfect class for those who wish to play an insane character while still being completely playable. This prestige class opens up a new horizon of role-playing opportunities. It gives the same advantages of the class from which they came, and gives them new ones as well, in the form of increased mental faculties and shadow magic.

DAILY LIFE
Daily life is hard to define for a dark mind, as the process that generates their second mind is almost completely automatic after it is started. Some practice with shadow magic and psionics is usually stuck into the day somewhere. Otherwise, they live their day completely normally, albeit with some small (insane?) discrepancies. One common practice among many dark minds is an hour-long ritual of meditation, meant to quiet their mind for a short respite. Although this does not calculate to any in-game effect, it normally prolongs the onset of insanity in dark minds.

NOTABLES
There are very few dark minds of note. The most famous is, or was, named Teka (his last name was lost to history). After completing the development of a second mind, he attempted what no one had ever tried before, to develop more. He opened a portal in his mind to the plane of shadows, hoping the shadows would flood in to develop infinite minds. Instead, both minds imploded into that portal, sending his thoughts out of his body and onto the plane of shadows. His minds merged with the plane, granting him a semblance of divinity. Even so, no dark mind envies the madness he found with the infinite minds he did indeed create for himself in the end.

ORGANIZATION
Dark minds have varied success within shadow organizations. The Tenebrous Cabal does not let them join, as their shadow magic is a mere side effect to another endeavor. The Nightshade Covenant neither denies them membership nor greets them openly. The Votaries of Vecna allows them in with relative ease, so long as they try to dedicate themselves to shadow and the mind in equal part.

NPC REACTIONS:
Most common folk get the impression that dark minds are both powerful and unstable. When they learn how the dark mind gets power, their views are proved correct. Most shadow magic users are indifferent or unfriendly towards dark minds, seeing them as accidental dabblers in the art, although more adept than a shadowsmith. Psionics-users are indifferent or friendly towards dark minds, as they respect their ability to think using two minds simultaneously.

DARK MIND LORE
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (psionics) or Knowledge (the planes) can research dark minds to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including the information from lower DCs.
DC 10: Dark Minds are mentally unstable and physically frail psionics-users.
DC 15: Dark Minds flood every crevice of their mind with shadow, lending them some power with shadow magic.
DC 20: The Dark Mind eventually creates a second mind out of shadow, lending them several benefits.
A bardic knowledge check or a Gather Information check can reveal the same information as these Knowledge checks, but in each case the DC is 5 higher than the given value.

DARK MINDS IN THE GAME
Dark Minds are rare, due to the required kernel of shadow that they need to pursue the path. Furthermore, their exhaustion often gives them a lethargic and antisocial view on the world. For these reasons, it is not too unbelievable that they have simply never run across a Dark Mind in the past.
Anyone who enjoys shadow magic, or deep role playing, would make a potentially good Dark Mind. As their powers aren’t specified, the player should enjoy their investment so long as you don’t take special measures to hinder them (such as placing them in a dungeon requiring many climb, swim, and jump checks to get through).

ADAPTATION
The Dark Mind is relatively easy to adapt. In a campaign without psionics, the power of the mind could instead be attributed to divination. A campaign without shadow magic can simply drop the shadow magic. Furthermore, some campaigns might link the dual nature of the dark mind to Demogorgon, making them formidable and insane foes.

SAMPLE ENCOUNTER:
Encounters with Dark Minds should try to feature both their shadow magic and their psionics. In addition, any hint of insanity or other such off-ness can make a dark mind truly memorable, especially if one is encountered on multiple occasions.
EL 10: Talias Versago has been a dark mind for about as long as she can remember, which currently stretches back only a couple of months. She has been one for years and the strain has driven her insane. If met in a rare moment of mental clarity, she could serve as a potential informant or partner. Otherwise, she may well unleash an unprovoked attack against the party as they walk down the road.
Talias Versago CR 10
Female halfling Wilder 5/Dark Mind 5
CN small humanoid (halfling)
Init -1; Senses Listen +2, Spot +0
Languages Common, Halfling, Elven, Gnome
AC 11, touch 11, flat-footed 11
hp 37 (10 HD)
Fort +6, Ref +2, Will +11
Speed 20 ft. (6 squares)
Melee +1 light mace +4 (1d6-2)
Ranged Light crossbow +5 (1d8/19-20)
Base Atk +5 ; Grp -2
Special Actions Wild Surge +2, Mind Forced Open, Body Fuel, Mental Leap, Inquisitor
Combat Gear 1 orb of shadow (apprentice 1st)
Power Points/Day: 25, 25 remaining; Wilder Powers Known (ML 10th)
2nd—biofeedback
1st—mind thrust, vigor
Mysteries Known (CL 5th)
Apprentice paths:
3rd—flicker (spell, 1/day)
2nd—congress of shadows (spell, 1/day), thoughts of shadow (spell, 1/day)
1st—voice of shadow (spell, 1/day), mesmerizing shade (spell, 1/day)
Fundamentals
0—umbral hand (supernatural, 3/day), mystic reflections (supernatural, 3/day), caul of shadow (supernatural, 3/day), arrow of dusk (supernatural, 3/day)
Abilities Str 4, Dex 9, Con 10, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 17
SQ Psychic Enervation, Elude Touch, Surging Euphoria, Volatile Mind, Mental Torment, Mental Shadow, Forced Awareness, Mind’s Shadow, Hollow Mind, Synergistic Thought
Feats Body Fuel, Up the Walls, Speed of Thought, Mental Leap, Inquisitor
Skills Autohypnosis +15, Concentration +12, Intimidate +16, Knowledge (psionics) +16, Knowledge (the planes) +16, Psicraft +16, Swim +0
Possessions combat gear plus +1 Light Mace, Light Crossbow with 20 bolts, Gauntlets of Ogre Power, Amulet of Health +2, Type II bag of Holding

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 01:06 PM

Disciple of Dawn

Every night, the sun must set and the shadows must rise. There are those who would use these shadows to rise up and claim power. There are even those who would place shadows where none once were just to claim this power. Then again, there are those who fight for the light. These individuals dispel the shadows and keep a dedicated vigil throughout the night and into the dawn. These individuals, dedicated to the eradication of evil and those who would fight in it, are the Disciple of Dawn, and their vigil is eternal.

Adventures: Evil can sprout forth anywhere at any time. Although many Disciples of Dawn dedicate themselves to the protection of a single sight, others follow the philosophy that the only way to protect against the dark is to go out into the world and fight it. Others believe that setting a good example for others will prevent them from turning to the shadows for power.

Characteristics: As a disciple of dawn, you have the ability to peer through deceptions and attack those who would hide in the dark. By the end, you can become a globe of pure light, perfect for fighting creatures of darkness.

Alignment: Disciples of Dawn exclusively come from members of paladin orders. The same strict tenants regarding behavior and attitude still apply, restricting this path to lawful good characters.

Religion: In many ways, Disciples of Dawn are more connected to their precepts than to their deity, something that deities of good and law allow. The exception to this rule, however, is Pelor, who many disciples of dawn worship as the paragon of what they hope to become.

Background: All disciples of dawn start as members of paladin orders. Eventually, one is approached by a disciple of dawn and is asked if they are willing to serve their church in a new way. They are free to deny this offer without stigma but those who accept find a whole new world ahead of them.

Races: As much as orders of paladins claim this is not so, race is a major factor in deciding who is invited. Generally, humans, half-elves, elves, and dwarves have no problem. The reputation of gnomes as fickle, halflings as theirves, and half-orcs as brutes unfortunately carries over, restricting those of these races to only the most devout.

Other Classes: So long as others are willing to help you banish darkness, you have no problem with their presence. You dislike rogues more than the regular Paladin and may refuse to lend them aid on that ground alone, unless they’ve proved themselves worthy of salvation. You hate and cannot abide by knowingly working with a shadow magic user.

Role: You are in many ways a great scout and mediator, able to see things that others can not and punish those who hide in the darkness. More than anything else, however, you are a frontline combatant, a fact that should not be forgotten.

Game Rule Information:
Disciples of Dawn have the following game stats.
Abilities: More than anything else, your charisma is of prime importance to you, powering your ability to fight creatures of darkness. Wisdom, however, aids your perceptions. As a frontline fighter, strength and constitution are also of great importance.
Alignment: Always Lawful Good
Hit Die: d10

Requirements
To qualify to become a Disciple of Dawn, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
Base Attack Bonus: +4
Skills: Knowledge (religion) 7 ranks
Feats: Nimbus of Light
Special: Smite Evil Class Feature
Special: Must be invited by another Disciple of Dawn

Class skills
The Disciple of Dawn’s class skills (and the key ability modifier for each skill) are:
Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (nobility and royalty (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), and Sense Motive (Wis)
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Disciple of Dawn
Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special
1 +1 +2 +0 +0 Shadows against Darkness, Smite Evil
2 +2 +3 +0 +0 Light’s Grace, Detect Mysteries
3 +3 +3 +1 +1 Excise Darkness
4 +4 +4 +1 +1 Pierce the Falsehoods
5 +5 +4 +1 +1 Dazzling Beacon
6 +6 +5 +2 +2 Pierce the Shroud
7 +7 +5 +2 +2 Fiery Beacon
8 +8 +6 +2 +2 Pierce the Unreal
9 +9 +6 +3 +3 Timeless Body
10 +10 +7 +3 +3 Beacon of True Light

Class features
All of the following are class features of the Disciple of Dawn prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A disciple of dawn gains no new proficiencies with weapons or armor.
Smite Evil (Su): Paladin levels and disciple of dawn levels stack for determining the strength and uses per day of your smite evil ability
Detect Mysteries (Sp): Starting at 1st level, You may use Detect Mysteries at will as a spell-like ability, wit a caster level equal to your class level.
Shadows against Darkness (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, a disciple of dawn learns how to see the forces of evil, even against a cover of darkness. Concealment is no longer sufficient to hide from a disciple of dawn (although total concealment is). Furthermore, the disciple of dawn no longer loses their dexterity bonus to their AC when caught flat-footed.
Light’s Grace (Su): Starting at 2nd level, you exert energy in a similar manner to a light spell. Whenever you enter the area of a spell with the darkness descriptor whose spell level is less than your disciple of dawn level, that effect is dispelled.
Whenever you enter the area of a spell with the darkness descriptor whose spell level is greater than your disciple of dawn level, you take a –2 penalty on all attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks for as long as you remain.
Whenever you enter the area of a spell with the darkness descriptor whose spell level is equal to your disciple of dawn level, that effect is suppressed for as long as you remain but you take a –2 penalty on all attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks for as long as you remain.
Excise Darkness (Su): Starting at 3rd level, whenever you make a smite evil attempt against an undead or a creature capable of using shadow magic and hit, that smite evil attempt becomes an excision of darkness, adding your charisma bonus to your damage roll (minimum +1) in addition to the normal effects of a smite evil attempt.
Pierce the Falsehoods (Ex): Starting at 4th level, you recognize falsehood whenever it appears. You automatically succeed on spot checks made to see through disguises, forgery checks made to see through forgeries, and sense motive checks made to see through bluffs.
Dazzling Beacon (Su): Starting at 5th level, whenever you use your excise darkness ability, your target must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + class level + charisma modifier) or become blinded for 1d4 rounds. Undead are not immune to this ability.
Pierce the Shroud (Su): Starting at 6th level, you can see through the most subtle of disguises. You can see invisible and ethereal creatures just as easily as you can see material creatures.
Fiery Beacon (Su): Starting at 7th level, whenever you use your excise darkness ability, you deal your target 1d4/class level fire damage, or half of that if they succeed on a reflex save (DC 10 + class level + charisma modifier)
Pierce the Unreal (Su): Starting at 8th level, you can see through illusions. You may ignore the effects of all figments. In addition, you add your charisma modifier as a bonus to will saves against all other illusions (this stacks with divine grace)
Timeless Body (Su): Starting at 9th level, you no longer takes penalties to your ability scores for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any such penalties that you have already taken, however ,remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and you still die of old age when your time is up.
Beacon of True Light (Su): Starting at 10th level, you can become a beacon of light in even the deepest darkness. This ability can be used once per day and must be activated in either darkness or shadowy illumination. For a number of rounds equal to your charisma modifier + 3 (minimum 1 round), you become an incorporeal orb of light that sheds bright illumination out to 30 feet and shadowy illumination out to 60 feet. While in this state, you gain a fly speed of 150 feet with perfect maneuverability and gain two light ray attacks, each of which require a ranged touch attack to hit and deal 2d12 damage. You may not use your spells (if any) while in this form but you may apply the effects of smite evil and Excise Darkness to your light rays.

Note to self: format properly in the future.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 01:14 PM

INITIATE OF THE SEVEN ENIGMAS
“I study what I do not learn and see what is not there. My craft is of naught and has brought me power. However, if my work is a shadowy nothing, from where can this power come forth?”
-Serez Kezren, Initiate of the Seven Enigmas

Initiates of the Seven Mysteries are far unlike other mystery-users. Rather than improve their power over shadows, they study the mechanics of the shadows themselves, and by extension, the mechanics of all of reality. Those who plumb into the mysteries behind mysteries find themselves weaving their shadow magic in unimaginable ways.

BECOMING AN INITIATE OF THE SEVEN ENIGMAS
Initiates require relatively little to start along their track, other than the knowledge of how to and the concentration to manipulate their mysteries, accompanying some talent with the mysteries in question. Although a few cultists can take up this path, the number of shadowcasters who do so outnumber them immensely.

Entry Requirements
Skills: Concentration 10 ranks, Knowledge (arcane) 10 ranks, Knowledge (the planes) 10 ranks
Shadowcasting: ability to cast at least 2 initiate-level mysteries.

THE INITIATE OF THE SEVEN ENIGMAS HIT DIE: D4

Level Base Fort Ref Will Special Mysteries
Attack Save Save Save
Bonus

1 +0 +0 +0 +2 Enigmas in mysteries +1 level of existing mystery-using class
The First Enigma (Imitation)
2 +1 +0 +0 +3 The Second Enigma (Illusion)
3 +1 +1 +1 +3 The Third Enigma (Manipulation) +1 level of existing mystery-using class
4 +2 +1 +1 +4 The Fourth Enigma (Reflection)
5 +2 +1 +1 +4 The Fifth Enigma (Form) +1 level of existing mystery-using class
6 +3 +2 +2 +5 The Sixth Enigma (Shadow)
7 +3 +2 +2 +5 The Seventh Enigma (Existance) +1 level of existing mystery-using class
Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level): Concentration, Craft, Knowledge (arcane), Knowledge (the planes), Profession, Spellcraft.

CLASS FEATURES
As you advance, your actual shadowcasting may degrade but your power with mysteries remains as strong as ever.
Mysteries: at each odd level, you gain new mysteries and an increase in aster level as if you had also attained a level in a shadowcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one shadowcasting class before becoming an Initiate of the Seven Enigmas, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining mysteries per day, caster level, and mysteries known.
Enigmas in Mysteries (Su): An Initiate of the Seven Mysteries finds power through the very mechanics of mysteries. Manipulating mysteries in this way is quite taxing. Whenever an enigma is utilized, they must succeed on a concentration check (dc 10+1/previous enigma successfully utilized that day). With a failure, the enigma fails to manifest and the daily use is wasted. Each enigma is a supernatural ability.
The First Enigma (Imitation): The first mystery, often not noticed by onlookers, is that of imitation. After all, Shadow magic is nothing more than use of an objects shadow to control the object in question. Once per day per class level, by sacrificing a daily use of any mystery, the Initiate of the Seven Mysteries can gain an extra daily use of any mystery of a lower level. This extra use lasts for 24 hours or until used.
The Second Enigma (Illusion): The first, and most basic allusion to shadow magic invariably appears in the power of illusion, giving form to imitation. Once per day per class level, by sacrificing a daily use of any mystery, the Initiate of the Seven Mysteries can imitate the effects of any illusion spell at least 1 spell level lower, other than those with the shadow subschool.
The Third Enigma (Manipulation): The third mystery is that of manipulation, providing versatility for stagnant illusions. Once per day per class level, the Initiate of the Seven Mysteries may apply one metashadow feat to a mystery without using a daily use of that metashadow feat or increasing its casting time.
The Fourth Enigma (Reflection): The fourth mystery is that of reflection, manipulated to provide an effect of equal power. Once per day per class level, on a round after casting a mystery, the Initiate of the Seven Mysteries may spend a full-round action to repeat the casting of that mystery (which apparently emanates from your shadow), without the expenditure of an additional daily use.
The Fifth Enigma (Form): The fifth mystery is that of form, allowing prolonged manipulation of reflection. Once per day per class level, the Initiate of the Seven Mysteries can cast a mystery as an extraordinary ability, adding 2 to its save DC.
The Sixth Enigma (Shadow): The sixth mystery is that of shadow, reflection given form. Once per day per class level, the Initiate of the Seven Mysteries can cast a mystery as a move action.
The Seventh Enigma (Existence): The final mystery is that of existence, covering both shadow and its reflection. Once per day per class level, as an immediate action, the Initiate of the Seven Mysteries can ignore the effects of a 3rd-level or lower spell or mystery for one round. If its duration ends or if its area is vacated by the end of that round, it is completely ignored. Otherwise saving throws and spell resistance (if any) are checked for at the end of the round.

PLAYING AN INITIATE OF THE SEVEN ENIGMAS
Your ability to warp shadow magic has given it an entirely new feel in your hands. Just as the Plane of Shadow shifts, so does its magic. There is nothing wrong with what you do. You are simply directing the flow of the plane of shadow, to a lesser extent. These abilities are normally learned but have appeared naturally in some promising young prodigies.
Shadow-based organizations, as a whole, are confused about Initiates of the Seven Enigmas. They willingly let their shadowcasting degrade but increase their manipulation of it. Some view this view as intricacy while other (more ignorant) groups consider this laziness.
Initiates of the Seven Enigmas, more than anywhere else, are found as teachers, due to their scholarly outlook. In this niche, other shadow magic users accept them almost universally.

COMBAT
An Initiate of the Seven Enigmas makes for an interesting combatant. Due to a slightly lacking supply of mysteries, many assume that they are less versatile. The abilities they receive in return for this degradation, however, could not prove this viewpoint more false.
As you progress, your ability to modify and empower your mysteries becomes more powerful, and versatile. You must remember, however, not to take on more enemies than you can take, however, as each successive use of your abilities become harder and harder to release.

ADVANCEMENT
Your ways are almost guaranteed to have been learned ones. It is also likely that you learned from another Initiate of the Seven Enigmas. Some tomes describe the processes well enough to be used alone, however, and even others make purely intuitive leaps after observing movement on the plane of shadow over long periods of time.
Continuing advancement needs constant practice, study, and vigilance. Although you may not learn the strongest of abilities any time soon, you have happened upon a wellspring of new abilities.
Once you have started along this path, the mysteries taken count for much more than normal, due to your degraded progression. Other than this small issue however, the only things that you’ll truly need will be items and feats to help your concentration skill.

RESOURCES
As a respectable sage or teacher within an organization, you might find loose ends of yours being met for you. Alas, magic items are often not provided. As a student of shadow, any opportunity to study its mechanics, such as in magic items utilizing mysteries, it a worthy investment. As you are still reliant upon your shadowcasting to protect you, items that increase your charisma and intelligence (or wisdom, for cultists) scores are vital. As you are likely to have relative frailty, any item that enhances your defenses is another boon.

INITIATES OF THE SEVEN ENIGMAS IN THE WORLD
“The search for such knowledge as the workings of existence is a worthy endeavor. What worries me is that she, of all people, may succeed.”
-Glimdon Salagger, Foruton Librarian

The Inititiates of the Seven Enigmas allows the DM to showcase both the intellectual-side and alien-mindset behind shadow magic.

DAILY LIFE
Initiates of the Seven Enigmas live in much the same ways as any other wizards. They must continue to learn their mysteries through constant study. To keep their minds steady, they often meditate. The only unusual part of their studies is the practicing of their enigmas. Although not necessary, most Initiates of the Seven Enigmas try to use each of their enigmas once after regaining their mysteries, to help them validate their studies. Once an Initiate of the Seven Enigmas finds a decent source of knowledge, they are loathe to leave it, and sometimes remain even long after their nature is revealed.

NOTABLES
Initiates of the Seven Enigmas rarely choose to take notoriety directly, rather gaining it through those who they have provided tutelage. One, Totalas Grimp, educated many members of the Parliament of Shadow. For this reason, he is probably one of the most well-known Initiates.

ORGANIZATION
Initiates of the Seven Enigmas rarely join a shadow organization. At least, not officially. Unofficially however, they are seen as unparalleled sources of knowledge. For this reason, many Initiates intrude upon the hospitality of several organizations over their career. This situation has led to a relatively stable symbiotic relationship between the two. Initiates of the Seven Enigmas help shadow organizations by passing on rumors or assisting in the teaching of new recruits. Meanwhile, the initiate benefits from safety, a roof above their heads, and a good steady of knowledge.

NPC REACTIONS:
Most people respond to an Initiate of the Seven Enigmas in the same way that they would respond to any sage or philosopher. If their nature is discovered, less changes than one would expect. As the Initiate normally keeps to herself, most townsfolk have no problem with harboring them. In addition, due to an Initiate’s determination to learn, they are likely to ignore any sign to leave that falls short of direct violence or persecution. Even the most hardcore of priests thinks of them (incorrectly) as a frail practitioner of iffy magic, and therefore of little threat. Even so, it is easier to capture the one teacher than the many pupils.

INITIATE OF THE SEVEN ENIGMAS LORE
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcane) or Knowledge (the planes) can research Initiates of the Seven Enigmas to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including the information from lower DCs.
DC 10: The Initiate of the Seven Enigmas is a philosopher among shadowcasters.
DC 15: The Initiate of the Seven Enigmas sacrifices a bit of power from their Shadow Magic to gain more versatility with it.
DC 20: The Initiate of the Seven Enigmas manipulates their powers through loopholes in reality called enigmas, which they activate through sheer force of will.
A bardic knowledge check or a Gather Information check can reveal the same information as these Knowledge checks, but in each case the DC is 5 higher than the given value.

INITIATE OF THE SEVEN ENIGMAS IN THE GAME
Initiates of the Seven Enigmas are the thinking intellectuals of Shadow Magic, studying it rather than taking it for granted. They are best used not for introducing shadow magic, but as a surprise when shadow magic’s novelty wears thin. The Initiates, remember, can modify the very nature of the mysteries they use, enough so to surprise any party.
With the unusual and thoughtful nature of this Prestige Class, this may prove to be the aspiration of a Shadowcaster or Cultist PC. The creativity that this class allows is an invaluable addition to any party.

ADAPTATION
With a few slight tweaks, the Initiate of the Seven Enigmas could be dedicated to shadow spells rather than to shadow magic. At an even more rudimentary scale, they could be dedicated to the mechanics of shadow magic or even to the mechanics of magic as a whole.

SAMPLE ENCOUNTER:
To be used at peak efficiency, the Initiate of the Seven Enigmas should only be thrown at the party once the rules of shadow magic have been established, only to have them knocked down by their new foe. Only after watching the Initiate do they realize the truly morphic power of shadow.
EL 10: Serez Kezren is currently occupying a small town’s library. Although they know her nature and have made their wishes for her to leave quite clear (to the point of a few failed assassinations), she is determined to remain until her studies are complete.
Serez Kezren CR 10
Female elf Shadowcaster 7/Initiate of the Seven Enigmas 3
TN Medium humanoid (elf)
Init +1; Senses Low-light vision; Darkvision 30 feet; Listen +1, Spot +1
Languages Common, Elven, Sylvan, Gnome, Draconic, Goblin
AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 18
hp 34 (10 HD)
Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +8
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee +1/Masterwork Quarterstaff +6 (1d6+1/1d6)
Ranged Light crossbow +6 (1d8/19-20)
Base Atk +5 ; Grp +5
Special Actions Shadowcast, Still Mystery, Extend Mystery, Enlarge Mystery, Empower Mystery, Maximize Mystery, Quicken Mystery, The First Enigma (imitation), The Second Enigma (Illusion), The Third Enigma (Manipulation)
Combat Gear 3 orbs of shadow (apprentice 1st), 3 potions of cure moderate wounds, Shadow Maniple, Ring of Nullification, Gem of Night
Mysteries Known (CL 9th)
Initiate Paths
4th—Bolster (spell, 1/day), Shadow Evocation (spell, 1/day), Shadows Fade (spell, 1/day)
Apprentice paths:
1st—Turbulent Dreams (spell-like, 2/day), Cursed Flame (spell-like, 2/day), Steel Shadows (spell-like, 2/day), Carpet of Shadow (spell-like, 2/day), Dusk and Dawn (spell-like, 2/day), Life Fades (spell-like, 2/day)
Fundamentals
0—umbral hand (supernatural, 3/day), Mystic Reflections (supernatural, 3/day), Caul of Shadow (supernatural, 3/day), Arrow of Dusk (supernatural, 3/day)
Abilities Str 10, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 17, Wis 8, Cha 14
SQ Able to notice secret of concealed doors, Sustaining Shadow (eat 1 meal/week), Enigmas In Mysteries
Feats Shadowcast, Still Mystery, Empower Mystery, Extend Mystery, Maximize Mystery, Quicken Mystery, Enlarge Mystery
Skills Concentration +13, Intimidate +15, Knowledge (arcana) +16, Knowledge (the planes) +16, Spellcraft +16
Possessions combat gear plus +1/Masterwork Quarterstaff, Light Crossbow with 20 bolts, Cloak of resistance +1, 75 gp.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 01:16 PM

Reserved for Master of Mysteries.

Self-Reminder/Spoiler: Archmage for shadow magic.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 01:20 PM

SHADOW FUNDAMENTALIST
”More often than not, smoke and explosions are signs of ineptitude, not expertise.”
-Silias Gerer, Shadow Fundamentalist

The Shadow Fundamentalist knows, all too well, that the larger, more ostentatious of mysteries are worth very little if the basics of shadow magic remain unlearned. By mastering the fundamentals of shadow magic, they can gain a bottomless reservoir of power.

BECOMING A SHADOW FUNDAMENTALIST
Shadowcasters make up almost the entire population of shadow fundamentalists. The art is so focused that multiclassed characters simply have little incentive to pursue it. A few high-level cultists have attempted this path, but the number to have completed it can be counted on one human’s fingers.

Entry Requirements
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 6 ranks, Knowledge (the planes) 6 ranks
Shadowcasting: ability to cast 5 or more fundamentals

THE SHADOW FUNDAMENTALIST HIT DIE: D6

Level Base Fort Ref Will Special Mysteries
Attack Save Save Save
Bonus
1 +0 +2 +0 +2 Fine Manipulation +1 level of existing mystery-using class
2 +1 +3 +0 +3 Unlimited Fundamentals +1 level of existing mystery-using class
3 +1 +3 +1 +3 Library of Basics +1 level of existing mystery-using class
Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level): Concentration, Craft, Hide, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (the planes), Move Silently, Profession, Spellcraft, Spot

CLASS FEATURES
as a shadow fundamentalist, you focus on the manipulation of fundamentals.
Mysteries: At each level, you gain mysteries known and an increase in caster level as if you had also gained a level in a casting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefits a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one mystery-using class before becoming a Shadow Fundamentalist, you must decide which class to add each level for the purpose of determining caster level and mysteries known.
Fine Manipulation (Su): whenever you cast a fundamental and modify it with one or more metashadow feats, no daily use of those metashadow feats are expended. In order to apply a metashadow feat to a fundamental, however, it must still have a remaining daily use.
Unlimited Fundamentals: At 2nd level, you may cast your fundamentals at will. If you already possess this ability, you cast your fundamentals at +2 caster level.
Library of Basics: At 3rd level, you gain access to all fundamentals.

PLAYING A SHADOW FUNDAMENTALIST
Most NPC shadow fundamentalists are indistinguishable from normal shadowcasters. They are, however, noticeably more drawn towards experimentation and novelty.
You know that your shadow magic is no weaker than those of others. In addition, you have a reliable, if weaker, source of secondary power to return to should your mysteries fail.
Thanks to your consistent skill at higher-level shadow magic, you are welcomed into most shadow magic organizations. Your unnatural fascination with the weakest of all forms of shadow magic, however, makes others somewhat weary of you. Though you may be accepted into organizations, don’t expect it to be with open arms.

COMBAT
Aside from slight discrepancies in your personality, your differences are most visible in combat. For you, it is not uncommon to unleash a quickened, empowered, maximized arrow of dusk each round, even in the midst of your more powerful shadowcasting. You protect yourself with seemingly insignificant wards and boons, which come together to make you a more formidable opponent.

ADVANCEMENT
The journey of a shadow fundamentalist has been written in script by several masters of the art and the same basic discoveries are almost always made in the same manner and in the same order. Nonetheless, none of these scripts are used those trying to discover the path, for discovery of the path is invariably an accident. Therefore, while the same cornerstone discoveries are going to be made in a set order, the actual process is one of self-discovery and experimentation.
As you advance, there is no reason to choose your mysteries or feats more carefully than any other shadowcaster, although it goes without saying that you should avoid learning additional fundamentals if it can be avoided.

RESOURCES
You rarely obtain tangible benefit from other shadow fundamentalists, but they, sharing some of your views, are more willing to here out even your most outrageous ideas, give you an interesting tidbit of information, or even keep you overnight. Organizations to which you belong rarely give you much of value, either. As an extension of you shadowcasting philosophy, you are a bit of a packrat, knowing that hundreds of small items may provide the difference between life and death.

SHADOW FUNDAMENTALISTS IN THE WORLD
“They may be unorthodox, but at least they are creative”
-Eddas Coradran, Lord of the First House, Parliament of Shadows

The shadow fundamentalist is a choice for those willing to explore the reaches of what other mystery-users take for granted. They are the inventive, the creative, the shrewd. Any shadow-casting class can take it but it is most common among neutral and chaotic shadowcasters, who find the most enjoyment in such novelty.

DAILY LIFE
A shadow fundamentalists time is largely devoted to research, both into new, more powerful mysteries, and into how their fundamentals fit into such mysteries. Otherwise, they spend their time advancing their various other agendas, or adventuring to obtain new scraps of knowledge or interesting items.

NOTABLES
Shadow fundamentalists are few and far between, but when one’s presence becomes known, few tend to forget them. An excellent example is Grombo “no-nose” Kilten, a gnomish shadow fundamentalist who managed to create five new fundamentals before losing his nose in the creation process of a sixth. Another is Malkin Tumwater, the only shadow fundamentalist to ever make it to the Parliament of Shadows.

ORGANIZATION
The Nightshade Covenant allows in shadow fundamentalists but tends to ignore them in the midst of the struggles between their factions. After all, a pitiful fundamental seems unlikely to blot out the sun. The Tenebrous Cabal accepts them the most openly, respecting their tireless research into matters of shadow. The Votaries of Vecna regard their fundamentals as unnecessary tinkering, preferring to judge them by their total power in shadow magic.

NPC REACTIONS:
Most people react to shadow fundamentalists exactly as they would to a shadowcaster. Very few can actually tell a difference. In general, shadowcasters are indifferent towards shadowcasters. Many arcane casters refer jokingly to their choice of specialty, at least…until they face one in combat.

SHADOW FUNDAMENTALIST LORE
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcane) or Knowledge (the planes) can research Shadow Fundamentalists to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including the information from lower DCs.
DC 10: Some shadowcasters called shadow fundamentalists willingly focus on the weakest of their abilities.
DC 15: Despite all odds, shadow fundamentalists gain surprising proficiency with their fundamentals.
DC 20: Although shadow fundamentalists focus first and foremost on their fundamentals, their shadowcasting in general does not suffer.
A bardic knowledge check or a Gather Information check can reveal the same information as these Knowledge checks, but in each case the DC is 5 higher than the given value.

IN THE GAME
Shadow Fundamentalists have been well dispersed though many organizations, countries, and worlds. When introducing them, it is perhaps better to make them out to be an eccentric shadowcaster. Actually introducing their abilities might be better done through a tome or scroll depicting such varied possibilities with fundamentals, allowing shadowcaster PCs to pursue the class at their own pace.
This prestige class adds a noticeably lighter side to shadow magic, although not enough of one to effect views of it as a whole. As long as the player has an opportunity to cast fundamentals, they can be happy with their choice. Whenever one of their fundamentals truly helps them, they can feel a sense of accomplishment.

ADAPTATION
Shadow Fundamentalists, as their tricks are relatively simple, can easily be adapted to use more mundane sources of power, perhaps using smoke, darkness, or feeble illusions to accomplish their ends. Another, more obvious option is to simply convert it to affect cantrips and orisons instead of fundamentals.

SAMPLE ENCOUNTER:
Encounters with shadow fundamentalists should show off their intricacies of their art. It is not unusual for one to shoot out an empowered, maximized, quickened arrow of dusk every round, possibly followed by another mystery, the drinking of a small potion, or another empowered, maximized arrow of dusk. They are a flurry of fundamentals in combat, and a first impression should show that.
EL 5: Simon Tellware has recently mastered the art of casting fundamentals. Recently noticed and hired by the Tenebrous Cabal, he has been gathering scraps of esoteric lore for the past couple of months, stopping every now and again to collect obscure baubles and such.

Simon Tellware CR 5
Male Human Shadowcaster 2/Shadow Fundamentalist 3
TN Medium humanoid (human)
Init +0; Senses Listen +5, Spot +5
Languages Common, Elven, Dwarven
AC 17, touch 11, flat-footed 17
hp 25 (5 HD)
Fort +8, Ref +2, Will +6
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee Quarterstaff +2 (1d6/1d6)
Ranged Light crossbow +2 (1d8/19-20)
Base Atk +2 ; Grp +2
Special ActionsExtend Mystery, Empower Mystery, Maximize Mystery, Quicken Mystery
Combat Gear 1 orb of shadow (apprentice 1st), [I] 1 dark lantern, 6 potions of cure light wounds
Mysteries Known (CL 5th)
Apprentice paths:
2nd—Frigid Smoke (spell, 1/day)
1st—Cursed Flame (spell, 1/day, DC 13), Steel Shadows (spell, 1/day)
Fundamentals
0—Umbral Hand (supernatural, at will), Mystic Reflections (supernatural, at will), Caul of Shadow (supernatural, at will), Arrow of Dusk (supernatural, at will, +2 ranged touch), Black Candle (supernatural, at will), Liquid Night (supernatural, at will), Shadow Hood (supernatural, at will, DC 12), Trick of the Light (supernatural, at will, DC 12), Darkened Eyes (supernatural, at will), Tools of the Trade (supernatural, at will), Shadow Vigor (supernatural, at will), Midnight Veil (supernatural, at will), Shadowstep (supernatural, at will), Shadowy Touch (supernatural, at will), Ghostly Blade (Supernatural, at will, +2 melee attack roll)
Abilities Str 10, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 15, Wis 8, Cha 14
SQ Fine Manipulation
Feats Extend Mystery, Empower Mystery, Maximize Mystery, Quicken Mystery
Skills Concentration +6, Hide +5, Intimidate +7, Knowledge (arcana) +7, Knowledge (the planes) +7, Move Silently +5 Spellcraft +7, Spot +5
Possessions combat gear plus Quarterstaff, Light Crossbow with 20 bolts, Cloak of resistance +1, 25 gp.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 01:21 PM

Shadow Necromancer:
“They’re corpses. Why would I give them a choice?”
-Pontias Giberton, Shadow Necromancer

Shadowcasters are famous for trying to separate themselves from the moral labels attached to their dark powers. The most famous example would have to be the Shadow Necromancer, who puts aside the normal stigma attached with reanimation of the undead to make an inexhaustible supply of loyal servants.

BECOMING A SHADOW NECROMANCER
Although a few rare cultists of dark causes best left unnamed take up this path, most of its practitioners are shadowcasters. Although some Shadowcaster/Necromancers and Shadowcaster/Clerics become shadow necromancers, the stress of multiclassing slows down the process.
Entry Requirements:
Skills: Hide 8 ranks, Knowledge (arcane) 8 ranks, Spellcraft 8 ranks.
Shadowcasting: ability to cast the Walking dead mystery.

The Shadow Necromancer Hit Die: d6

Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special Mysteries
1 +0 +2 +0 +2 Aura of Shade, Moral Ambiguity
2 +1 +3 +0 +3 Ebon Guard (1) +1 level of existing mystery-using class
3 +1 +3 +1 +3 Twilight Aura +1 level of existing mystery-using class
4 +2 +4 +1 +4 Ebon Guard (2) +1 level of existing mystery-using class
5 +2 +4 +1 +4 Corpsecrafter +1 level of existing mystery-using class
6 +3 +5 +2 +5 Ebon Guard (3) +1 level of existing mystery-using class
7 +3 +5 +2 +5 Create Spawn +1 level of existing mystery-using class
8 +4 +6 +2 +6 Ebon Guard (4) +1 level of existing mystery-using class
9 +4 +6 +3 +6 Advanced Animations +1 level of existing mystery-using class
10 +5 +7 +3 +7 Ebon Army, Ebon Guards (5) +1 level of existing mystery-using class
Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level): Concentration, Decipher Script, Hide, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcane), Knowledge (the planes), Listen, Move Silently, Spellcraft, Spot.

Class Features: The shadow necromancer is a master of undead animation, animating them with shadow instead of negative energy.

Mysteries: at every level after 1st, you gain new mysteries and an increase in caster level as if you had also gained a level in a mystery-using class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefits a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one mystery-using class before becoming a Shadow Necromancer, you must choose which class to add each level.

Aura of Shade (Su): A Shadow Necromancer emanates an area of supernatural shade, going out to 5 ft/class level. All undead within this area gain turn resistance equal to the Shadow Necromancer’s HD level while all other living creatures take a –2 penalty on saving throws. In addition, this area is kept in perpetual shadowy illumination.

Moral Ambiguity: A Shadow Necromancer sees past the petty labels given to him by those who do not understand his art. As a result, his alignment is not affected by the animation of undead.

Ebon Guard (Su): At 2nd level and every odd level afterwards, the Shadow necromancer may select one undead creature they have animated through the walking dead mystery to live on as their permanent minion. This minion gains maximum hit points per HD, gains the Dark template, and gains an intelligence score of 10 (even if 10 is higher than the base creature’s intelligence score). In addition, skeletons chosen can take full rounds of actions while zombies lose their penalty to attack and damage rolls. Lastly, these minions last until they are destroyed, at which point the Shadow necromancer can indicate a new undead to join their Ebon Guard.

Twilight Aura: The Shadow Necromancer’s Aura of Shade eventually starts to leak negative energy. Starting at 3th level, all undead within its reaches gain fast healing 1 while all attempts to use spells of the healing subschool require a dc20 caster level check.

Corpsecrafter: The Shadow Necromancer gains corpsecrafter as a bonus feat at 5th level.

Create Spawn: Starting at 7th level, any creature slain within the Shadow Necromancer’s Aura of Shade are reanimated as shadows 1d4 rounds afterwards, as long as they remain in the aura until that time. These Shadows are under the control of the Shadow Necromancer. A Shadow Necromancer can control up to 4 hit dice/level of shadows in this way (not counting towards any other limit of undead controlled).

Advanced Animation: At 9th level, a Shadow Necromancer gains any feat with corpsecrafter as a prerequisite as a bonus feat.

Ebon Army: At 10th level, a Shadow Necromancer’s entourage seems inexhaustible. All undead that they animate via the Walking Dead mystery become
members of their Ebon Guard, so long as they remain within their Aura of Shade. If they at any point leave the aura, they return to normal undead and the duration of Walking Dead begins, even if they return into the aura later. All specifically chosen members of the Ebon guard can enter and leave the aura freely. In addition, all members of the ebon guard can communicate telepathically with the shadow necromancer.

PLAYING A SHADOW NECROMANCER
Some NPC shadow necromancers, much like masters of shadow, become domineering individuals. Others, however, choose instead to use their undead to help in their research. Their undead can assist their research in ways as complex as an arcane dissection or as simple as fetching a nearby book or beaker. Although they have a small army at their disposal, they are more often than not simple researchers, as if to prove that undead animation does not effect the animator.
You are welcome in the tenebrous cabal if you should wish to join. Due to the nature of your minions, the Nightshade Covenant and Votaries of Vecna are more than pleased to see you join with them but wish to see you eradicated if you refuse to.

COMBAT
Your greatest weapons are two-fold. The first that you get is your aura of shade, protecting your undead from troublesome clerics while weakening the defenses of your foe. Your second powerful weapon is your ebon guard, an ever-expanding rank of intelligent, shadow-infused undead that protect you with far more proficiency than the normal walking dead.

ADVANCEMENT
The means by which you animate and empower the undead are often learned, rather than discovered. However, there are almost no shadow necromancers willing to teach. Instead, when most shadow necromancers reach an old age, they inscribe the instructions of how to establish an aura of shade and ebon guard onto the flesh or bone of one of their ebon guard and set it aside. Should the shadow necromancer never come back to it, it is ordered to go out into the world and try to teach a potential candidate. As many such undead are slain upon sight rather than read, it is not wholly unusual for a shadow necromancer to send out a random undead with such instructions every now and again.
Continued advancement leads to increased power of your army, as your aura of shade expands, the ranks of your ebon guard increase, and you eventually reanimate shadows within your aura, to say nothing for your increased shadowcasting ability. To take the most advantage of your aura of shade, it is best to take mysteries that require saving throws. From a strategic vantage point, however, choosing mysteries that summon additional aid is wise.

RESOURCES
You tend to see other of your training almost as brothers, further distancing yourself from the stereotype of emotionally dead necromancers. After all, it may have been any shadow necromancer’s minion that taught you the art yourself. With close personal friends, together with your minions, other shadow necromancers, and members of your organization (if any), you have enough allies to accomplish many goals. Alas, many items created for the use of undead control merely effect how many undead you can control, a meaningless factor for shadow necromancers. If you can find something to increase the power of your undead, however, it would be insane to not try to obtain it.

SHADOW NECROMANCERS IN THE WORLD
“The necromancer approached with his pitch-black horde and we all thought we were doomed, see. But then, he just asks to see the library. He reads a couple of cookbooks and is off on his merry way. I need another drink”
-Cayov Mcgallo, Baker

The shadow necromancer is the perfect road for someone who loves the undead. As one does not need to be evil to be a shadow necromancer (and indeed, could be good), this is an excellent way to put the craft into the hands of the PCs.

DAILY LIFE
A shadow necromancer, as a rule of thumb, rarely lives too fancily. They prefer to live in Spartan accommodations (ranging down to and including cemeteries) with their minions. They spend a lot of their time researching and practicing their art. Even though they have minions, shadow necromancers are stuck delivering their own messages, due to their minions’ tendency to get killed on the road.
Only when a shadow necromancer really gets into a position of power do they really put their undead to work. They normally supplement the town’s guard with some of their ebon guard while lending out lesser undead to townspeople in need of cheap labor. Although such a society may seem appalling to an outsider, most people inside of the society actually appreciate how much easier the undead can make their lives.

NOTABLES
The greatest known shadow necromancer to date is Callembar Glopt, the very first shadow necromancer and the creation of the Walking Dead mystery (He is not undead. Rather, the art of shadow necromancy is only about 60 years old). Since its creation, Callembar has been surpassed in his own art by Sigfried Trent, the first individual to enter the Nightshade Covenant by pure merit.

ORGANIZATION
The Tenebrous Cabal welcomes you into its ranks with open arms and there are no limits, unofficial or otherwise, on how far they can progress in the Parliament of Shadows. Due to its relatively short existence, however, no shadow necromancer has ever made it into the parliament. The nightshade covenant also welcomes you with open arms. Its undead members see you as a natural boon while its other members see you as a way to keep the undead in check. The Votaries of Vecna have a special respect for the shadow necromancer. They are knowledgeable enough to know there is no means by which shadow magic can control existing undead. With that knowledge in tow, shadow necromancers seems as an obvious boon to the undead members of the votary. In fact, much like with children of night, a shadow necromancer who joins need not die in the process, should they not wish to for some reason.

NPC REACTIONS:
NPC reactions to shadow necromancers are normally negative. They often see them as either a shadow caster or (more likely) as a necromancer, neither of which is openly welcomed in most societies. In a society that is already ruled by a shadow necromancer, however, individuals are at least friendly towards another follower of the same road. Most shadowcasters and necromancers alike are indifferent towards the shadow necromancer.

SHADOW NECROMANCER LORE
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcane) or Knowledge (the planes) can research shadow necromancers to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including the information from lower DCs.
DC 10: Some shadow magic users called shadow necromancers expound upon undead reanimation.
DC 15: shadow necromancers rely both on an aura of supernatural shade and an honor guard of shadow-infused undead to protect them.
DC 20: shadow necromancers have actually managed to separate themselves from the normal stigma of undead reanimation. Many of them are actually benevolent.
A bardic knowledge check or a Gather Information check can reveal the same information as these Knowledge checks, but in each case the DC is 5 higher than the given value.

SHADOW NECROMANCERS IN THE GAME
Shadow necromancers prefer to do their own work, using their undead as aides rather than as proxies. Although the practice is new, it is possible that the nearby necromancer locked up in his tower is indeed a shadow magic practitioner. Otherwise, the option might fall into your players laps as another shadow necromancer’s skeleton walks up to your party, inscribed from head to toe with instructions.
Anyone who enjoys controlling others, managing complex tactics, or simply controlling the undead makes for an ideal shadow necromancer. Although there are some fights that even the souped-up ebon guard cannot win, the ability to control and empower so many troops should prove rewarding so long as they can replenish their troops when they fall.

ADAPTATION
The easiest adaptation to a shadow necromancer is to let it use negative energy, just like any other necromancer. Making it the stereotypical evil-to-the-bone necromancer is another way to fit it into play.

SAMPLE ENCOUNTER:
Admittedly, a hooded figure who carries around their own aura of shade, and who is surrounded by an honor guard of pitch black skeletons and zombies, is about as subtle as a hole in the head. Use that to your advantage. That way, when your players fight a shadow necromancer, they know that they aren’t facing just any old necromancer. As a twist, you could easily have that same imposing figure turn out to be good, and see if a party’s good faith can overcome their old prejudices.
EL 17: Callembar Glopt is the venerable creator of the shadow necromancer. As its first practitioner, it nearly earned him a place within the Parliament of Shadows, which he politely turned down. Callembar has been traveling the world, looking for new scraps of necromantic lore for him to write down in his memoir.
Callembar Glopt CR 17
Venerable Male Human Shadowcaster 9/Shadow Necromancer 8
TN Medium humanoid (human)
Init +0; Senses Darkvision 30 feet; Listen +0, Spot +20
Languages Common, Elven, Dwarven, Gnome, Draconic
AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 19
hp 96 (17 HD)
Fort +14, Ref +5, Will +12
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee +2/+2 quarterstaff +9 (1d6+1/1d6+1)
Ranged +1 Light crossbow +9 (1d8+1/19-20)
Base Atk +8 ; Grp +7
Special Actions Shadow Cast, Still Mystery, Extend Mystery, Line of Shadow, Quicken Mystery, Shadow Vision
Combat Gear Ring of Nullification, Shadow maniple, 4 orbs of shadow , Greater Shroud of Night, 2 orbs of shadow (apprentice 1st)
Mysteries Known (CL 16th)
Master Paths
8th—Soul Puppet (spell, 1/day)
7th—Summon Umbral Servant (spell, 1/day), Dark Soul (spell, 1/day), Truth Revealed (spell, 1/day)
Initiate Paths
6th—Twisted Summons (spell-like, 2/day)
5th—Walking Dead (supernatural, 4/day), Echo Spell (spell-like, 2/day)
4th—Bolster (spell-like, 2/day), Warp Body (spell-like, 2/day), Warp Spell (spell-like, 2/day)
Apprentice paths:
3rd—Sharp Shadows (supernatural, 3/day), Dancing Shadows (supernatural, 3/day)
2nd—Sight obscured (supernatural, 3/day), Shadow Skin (supernatural, 3/day)
1st—Steel Shadows (supernatural, 3/day), Dusk and Dawn (supernatural, 3/day)
Fundamentals
0—umbral hand (supernatural, 3/day), Mystic Reflections (supernatural, 3/day), Caul of Shadow (supernatural, 3/day), Arrow of Dusk (supernatural, 3/day, +7 ranged touch attack), Olden Tales (Supernatural, 3/day), Shadowy Touch (Supernatural, 3/day, DC 14)

Abilities Str 8, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 18, Wis 11, Cha 18
SQ Sustaining Shadow (eat 1 meal/week), Aura of Shade, Twilight Aura, Create Spawn
Feats Favored Mystery (Walking Dead) (2), Extend Mystery, Shadow Cast, Still Mystery, Line of Shadow, Quicken Mystery, Shadow Reflection, Shadow Vision, Corpsecrafter
Skills Concentration +22, Intimidate +24, Knowledge (arcana) +24, Knowledge (the planes) +24, Spellcraft +24, Spot +20
Possessions combat gear plus +2/+2 Quarterstaff, +1 Light Crossbow with 20 bolts, Cloak of resistance +1, 370 gp.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 01:23 PM

Shadowscout
“I’ve never seen anything like it. They fought like a hivemind and rushed into the darkness.”
-Drael Fus, crystal guardian

The shadowcaster, almost in spite of itself, has always been quite adept at the role of a scout, at least compared to other spellcasters. Some shadowcasters, driven by necessity,
Have been forced to explore this road more thoroughly. By allowing their mysteries to atrophy, they gain the unique ability to link their consciousness with others, becoming one large mind. In addition, their studies include mundane imitations of common scouting techniques.

BECOMING A SHADOWSCOUT
Given the prerequisites, shadowcasters can easily qualify for this class. On the other hand, cultists can meet the prerequisites with equal ease, although they gain slightly less from the class. Some multiclassing rogues, scouts, ninjas, and factotums also decide to take this class, although the strain of multiclass means that they seem even further delayed in terms of what they get from the class.
Entry Requirements:
Skills: Search 4 ranks, Spot 8 ranks
Feat: Shadow Vision or Shadow Reflection
Mysteries: Ability to cast the Sight Eclipsed or Piercing Sight mystery

Shadowscout Hit Die:d6

Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special Mysteries
1 +0 +0 +2 +2 Trapfinding, Skirmish +1d6/+0 +1 level of existing mystery-using class
2 +1 +0 +3 +3 Shadowstep, Linksense
3 +2 +1 +3 +3 Skirmish +1d6/+1 +1 level of existing mystery-using class
4 +3 +1 +4 +4 Shadow Acuity
5 +3 +1 +4 +4 Umbral Hivemind, +1 level of existing mystery-using class
Skirmish +2d6/+1
Class Skills (8 + Int modifier per level): Balance, Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Disable Device, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (arcane), Knowledge (architecture and engineering), Knowledge (dungeoneering), Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (the planes), Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Spot, Swim, Tumble.

Class Features: The shadowscout specializes in reconnaissance, searching an area for traps, using enhanced senses and sending back what they know to their allies.

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: The Shadowscout gains proficiency with light armor and with one martial weapon, should they not already possess these proficiencies.

Mysteries: At each odd level, you gain new mysteries and an increase in caster level as if you had also gained a level in your mystery using class. You do not gain any other benefits a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one mystery-using class before becoming a Shadowscout, you must decide to which class to add each level.

Trapfinding: Starting at 1st level, a Shadowscout gains trapfinding, as the rogue class feature.

Skirmish (Ex): At 1st level, the Shadowscout gains the benefits of the skirmish ability, allowing them to deal an extra +1d6 damage on any attack made after moving at least 10 feet. The damage increases to +2d6 at 5th level. AT 3rd level, the Shadowscout gains +1 AC on any round in which they move at least 10 feet. This ability stacks with the skirmish abilities granted by any other class.

Shadowstep (Su): Starting at 2nd level, the Shadowscout can use the Shadowstep fundamental at will as a swift action.

Linksense (Su): Starting at 2nd level, a Shadowscout learns how to share their senses with another. At will, as a full-round action, they can link themselves to up to the indicated number of touched willing creatures. All such creatures share both an empathic link and a status effect amongst each member of the Linksense. The linksense lasts for 10 minutes/class level can include a number of other members up to the Shadowscout’s class level – 1.

Shadow Acuity (Su): Starting at 4th level, a Shadowscout gains darkvision out to 60 feet, low-light vision, and blindsight out to 10 feet. Any other member of their Linksense gains these senses as well. These abilities overlap (do not stack) with similar abilities already possessed.

Umbral Hivemind (Su): At 5th level, a Shadowscout and their linked targets are united as one. No individual linked to the Linksense can be flanked unless they all are. In addition, so long as a senselink is established, all of its members can communicate telepathically.

PLAYING A SHADOWSCOUT
You have tamed shadow into a tool. Through it, you and your compatriots can accomplish perception, and coordination with great ease. You are not as studious as many practitioners of shadow magic, but you may still read a tome or two if they happen to fall into your lap. By the same logic, if you have nothing better to do, why not practice?
The Tenebrous Cabal alone seems to have no real place for you. After all, what could someone who favors secrecy over knowledge provide to such a society. The Nightshade Covenant has a decent minority of Shadowscouts in its midst. After all, who better to scout the surface at night and lead raiding parties? The Votaries of Vecna maintain positive connections with Shadowscouts, but very few of them are willing to go through death to join them officially.

COMBAT
Your capabilities in combat are decent, but only if you have enough room to skirmish. Your true ability lies in coordinating others. By linking the senses of several creatures, the entire group detects any threat that one detects and the group can take out the threat together.

ADVANCEMENT
Your capabilities are most likely learned, even if you have had less education than the average shadowcaster. It is unlikely that you have learned your abilities within a shadow organization. Rather, it is likely that you have practiced under another shadowscout. After all, many say that it is impossible to understand a linksense without going through one.
Continued advancement requires less practice and study than most, leaving more time open for other endeavors. While you are unlikely to learn the most powerful forms of shadow magic, you at least have the most useful variety for your field.
As you advance, the sparse choices of learned mysteries become more vital, although it is best to choose mysteries that can give you some form of battlefield or sensory advantage.

RESOURCES
You tend to regard other shadowscouts with a bit of disdain. The more you meet, the more business in the area that is already taken. Besides, having two shadowscouts in a group adds nothing that having one shadowscout did not already provide. You’ll likely want any piece of equipment that can increase your stealth, be it a scroll, potion, or wondrous item.

SHADOWSCOUTS IN THE WORLD
“You’ll never find a shadow in the night.”
-Matius Gambry, Shadowscout

For ages, there have been stories of scoundrels able to coordinate tremendous works, compensating and accounting for each and every problem along the way. The shadowscout is the perfect path for player who want to be that person, for by linking senses with their party, any problem can be instantly identified and fixed.

DAILY LIFE
A shadowscout’s daily activity is anything but daily. Most of them choose to rest during the day, and work during the night. They spend at least some time practicing their powers, if not studying. The rest of the time is spent on their particular jobs, which might be for their employer or of their own design.

NOTABLES
As Shadowscouts need to remain secret to be of any use, neither they nor their employers see any need to give them notoriety. Some, however, have become well-known among possible employers. One would be Matius Gambry, who is known to never have failed a task thus far. Another is Waylen Burgren, who somehow managed to acquire the sphere of annihilation for Crestian, leader of the Votaries of Vecna. It is rumored that he is currently looking for a matching talisman of the sphere.
As shadowscouts usually work in groups and rely on teamwork, it is not unheard of for shadowscouts to develop permanent teams who in turn gain status. These teams, however, are often more easily discovered than individual shadowscouts.

ORGANIZATION
The Tenebrous Cabal is weary of you. You have dedicated much more of your time to deception and secrecy than to your practice of shadow magic, making you more of a liability than an asset in most cases, although it is still possible to join. The Nightshade Covenant keeps a decent amount of shadowscouts at hand, ready to plan for future raids by moonlight alone. The Votaries of Vecna respect the combination of shadow magic and secrecy that a shadowscout possesses and typically pays shadowscouts a bit more than they would pay others for the same job. Although some shadowscouts find themselves in the regular employ of the Votary, very few want to join, as doing so would involve their own death. Nonetheless, there are rumors of a small handful of necropolitan shadowscouts within their midst.

NPC REACTIONS:
The vast majority of people react to shadowscouts with a combination of the distrust they feel towards spies and the suspicion with which they view shadow magic. This is only if they know the shadowscout’s identity, however. Most individuals see them as regular shadowcasters, spellcasters, rogues, or scouts, providing a wide variety of views. shadowcasters try to remain indifferent towards shadowscouts, seeing them both as wasted potential and as potentially useful tools.

SHADOWSCOUT LORE
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcane) or Knowledge (the planes) can research shadowscouts to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including the information from lower DCs.
DC 10: A shadowscout uses the power of shadow to accomplish greatly coordinated acts of thievery and reconnaissance.
DC 15: A shadowscout is able to unite the consciousnesses of several individuals through a process called a linksense, allowing greater coordination among their accomplices.
DC 20: Although they benefit from improved stealth, a shadowscout’s casting ability is greatly decreased.
A bardic knowledge check or a Gather Information check can reveal the same information as these Knowledge checks, but in each case the DC is 5 higher than the given value.

SHADOWSCOUTS IN THE GAME
Shadowscouts make it their business to be well-kept secrets, and it is indeed hard to detect their unique talents, meaning that it should not surprise players that they have not fought any in the past. In fact, they may well have fought one but did not know it.
As long as there are buildings to be looted, tactics to be formed, and team mates to stand by, a player should not end up thinking that their levels of shadowscout were wasted.

ADAPTATION
Shadowscouts can exist in settings that do not use shadow magic, requiring very little alteration. Shadowscouts make very few references to shadow magic through their class features, so it is possible to have their power originate from arcane magic, divine magic, or just about any other source from which supernatural abilities can be derived.

SAMPLE ENCOUNTER:
Encounters with Shadowscouts should focus highly on calculated tactics. While a Shadowscout on their own can put up a decent fight, they are at their best when they are directing others in combat.
EL 10: Nackalais Teveren has been causing trouble among the dwarves. A cultist of Garl Glittergold, he believes that his god endorses pranks upon the other gods, including Moradin. He and a small group of cultists have been scouting out the nearby shrines of Moradin and are trying to determine how to best proceed.
Nackalais Teveren CR 10
Male Dwarf Cultist 5/Shadowscout 5
TN Medium humanoid (dwarf)
Init +0; Senses Darkvision 60 feet; Listen +2, Spot +10
Languages Common, Dwarven
AC 15, touch 10, flat-footed 15
hp 62 (10 HD)
Fort +5, Ref +9, Will +11
Speed 20 ft. (6 squares)
Melee +1 warhammer +7 (1d8+1/x3)
Ranged +1 Heavy crossbow +7 (1d10+1/19-20)
Base Atk +6 ; Grp +6
Atk Options: Skirmish +2d6/+1
Special Actions Shadow vision, enlarge mystery, patron’s gift, Linksense
Combat Gear 1 orb of shadow (apprentice 1st)
Mysteries Known (CL 8th)
Apprentice paths:
2nd—Piercing Sight (spell, 2/day), Black Fire (spell, 2/day)
1st—Bend Perspective (spell, 2/day), Carpet of Shadow (spell, 2/day)
Fundamentals
0—Shadowstep (spell-like, at will), Trick of the Light (spell-like, at will, DC 11)
Abilities Str 10, Dex 11, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 12
SQ stability, stonecunning, trapfinding, shadow guardian (hidden faith), umbral acuity, umbral hivemind.
Feats Shadow Vision, Path Focus (Dark Terrain), Greater Path Focus (Dark Terrain), Enlarge Mystery, True Believer
Skills Disable Device +9, Hide +17, Move Silently +17, Search +13, Spot +10
Possessions combat gear plus +1 Warhammer, +1 Heavy Crossbow with 20 bolts, Cloak of resistance +1, +1 Shadow, Silent Moves Chain Shirt, 800 gp.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 01:27 PM

New Creatures

Black Maw
Colossal Elemental (Extraplanar, Incorporeal)
Hit Dice: 30d8+210 plus 30 (375 hp)
Initiative: +13
Speed: Fly 40 ft. (perfect)
Armor class: 19 (+5 deflection, -6 size, +9 Dex,), touch 18, flat-footed 9
Base attack/grapple: +22/—
Attack: —
Full attack: —
Space/reach: 30 ft./0 ft.
Special attacks: Blackest cage, forgotten corners, ravaging darkness, siphoned strength
Special qualities: Beacon of darkness, blindsight 300 ft., elemental traits, incorporeal traits
Saves: Fort +19, Ref +28, Will +12
Abilities: Str –, Dex 28, Con 24, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 20
Skills: Listen +33, Spot +33
Feats: Ability Focus (blackest cage), Ability Focus (forgotten corners), Ability Focus (ravaging darkness), Dodge, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Improved Toughness, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility.
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge rating: 20
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral evil
Advancement: —
Level adjustment: —

A black mouth of gigantic proportions, partially concealed within an aura of darkness, creeps forwards. As it crosses the landscape, it leaves the ground it has crossed destroyed and cratered, as if large bites had been taken out of it.

Perhaps one of the greatest elementals related to the Plane of Shadow, black maws are ironically never found on the Plane of Shadows. Although they are intelligent and mobile, they are better related to bags of devouring than to normal shadow elementals, feeding nonliving matter directly to the Plane of Shadow and allowing living matter to get caught halfway.

COMBAT
A black maw fights simply by sweeping over foes, either ripping them to shreds thans to ravaging darkness, or else trying to capture them within the extradimensional space that they carry.
Beacon of Darkness (Su): A black maw constantly radiates an area of darkness. They radiate darkness out to 60 feet and shadowy illumination all the way out to 200 feet. 9th-level or epic light effects cancel out any overlapping area between the effect and the beacon of darkness.
Blackest Cage (Su): At the beginning of a black maw’s actions, all creatures sharing a square with the black maw must make a will save (DC 34) or be imprisoned, as the spell. Any creature sharing a square with a black maw can cast freedom to free any such imprisoned creature, as if standing in the square where they were captured. The will save DC is constitution-based.
Forgotten Corners (Su): At the beginning of a black maw’s actions, all creatures in the black maw’s area of darkness must make a reflex save (DC 34) or become trapped within the extradimensional space of the black maw, although they remain conscious. This functions as the maze spell, and any creature within the black maw’s area of darkness can cast freedom to free any such captured creature, as if standing in the square where they were captured. The reflex save is constitution-based.
Ravaging Darkness (Su): At the beginning of a black maw’s actions, each creature within 300 feet takes cold damage, the amount of which depends on the ambient lighting each creature stands in. Creatures standing in bright light take 1d6 cold damage, creatures standing in shadowy illumination take 3d6 cold damage, and creatures standing in darkness take 5d6 cold damage.
Siphoned Strength (Su): At the beginning of a black maw’s actions, all creatures in the black maw’s area of shadowy illumination must make a fortitude save (DC 34) or take 1d4 strength damage and 1d4 dexterity damage. The fortitude save DC is constitution-based.

BLACK MAW LORE
Characters who have ranks in Knowledge (the planes) can learn more about black maws. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs
Knowledge (the Planes)

DC Results
20 Black maws are incorporeal “mouths” of the plane of shadow, feeding matter directly into it.
20 Black maws unleash a large amount of darkness, and damage any nearby who wander into darkness.
25 Depending on how close an opponent gets, they may become trapped midway between the material plane and the plane of shadow.

Blackroot
Medium Plant
Hit Dice: 6d8+24 (51 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 5 ft.
Armor class: 18 (+8 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 18
Base attack/grapple: +4/+6
Attack: tendril +6 melee (1 Dex)
Full attack: 4 tendrils +6 melee (1 Dex)
Space/reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special attacks: Infuse terrain, slow mulch
Special qualities: Blindsight 60 ft., camouflage, immunity to cold, low-light vision, plant traits
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +2, Will +2
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 10, Con 18, Int –, Wis 10, Cha 8
Skills: –
Feats: –
Environment: Plane of Shadow
Organization: Solitary or patch (2-4)
Challenge rating: 4
Treasure: 1/10th coins; 50% goods; 50% items
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 7-14 (Large)
Level adjustment: –

This stump appears blackened and dead. A few small roots or tendrils rise out of the ground around it.

Blackroot is the end result of a breeding program that attempted to grow assassin vines in the plane of shadow. The plane of shadow almost killed them, leaving them looking withered, but infused them with shadowstuff.
Blackroots grow no grapes or fruit of any sort.

COMBAT
When a blackroot detects food, it instantly uses its instill terrain ability. Once their foes are snared, they are assaulted by the blackroot’s many tendrils, which rip out of the earth. Once the prey is completely immobilized, it undergoes a slow mulching process.
Camouflage (Ex): Since a blackroot looks like a normal plant when at rest, it takes a dc 20 spot check to notice it before it attacks. Anyone with ranks in Survival, Knowledge (nature), or Knowledge (the planes) may use those skills instead of spot to notice the plant.
Infuse Terrain (Su): Once per encounter, a blackroot can infuse the area within a 30-foot radius of itself with shadowstuff. Doing so is a full-round action. On the round after the shadowstuff is infused, all terrain within range becomes difficult, as the carpet of shadow mystery (caster level 5th). On the second round after the shadowstuff is infused, the area bursts into black flames, acting like the Black Fire mystery (caster level 5th). On the third round after the shadowstuff is infused, the area immobilizes foes, as the clinging darkness mystery (caster level 5th). All of these abilities stack and effectively emanate out from the blackroot, moving as the blackroot moves. All of this abilities effects end the moment that the blackroot creating them dies. The blackroot is immune to the effects of their own infuse terrain ability.
Slow Mulch (Su): Once a blackroot has killed a foe or left them helpless, that foe starts a minute-long process of burial amongst the blackroot’s roots. This does not take any effort on the blackroot’s part but the blackroot cannot move during this process. Each round of this process, the target takes 1d8 slashing damage. At the end of the minute, if they are still alive, they must immediately start holding their breath or begin to suffocate. Dragging a creature out of a blackroot’s clutches is difficult. The strength DC is 15+2 per round spent being buried.

BLACKROOT LORE
Characters who have ranks in Knowledge (the planes) or Knowledge (nature) can learn more about the blackroots. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs
Knowledge (the Planes) or Knowledge (Nature)

DC Results
17 On the plane of shadow resides a rare, dead-looking plant called a blackroot, derived from an assassin vine breeding program.
22 From their exposure to shadow, blackroots have gained the ability to infuse their surroundings with shadow magic as well as an immunity to cold. In addition, blackroot tendrils steal mobility rather than physically damaging the foe.
25 When a nearby foe is immobilized, blackroots begin a slow process of grinding them into mulch.

CROOB
Croob, Warrior 1
Small monstrous humanoid (extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 1d8+2 (6 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor class: 11 (+1 size), touch 11, flat-footed 11
Base attack/grapple: +1/+0
Attack: Club +1 melee (1d6)
Full attack: Club +1 melee (1d6)
Space/reach: 5 ft./ 5 ft.
Special attacks: —
Special qualities: Light Sensitivity, Teka’s Madness, Low-light vision, Luminescence
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +0, Will –3
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 10, Con 9, Int 11, Wis 8, Cha 13
Skills: Climb +4, Swim +4
Feats: True Believer, Toughness
Environment: Plane of Shadow
Organization: Solitary, Pair, Sect (10-100), Cult (50-500 plus 50% noncombatants plus 1 3rd-level fanatic per 20 adults and one leader of 4th-6th level), Covenant (1,000-10,000 plus 100% noncombatants plus 1 3rd-level fanatic per 20 adults plus 50-100 4th-6th level soothsayers plus 20-40 galks plus 1 7th-8th level leader plus 1 Geluk)
Challenge rating:[/B] 1/3
Treasure: 1/2 standard
Alignment: Usually Chaotic Neutral
Advancement: By Character Class
Level adjustment: +0

This pale white humanoid is about the size of a gnome or halfling, but is hunched over, making it appear even smaller. It has deep bags underneath its pitch black eyes and its hands each end in a talon. Their bodies seem to glow with an eerie light.

Croobs are small castaways from the mad dreams of Teka with unstable and violent tendancies.
Their skin always ranges from a deep shade of grey to a chalky white. Their eyes are completely black. They wear ragged clothing, preferring dark colors to light ones.
The croob obediently obey the insane orders of their deity, which make perfect sense to the equally insane croob. This obedience is instinct rather than faith, preventing the presence of clerics or adepts. Instead, Cultists are abundant.
The croobs are secretive to a fault, going as far as hiding the success of a mission from their superiors. The only being that they are completely open with is Teka, who is too insane to truly make anything of their instinctual prayers.
Though croobs have no racial enemies, a couple of misinterpreted missions have caused genocides on the material plane. A few well-informed researchers are beginning to realize the threat that they hold, for they seem to be spawned faster than even goblins or kobolds, gather in larger numbers, and never need to sleep.
A croob is about 2 feet tall when standing completely erect (a rare occurrence) and weigh 40 to 50 pounds.
Croobs speak common and their own language, croob, with a voice that sounds like a soft breeze.

COMBAT
Croobs, as a general rule of thumb, don’t attack. Instead, they swarm and massacre. Sometimes, entire cults or covenants of them converge upon a target as small as a thorp, or even a small group of individuals, with even the normal noncombatants joining in the bloodshed. There have been tales of great individuals buried alive under the aftermath of a croob assault. These large-scale attacks are quite rare, however. Normally, croobs seek to escape combat, working in small groups or individually.
If these “sneaky” croobs are forced into combat, they fight erratically and with little subtlety. Furthermore, they don’t seem to notice that they are alone, taking advantage of an inexistent flanking opportunity or aiding an ally who simply isn’t there.
Light Sensitivity (Ex): Croobs are dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.
Luminescence (Ex): Croobs continually give off light equivalent to that given off by a candle. This ability may not be suppressed and imposes a –2 penalty on hide checks.
Teka’s Madness (Ex): Croobs have permanently been infected with Teka’s Madness, altering their mind to the point of insanity. Croobs take a –2 penalty to all wisdom-based skill checks and will saves, but needs not sleep.
Furthermore, a croob with a Charisma of 12 or higher can make an untrained knowledge check, using their charisma modifier instead of their intelligence modifier a number of times each day equal to their charisma modifier.
Lastly, a croob is unable to comprehend the concept of fighting on one’s own. When fighting alone, a croob must make a dc 10 will save each round or provoke an attack of opportunity at the end of their round.

The croob warrior presented here had the following ability scores before racial adjustments: Str 12, Dex 8, Con 9, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 13
Challenge Rating: Croobs with levels in NPC classes have a CR equal to their character level –3.

CROOB SOCIETY
Croobs are decidedly fonder of the Plane of Shadow, where their progenitor still spawns them forth. Amongst their other mental deficiencies, they are extremely secretive and paranoid, leading to a society that by all means shouldn’t exist. In the end, the leader of the society is the one strong enough or clever enough to coax the most information out of their underlings, or by a Geluk, if they are lucky enough to possess one.
Croobs generally stay within a small area of land, which can be any form of terrain, only slightly modified by the creation of ramshackle structures. Once they have made their claim, they rarely step beyond it, save to fulfill Teka’s wishes.
In the center of each croob society is a pit of darkness called the spawning pool, from which all new croobs emerge as infants. The croobs themselves do not breed true (see galks).

CROOB CHARACTERS
Croob characters possess the following racial traits

–2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, –2 Wisdom
Small Size: +1 bonus to armor class, +1 bonus on attack rolls, +4 bonus on Hide checks, –4 penalty on grapple checks, lifting and carrying limits 3/4 those of medium characters.
A croob’s base land speed is 30 feet.
Low-light vision
Racial Feats: A croob character gains True Believer as a bonus feat, otherwise gaining feats according to its character class
Special Qualities (see above): Light sensitivity, luminescence, Teka’s madness
Automatic Languages: Croob, Common. Bonus Languages: None
Favored Class: Cultist
Level adjustment: +0

CROOB LORE
Characters who have ranks in Knowledge (the planes) can learn more about the croob. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs
Knowledge (the Planes)

DC Results
10 On the plane of shadows is a race of insane cultists known as the croob.
15 The croob are the mad creations of a shadow deity named Teka, who drives her creations made through the process of their births.
25 Although alive, the croob do not breed true. The few croob who breed have monstrous children known as galks.

Cursed Walker
Large Undead
Hit Dice: 14d12+42 (133 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft.
Armor class: 20 (-1 size, +10 natural, +1 Dex), touch 10, flat-footed 19
Base attack/grapple: +10/+20
Attack: Slam +16 melee (2d6+6)
Full attack: 2 slams +16 melee (2d6+6)
Space/reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special attacks: Absorb Taint, Curse Item, Snatch Item, Spell-like abilities
Special qualities: Curse Wielder, Damage Reduction 10/good, Darkvision 60 ft., Undead Traits, Unholy Toughness
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +12
Abilities: Str 22, Dex 12, Con –, Int –, Wis 16, Cha 16
Skills: —
Feats: —
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge rating: 14
Treasure: 1/10 coins; double goods; triple items (cursed items only)
Alignment: Always Neutral Evil
Advancement: 15-22 HD (Huge)
Level adjustment: —

As this gigantic, chalk-white skeleton lumbers forward, you notice several trinkets lining its bones. Amulets and rings hang from its ribs, wands and scrolls reside within the ribcage, and two grey gems are locked in its eye sockets.

Though many shadow magic practitioners pretend not to notice it, there is indeed a malevolence of sorts about the plane of shadow. Some shadowcasters, seeking to control this malevolence, one unfortunate soul found their answer in cursed walkers when he killed a man with a scarab of death and reanimated him. Although the original creator was slain by his creation, his research lived on, and it has since been proven that cursed items are a crucial factor in their creation.
Cursed walkers walk the world, adding malevolent items onto their person and gaining strength from each one. Strangely, even malevolence normally undetectable to others is picked up by the cursed walker, and they are just as likely to pick up a mace of blood as a mundane butcher knife used to kill an innocent. In battle, however, a cursed walker would gladly steal a benevolent item and taint it to fit its needs.
To create a cursed walker, first, the individual to be reanimated must have been killed by a magic item. Next, a caster of caster level 12 or higher must cast create undead, create greater undead, or walking dead on the corpse after placing a gem of night (ToM, page 156) in each of the corpses eyes (replacing the material component for create undead). The cursed walker comes back indifferent (if walking dead or create greater undead was used) or hostile (if create undead was used) towards its creator. In addition, its creator cannot gain direct control over the cursed walker through any means.

COMBAT
In combat, a cursed walker has a straightforward strategy. Steal the opponent’s weaponry, curse it, and then curse any opponent not using weapons. Once their opponents are hapless, a cursed walker is content to continue on its merry way, but if pressed, a cursed walker will fight to the death.
Absorb Taint (Sp): A cursed walker, when in danger, can absorb the taint of their cursed items directly into themselves, healing themselves. As a standard action, a cursed walker can heal 20 health. Each use of this ability uses up one of the cursed walker’s daily uses of their bestow curse spell-like ability.
Curse Item (Sp): While a cursed walker eventually bestows curses upon all items it holds (after somewhere between a week and a month), it can spread the essence of taint from its cursed items to a new one, speeding up the process. As a standard action, a cursed walker can curse any item it possesses (roll on Cursed Item Common Curses, DMG page 272). Each use of this ability uses up one of the cursed walker’s daily uses of their bestow curse spell-like ability and the new cursed item only grants another daily use after 24 hours.
Curse Wielder (Ex): A cursed walker is ironically immune to the cursed items that once slew them. A cursed walker also gains proficiency with any cursed item wielded, automatically succeeds on all spellcraft checks made to use cursed items, and is not limited by item space limitations (although they may not wield more than 2 weapons or wear more than one suit of armor at a time. How each curse is neutralized depends with the curse.
Delusion: The cursed walker is aware that the item serves no real function.
Opposite effect or target: The cursed walker is aware of the item’s true function.
Intermittent functioning: The item always functions for the cursed walker and only when the cursed walker wishes for it to.
Requirement: The requirement is ignored.
Drawback: The drawback is ignored.
Completely different effect:[I] The cursed walker is aware of the item’s true function.

In addition, the cursed walker is immune to all numeric penalties placed by cursed items and can put away cursed items and draw new ones even if a cursed item’s effect would normally prevent such action. Lastly, if a curse is only activated once a condition is met, all of that item’s effects are merely suppressed for 1d4 hours whenever that condition is met.

Snatch Item (Ex): A cursed walker can snatch items from others, both actively and reflexively. As a full-round action, a cursed walker can make an attack roll against a target, provoking an attack of opportunity from that target. If the attack is successful, the target takes no damage, but one visibly stowed item (including items worn, except armor) is stolen, ready to be cursed on the cursed walker’s next turn.
If an attack against the cursed walker made with a manufactured weapon succeeds, it takes a DC 20 strength check to remove the weapon afterwards. If this check fails, the cursed walker can curse the item on their next turn.

Spell-like Abilities (Sp): At will — detect evil.
In addition, 1/day per cursed item in their possession, a cursed walker may use bestow curse (DC 17). Caster Level 10th.

Unholy Toughness (Ex): A cursed walker gains a bonus to its hit points equal to its Charisma modifier X its Hit Dice.

CURSED WALKER LORE
Characters who have ranks in Knowledge (the planes) can learn more about cursed walkers. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs
Knowledge (the Planes)

DC Results
15 Cursed walkers are undead made from those killed by cursed items and reanimated using shadow. They are constantly on the quest for new items with cursed or unlucky histories.
20 Cursed walkers are highly resilient against all but good weapons, and have more fortitude than is normal with undead creatures.
25 Cursed walkers ignore the curses of the items they bear and can draw upon these cursed items to curse others, curse new items, or to heal themselves.

Dark Drone
Small Vermin
Hit Dice:16d8+16
Initiative: +2
Speed: 40 ft.
Armor class: 18 (+2 Dex, +6 natural); touch 12; flat-footed 16
Base attack/grapple: +12/+11
Attack: Bite +15 melee (1d4+3)
Full attack: Bite +15 melee (1d4+3) and two claws
Space/reach: 5 ft./ 5 ft.
Special attacks:, Pheromones, rapid molt
Special qualities: Aura of darkness, darkness vision, immune to cold, scent, vermin traits
Saves: Fort +12, Ref +7, Will +6
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 14, Con 12, Int –, Wis 12, Cha 8
Skills: —
Feats: —
Environment: Plane of Shadow
Organization: Solitary; Scourers (2-10); Colony (50-500); Swarm (550-1,000)
Challenge rating: 16
Treasure: 1/10 coins, 50% goods, 50% items
Alignment: Neutral
Advancement: 17-18 HD (Medium); 19-20 HD (Large); 21-22 HD (Huge); 23-24 HD (Gargantuan); 25-26 HD (Colossal)
Level adjustment: —

[I]The insect before you resembles a monstrous ant, except that its head bears uncountable eyes and that its skin seems slightly darker in hue

Dark drones are the quick-growing Plane of Shadow equivalent of monstrous vermin. Although other unique forms of vermin have evolved on the Plane of Shadow, they are invariably wiped out by the drones. Dark drones act exactly as any other ant, down to the way in which they protect and feed their queen. Strangely, despite these actions towards a queen drone, no such queen exists in any known colony, and no dark drone egg has ever been seen. How, or if, the dark drones reproduce is yet to be seen.

COMBAT
Dark Drones, due to their limited senses, are usually forced to live within shadow. Their pheremones provide a good defense against enemies, and they use their rapid molt ability if they are pressured too hard.
Aura of Darkness (Su): Dark Drones emanate a 20-foot radius area of darkness. This darkness is not magical in nature, and can be seen though with darkvision.
Darkness Vision (Ex): Despite their many complex eyes, dark drones can only see within areas of darkness (including their own aura of darkness). Bright light or shadowy illumination renders the dark drone blind (although it can still use smell).
Pheromones (Ex): Dark drones have access to two pheromones, which they use instinctively in combat. Outside of combat, dark drones can identify each other by these pheromones (and as such, any disguise to fool them must also include an olfactory aspect).
Battle-Initiator: The first time in each encounter when a dark drone attacks, and again when it dies, it unleashes a pheromone to excite and anger nearby dark drones. Any dark drone that come close enough to smell the pheromone within the next minute joins the combat if able and gains a +2 bonus to strength (these bonuses stack).
Non-combatant: While not in combat, a dark drone unleashes a pheromone that calms others, as the calm emotions spell (DC 19 negates). Dark drones are immune to this pheromone, however, and can be as violent as they please. Upon releasing the battle-initiator pheromone, the non-combatant pheromone cannot be released until the end of the encounter.
If the dark drone is lowered to under one-half of their maximum hit points in combat, however, they unleash a burst of their non-combatant pheromone, which lasts one minute. This single use per encounter is all that they get in combat, even if healed above and knocked below half of their hit points several times in one encounter.
Rapid Molt (Ex): Although a dark drone naturally molts several times within their lives, they can force a molt in a hurry if pressured, as often as once per week. Doing so takes a full-round action and provokes no attacks of opportunity. At the end of the action, the dark drone gains a hit die and heals health equal to twice their hit die, but they lose their natural armor bonus for 1 minute, after which it returns with a +1 bonus.
A dark drone cannot use this ability if doing so would cause them to grow a size category in a place unable to accommodate the new size.

DARK DRONE LORE
Characters who have ranks in Knowledge (the planes) can learn more about dark drones. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs
Knowledge (the Planes)

DC Results
15 Dark drones are quick-growing vermin from the plane of shadow, all dedicated to the protection of inexistent “dark queens”.
20 Dark drones unleash a small aura of darkness, and can only detect creatures within darkness or through scent.
25 Dark drons have a couple of pheromones which they use in combat, and they can rapidly molt if pressed too hard.

Darkling Swarm
Fine Elemental (Extraplanar, Incorporeal, Swarm)
Hit Dice:8d8 (36 hp)
Initiative: +11
Speed: Fly 40 ft. (perfect)
Armor class: 18 (+1 deflection, +7 Dex), touch 18, flat-footed 11
Base attack/grapple: +9/—
Attack: Swarm (2d6 cold)
Full attack: Swarm (2d6 cold)
Space/reach: 10 ft./0 ft.
Special attacks: Distraction, Shadow Vision
Special qualities: Blindsight 60 ft., elemental traits, immune to weapon damage, improved evasion, incorporeal traits, swarm traits
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +15, Will +4
Abilities:Str –, Dex 24, Con 10, Int 4, Wis 10, Cha 12
Skills: Hide +28, Listen +5, Spot +5
Feats: Ability Focus (distraction), Ability Focus (shadow vision), Improved Initiative
Environment: Plane of Shadow
Organization: Solitary, Dusk (2-4 swarms), or Nightfall (5-8 swarms)
Challenge rating: 7
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral evil
Advancement: —
Level adjustment: —

The creature you see is a swirling vortex of shadow. Looking closer, it is made up of thousands of tiny motes of darkness. It silently approaches.

Whenever a shadow elemental is damage, a few small motes of shadow escape. Of them, the largest often absorbs the others, becoming a barely sentient and altogether harmless creature known as a darkling. When thousands of darklings gather together, however, they can form a terrible swarm, killing every living thing it touches but leaving objects almost unscathed.

COMBAT
A darkling swarm is only barely sentient, but knows enough to go after spellcasters, who they consider to be the only ones truly capable of harming them. If sufficiently damage, the swarm may duck within the nearest object large enough (normally the floor).
Distraction (Ex): Any living creature that begins its turn with a darkling swarm in its space must succeed on a DC 18 Fortitude save or be nauseated for 1 round. The save DC is Constitution-based
Shadow Vision (Su): Whenever a living creature takes swarm damage from a darkling swarm, they must make a DC 19 will save or fall under the effects of the Shadow Vision mystery, except that its duration is 1 round. The save DC is Charisma-based.

[B]DARKLING SWARM LORE
Characters who have ranks in Knowledge (the planes) can learn more about darkling swarms. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs
Knowledge (the Planes)

DC Results
17 Darkling swarms are swarms of fine shadow elementals, extremely resilient against most forms of attack.
22 Anyone swarmed by a darkling swarm may have their vision temporarily corrupted by shadow.

GALK
Large Monstrous Humanoid (extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 8d8+56 (92 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 40 ft.
Armor class: 16 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +6 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 15
Base attack/grapple:+8/+18
Attack: Claw +14 melee (1d6+6)
Full attack: 4 claws +14 melee (1d6+6)
Space/reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special attacks: Assimilate, Improved Grab, Teka’s Curse
Special qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., Inexistent Mind, Power Resistance 20, Spell Resistance 20
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +7, Will –3
Abilities: Str 22, Dex 12, Con 24, Int 6, Wis 1, Cha 10
Skills: Hide +12, Listen +4, Spot +5
Feats: Alertness, Endurance, Diehard
Environment:Plane of Shadow
Organization: Solitary, Pair, or Gang (3-8)
Challenge rating: 8
Treasure: 1/2 coins, no goods, no items
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 9-14 HD (Large); 15-20 HD (Huge)
Level adjustment: —

The hulking figure before you has the mass of a giant. Its white skin stands in stark contrast to its dark surroundings. Its two-toed feet appear firmly rooted in the ground and its four wickedly clawed arms seem to emerge from its back. Its face is almost featureless, save for pitch black teeth that jut out of the slab of flesh at random

According to most definitions, croobs are not a proper species. Though they are indeed alive and they aren’t genetically viable with any other life form, they do not breed to create more croobs. Instead, Teka continually spawns more of them. The croobs do mate, however, and the resulting children grow to be the horrific and powerful protectors of the croob, the galks.
Many mistake the galks for a mutated Grey Render, but the two beings are in no way connected. Galks are far more insane than their croob progenitors, as well as being far more violent. Their entire body is formed not of bone and muscle but of pure flesh, ranging from the calcified flesh that forms a rough skeleton to the nearly gelatinous flesh on its stomach.
Galks need not eat, sleep, or breathe, gaining all of their nourishment from their assimilate ability.

COMBAT
Galks attack to kill. Whether facing one or multiple opponents, galks prefer to assimilate one opponent and then head after others. They may hide and wait for prey to approach but use little more in the way of tactics, although they are normally loathe to leave behind the croob society that they guard.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use his ability, a Galk must hit a target with two or more claw attacks. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity.
Assimilate (Ex): A galk that begins a turn with a victim pinned and that makes one more successful grapple check automatically drags the victim directly into their stomach, where they are left to float in a shadow-infused mass of gelatinous flesh. The stomach can hold one medium creature, two small creatures, or four tiny or smaller creatures. Each round that a subject remains trapped, they take 1 point of wisdom damage. In addition, the subject has to hold their breath or start drowning. The subject is freed if they can make two consecutive successful grapple checks against the Galk or if the galk is slain.
Teka’s Curse (Su): Any creature slain by a galk and revived by any means less than a true resurrection, miracle, or wish permanently from images of Teka’s madness, which infests their dreams. From that point onward, the target cannot sleep of their own accord, although prolonged periods of sleeplessness eventually force them asleep. This curse can be removed by a break enchantment, heal, limited wish, wish, or miracle spell, or by the unveil mystery.
Inexistent Mind (Ex): Galks, running against all logic of life, have no form of mind or brain structure, but still manage to function. As such, it is immune to all mind-affecting effects and any attempt to read or contact its mind automatically fails.

GALK LORE
Characters who have ranks in Knowledge (the planes) can learn more about galks. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs
Knowledge (the Planes)

DC Results
16 Galks are the resulting spawn from croob mating. They are gigantic masses of flesh, functioning without muscles or brain.
21 Galks feed by inserting food into its stomach, where the creature’s psyche is picked apart as they drown. This assimilation is the only nourishment that a galk requires.
26 The few beings slain by galks and brought back to life are forever haunted by images of Teka’s madness, preventing proper sleep.
32 Galks breed no truer than the croobs. In the few cases when they manage to breed, the resulting offspring is a much more intelligent geluk.

GELUK
Medium Monstrous Humanoid
Hit Dice: 13d8+24 (78 hp)
Initiative: +12
Speed: 20 ft.
Armor class: 20 (+2 Dex, +6 insight, +2 natural), touch 18, flat-footed 18
Base attack/grapple: +12/+12
Attack: Slam +12 melee (1d6)
Full attack: 2 slams +12 melee (1d6)
Space/reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special attacks: Mysteries, Psionic Powers,
Special qualities: All-Around Vision, Clarity of Teka, Damage Reduction 10/good, Dual Actions, Immunity to Cold, Power Resistance 30, Spell Resistance 30, Telepathy 100 feet
Saves: Fort +12, Ref +16, Will +17
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 20, Wis 16, Cha 22
Skills: Bluff +21, Diplomacy +21, Knowledge (arcana) +20, Knowledge (psionics) +20, Knowledge (the planes) +20, Psicraft +20, Spellcraft +20
Feats: Still Mystery, Empower Mystery, Maximize Mystery, Quicken Mystery, Improved Initiative
Environment: Plane of Shadows
Organization: Solitary or Entourage (1-2 plus 10-50 croobs plus 2-8 galks)
Challenge rating: 15
Treasure: Double standard
Alignment: Usually Chaotic Evil
Advancement: by character class
Level adjustment: +8

The strange being you see has an overlarge head, in which are embedded ten eyes, distanced equidistantly around the head. The head otherwise appears featureless. The rest of the body has a wiry, humanoid build. The flesh of the creature you gaze at is a deep shade of grey.

Although it is relatively rare for them, galks occasionally figure out how to mate. When this happens, it is revealed that the galk breeds no truer than croobs. Their offspring, made almost entirely out of grey matter, are known as the geluk. Geluks, unlike the past two generations of beings, represent their progenitor deity’s propensity for both psionics and shadow magic.
When a geluk reaches a society of croobs, it invariably takes command, sharing command with any other geluk that may already be there (although societies with two or more geluks are quite rare). Geluks serve as the minds of the society, interpreting Teka’s mad whispers into sane, long-term plans. They are also the most likely to parlay with another group of sentient beings.
The physiology of the Geluk is somewhat unique in the way that two individual minds are wired into one brain. Furthermore, these minds, rather than antagonistically fighting for control, work in harmony with each other. One mind is believed to specialize in shadow magic while the other is believed to specialize in psionics. On a side note, Geluks are physically incapable of breeding, although a few do try to teach galks how to do so, in order to continue a line of succession.

COMBAT
Geluks approach combat methodically and with a cool and calculating demeanor. They prefer to have won the match before it has even begun, either through infiltration, coercion, or overwhelming advantage of numbers. If forced into combat itself, the geluk uses both rounds of actions to attempt to disable its foes by any means necessary. Only in times of desperation do geluks ever use their rather ineffective slam attacks.
Mysteries: Geluks cast mysteries (but not fundamentals) as 13th-level shadowcasters.
Typical Mysteries known (DC 16+mystery level); 1st—Carpet of Shadow (supernatural, 3/day), Voice of Shadow (supernatural, 3/day); 2nd—Black Fire (supernatural, 3/day), Congress of Shadow (supernatural, 3/day); 3rd—Clinging Darkness (supernatural, 3/day), Flicker (supernatural, 3/day);4th—Warp Spell (spell-like, 2/day), Step into Shadow (spell-like, 2/day), Bolster (spell-like, 2/day);5th—Echo Spell (spell-like, 2/day), Pass into Shadow (spell-like, 2/day);6th—Flood of Shadow (spell-like, 2/day);7th—Prison of Night (spell, 1/day)
Psionic Powers: Geluks manifest powers as 13th-level psions.
Typical Psion Powers Known (power points 186; save DC 16 + power level): 1st—Conceal Thoughts, Deceleration, Demoralize, Entangling Ectoplasm, Psionic Grease; 2nd—Cloud Mind, Detect Hostile Intent, Ego Whip, Mental Disruption;3rd—Body Adjustment, Dispel Psionics, Psionic Blast, Forced Share Pain;4th—Death Urge, Psionic Divination, Psionic Freedom of Movement, Telekinetic Maneuver;5th—Ectoplasmic Shambler, Psionic Planeshift, Psychic Crush, Psionic True Seeing;6th—Psionic Contingency, Psionic Disintegration, Fuse Flesh, Psionic Overland Flight;7th—Insanity
All-Around Vision (Ex): The many eyes of a Geluk grant them a +4 racial bonus on spot and search checks, and they can’t be flanked.
Clarity of Teka (Ex): Geluks, unlike their predecessors, gain tremendous insight from their progenitor deity, adding their charisma modifier (normally +6) as an insight bonus (or penalty, if negative) to their AC, initiative checks, and all saving throws.
Dual Actions (Ex): Each round, a geluk may take two full rounds of actions, meaning that they may make a full attack, manifest a power, and move, make two full attacks, etc. They may not, however, cast two mysteries or manifest two powers in one round (they are free to use their standard actions to use one of each, however).

GELUK LORE
Characters who have ranks in Knowledge (the planes) or Knowledge (psionics) can learn more about geluks. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs
Knowledge (the Planes) or Knowledge (Psionics)

DC Results
17 Geluks are the enigmatic and strangely sane leaders of the croobs and galks, in charge of turning their mad god’s ravings into divine mandates.
22 Geluks are resilient against all but good weapons, against spells and powers alike, and have telepathic capabilities.
27 Geluks have two independently working minds, one of which deals with shadow magic, and the other of which deals with psionics.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 01:30 PM

Loress
Small Outsider (extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 1d8-1 (3 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 20 ft.
Armor class: 14 (+1 size, +3 deflection)
Base attack/grapple: +0/-5
Attack: Morningstar +0 melee (1d6-1)
Full attack: Morningstar +0 melee (1d6-1)
Space/reach: 5 ft./ 5 ft.
Special attacks: —
Special qualities: AC bonus, Burst of Knowledge, Darkvision 60 ft., Inner Gateway, Outsider Traits
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +2, Wis +4
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 10, Con 8, Int 17, Wis 14, Cha 11
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) +7, Knowledge (architecture and engineering) +7, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +7, Knowledge (geography) +7, Knowledge (history) +7, Knowledge (local) +7, Knowledge (nature) +7, Knowledge (nobility and royalty) +7, Knowledge (religion) +7, Knowledge (the planes) +10, Search +7
Feats: Skill Focus (knowledge [the planes])
Environment: Plane of Shadow
Organization: Solitary, Pair, Cognition (2-10), Erudition (20-40), Enlightenment (50-100 plus 1 3rd-level archivist per 20 adults plus 1 6th-level archivist)
Challenge rating: 1/3
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually Lawful Neutral
Advancement: By character class
Level adjustment: +1

the short being appears to have been scrunched. Their large cranium is placed on a small, pale body wearing robes almost comically large for it. Furthermore, the figure before you is hunched over, as if of old age, making them appear shorter still. Their black eyes contain neither iris nor pupil, but appear to see all the same.

All outsiders originate from ideals. Although most originate from ideals of good and evil or law and chaos, some ideals are simply there, made to carry out purposes having little or nothing to do with morality. The loress are the perfect example. Originally hailing from the outer planes (which one exactly is unknown), they moved to the plane of shadow for reasons known only for themselves. Afterwards, they began their long-running project to collect all known knowledge in existence.
No deity of knowledge has yet to claim creatorship of the loress, and such deities often pin the blame for the race’s creation on others. Although not particularly good or evil, the loress are particularly bureaucratic (a trait many suspect came after they moved to the plane of shadow), and discovering an individual’s name or the location of the city hall might take as much paperwork as discovering where a long-dead rogue buried their loot.

COMBAT
Although relative noncombatants, the loress will fight to protect their lives and libraries. They are thoughtful combatants, using every tactical advantage given to them.
AC Bonus: Loress add their intelligence bonus (if any) as a deflection bonus to their AC.
Burst of Knowledge (Ex): The essence of a loress is knowledge and they can burn away at that essence to gain greater insight. By taking 1d4/HD damage and spending one minute in focus, the loress can take 20 on any knowledge check in which they are trained.
Inner Gate (Su): As an escape mechanism of sorts, a loress has a small portal to the Plane of Shadow inside of them. As a full round action, a loress can take 1d6/HD damage to teleport to the Plane of Shadows. If the loress dies while not on the plane of shadows, the portal widens, sending the corpse to the plane of shadow and opening a usable portal which lasts 1d4 rounds.

LORESS LORE
Characters who have ranks in Knowledge (the planes) can learn more about loress. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs
Knowledge (the Planes)

DC Results
15 The loress are an ancient race of extraplanar lore gatherers, though which plane they originate from is unknown.
20 The loress have the unique ability to burn through their essence to gain greater insight into the world.
25 Within each loress is a small portal to the plane of shadow, which they use to escape if something goes wrong, and which briefly opens up if the loress is slain.

Living Mystery
Shadow Magic is a very enigmatic form of sorcery. Just when all of its methods appear to have been discovered, it throws another curveball. One of the many mysteries concerning shadow magic are the existence of living mysteries. Occasionally, it appears that mysteries gain a life all their own. As no one has ever witnessed the creation of a living mystery, however, there is a great debate over whether they are creatures based on mysteries or whether the mysteries themselves have gained life.

Creating a Living Mystery
“Living mystery” is an unusual template, in that is is applied to a mystery rather than a creature. The characteristics of the living mystery are determined by the nature of the mystery/mysteries, including the caster level of the mysteries. The template can be applied to any mystery that creates an area or effect (as long as that effect is not a creature), has a target, or has a range of personal.
Size and Type: A living mystery’s size depends on its caster level: 1st-6th is Medium, 7th-12th is Large, 13th or higher is Huge. Its type is ooze.
Hit Dice: A living mystery has Hit Dice equal to its caster level. Its Hit Dice are d10s.
Speed: A living mystery’s speed depends on its duration. A living mystery with a duration measured in rounds has a speed of 20 feet, a duration measured in minutes has a speed of 40 feet, a duration measured in hours has a speed of 60 feet, and a duration of 24 hours or longer has a speed of 80 feet. A mystery with any other duration has a speed of 20 feet. If two mysteries of different durations combine to make a living spell, the living mystery’s speed is based on the duration of the longer lasting of the parent mysteries
Attack: A living mystery gains a slam attack it can use oonce per round. The slam attack deals damage based on the living mystery’s size (see the table below), plus its Strength bonus X 1-1/2, plus an amount of cold damage equal to twice its spell level. A successful slam attack also activates a living mystery’s Mystery Effect and Mysterious Enhancement abilities (see special attacks, below)

Living Mystery Size Slam Damage
Medium 1d4
Large 1d6
Huge 1d8

Special attacks: A living mystery has three special attacks.
Mystery Effect (Su): A creature hit by a living mystery’s slam attack is subjected to the normal effect of all component, area, effect, and targeted mysteries that it is comprised from. Saves apply normally for the mysteries, the DC is 10 + spell level + Cha modifier. Any attack rolls normally required for such mysteries are disregarded.
Mysterious Enhancement (Su): Whenever a living mystery successfully hits with a slam attack, all component mysteries with range of personal are cast upon the living mystery. In addition, they may either add the highest spell level among mysteries they are based on as a resistance bonus to saving throws or as a deflection bonus to their AC for 1 round/HD.
Engulf (Ex): A living mystery can flow around creatures that fit within its space as a standard action. It cannot make a slam attack during a round in which it engulfs. The living mystery merely has to move over the opponents, affecting as many as it can cover. Opponents can make attacks of opportunity, but if they do so they are not entitled to a saving throw. Those who do not attempt attacks of opportunity must succeed on a Reflex save (DC 10 + spell level + Cha modifier) or be engulfed; on a success they are pushed back or aside (opponent’s choice) as the mystery moves forward. Engulfed creatures are subject to the full normal effect of the mystery/mysteries each round on the living mystery’s turn, take cold damage as if hit by the living mystery’s slam attack, and are considered to be grappled.
Special qualities: A living spell has 4 special qualities.
—Ooze Traits
—Damage Reduction 10/magic
—Fast Healing equal to highest spell level X 2.
—20% miss chance against all attacks
Saves: A living spell has no good saves, as is typical for a creature of the ooze type.
Abilities: A living mystery has Strength, Constitution, and Charisma scores equal to 12 + its spell level. Its Dexterity and Wisdom scores are 10 + its spell level. It is mindless, and has no Intelligence score.
Skills and Feats: Living Mysteries, being mindless, possess not skills or feats.
Environment: Plane of Shadow
Organization: Solitary
Challenge rating: A living mystery’s Challenge Rating is equal to the spell level of the highest-level mystery upon which it is based plus one-half its caster level, rounded down, +1 (minimum CR 2). If the living mystery is based on multiple mysteries, increase the CR by one-half the sum of the additional spell levels (minimum increase +1)
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always Neutral
Advancement: —
Level adjustment: —

Killer Shade
Medium Ooze
Hit Dice: 5d10+10 (32 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 20 ft.
Armor class: 11 (+1 Dex), touch 11, flat-footed 10
Base attack/grapple: +3/+5
Attack: Slam +5 melee (1d4+3 plus 6 cold plus mystery effect plus mysterious enhancement)
Full attack: Slam +5 melee (1d4+3 plus 6 cold plus killing shadows plus mysterious enhancement)
Space/reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special attacks: Engulf, killing shadows, mysterious enhancement
Special qualities: 20% miss chance, blindsight 60 ft., damage reduction 10/magic, fast healing 6, ooze traits
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +2
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 13, Con 15, Int –, Wis 13, Cha 15
Skills: —
Feats: —
Environment: Plane of Shadow
Organization: Solitary
Challenge rating: 6
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: —
Level adjustment: —

A black mass of sludge trudges towards you, seeping fumes up into the air. Every now and again, an eyeball becomes visible before sinking back into the ooze’s depths

A killer shade is a living killing shadows mystery, unleashing bursts of unearthly energy as it attacks.

COMBAT
A killer shade normally hides in a dark crevasse or similar area, waiting to snatch up anything that gets too close.
Engulf (Ex): A killer shade can flow around creatures that fit within its space as a standard action. It cannot make a slam attack during a round in which it engulfs. The living mystery merely has to move over the opponents, affecting as many as it can cover. Opponents can make attacks of opportunity, but if they do so they are not entitled to a saving throw. Those who do not attempt attacks of opportunity must succeed on a Reflex save (DC 15) or be engulfed; on a success they are pushed back or aside (opponent’s choice) as the mystery moves forward. Engulfed creatures take 5d8 points of damage (Will DC 15 half), take another 6 cold damage, and are considered to be grappled.
Killing Shadows (Su): A creature hit by a killer shade’s slam attack or engulfed b it is dealt 5d8 damage (Will DC 15 half).
Mysterious Enhancement (Su): Whenever a creature is hit by a killer shade’s slam attack, the killer shade either gets a +3 resistance bonus on all saving throws or a +3 deflection bonus to AC for 5 rounds.

Eternal Mass
Large Ooze
Hit Dice: 7d10+21 (59 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 20 ft.
Armor class: 11 (-1 size, +2 Dex)
Base attack/grapple: +5/+12
Attack: Slam +7 melee (1d6+4 plus 8 cold plus mysterious enhancement)
Full attack: Slam +7 melee (1d6+4 plus 8 cold plus mysterious enhancement)
Space/reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special attacks: Engulf, Mysterious Enhancement
Special qualities: 20% miss chance, blindsight 60 ft., damage reduction 10/magic, fast healing 8, ooze traits
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +4
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 14, Con 16, Int –, Wis 14, Cha 16
Skills: —
Feats: —
Environment: Plane of Shadow
Organization: Solitary
Challenge rating: 8
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: —
Level adjustment: —

This bloated, grayish mass, seems to enlarge, calcify, and then shrink back to its normal size as it moves towards you.

An eternal mass is a living bolster, so named for its ability to withstand huge amounts of punishment.

COMBAT
An eternal mass makes no effort to hide itself, relying on its tremendous resilience to keep itself going.
Engulf (Ex): An eternal mass can flow around creatures that fit within its space as a standard action. It cannot make a slam attack during a round in which it engulfs. The living mystery merely has to move over the opponents, affecting as many as it can cover. Opponents can make attacks of opportunity, but if they do so they are not entitled to a saving throw. Those who do not attempt attacks of opportunity must succeed on a Reflex save (DC 17) or be engulfed; on a success they are pushed back or aside (opponent’s choice) as the mystery moves forward. Engulfed creatures take 8 cold damage and are considered to be grappled.
Mysterious Enhancement (Su): Whenever a creature is hit by an eternal mass’ slam attack, the eternal mass gains 35 temporary hit points (which last for up to 70 minutes) and either gets a +4 resistance bonus on all saving throws or a +4 deflection bonus to AC for 7 rounds.

Walking Detriment
Huge Ooze
Hit Dice:13d10+65 (136 hp)
Initiative: +4/+17
Speed: 20 ft.
Armor class: 12 (-2 size, +4 Dex)
Base attack/grapple: +12/+25
Attack: Slam +15 melee (1d8+7 plus 14 cold plus greater life fades plus shadow vision plus languor plus mysterious enhancement)
Full attack: Slam +15 melee (1d8+7 plus 14 cold plus greater life fades plus shadow vision plus languor plus mysterious enhancement)
Space/reach: 15 ft./10 ft.
Special attacks: Engulf, greater life fades, languor, mysterious enhancement, shadow vision
Special qualities: 20% miss chance, blindsight 60 ft., damage reduction 10/magic, fast healing 14, ooze traits
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +9, Will +9
Abilities: Str 21, Dex 19, Con 21, Int –, Wis 19, Cha 21
Skills: —
Feats: —
Environment: Plane of Shadow
Organization: Solitary
Challenge rating: 17
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: —
Level adjustment: —

The terrific being before you seems to be a mass of half-liquified skulls. As it approaches, you can smell the scent of death in the air.

A walking detriment is little more than an amalgam of the most harmful mysteries in existence, including greater life fades, languor, and shadow vision.

COMBAT
A living detriment makes no effort to keep itself hidden. It wades across the battlefield, weakening as many as possible but not pressing a fight unless forced to. They are normally content to keep moving in a straight line across the battlefield.
Engulf (Ex): A living detriment can flow around creatures that fit within its space as a standard action. It cannot make a slam attack during a round in which it engulfs. The living detriment merely has to move over the opponents, affecting as many as it can cover. Opponents can make attacks of opportunity, but if they do so they are not entitled to a saving throw. Those who do not attempt attacks of opportunity must succeed on a Reflex save (DC 22) or be engulfed; on a success they are pushed back or aside (opponent’s choice) as the mystery moves forward. Engulfed creatures are afflicted by their greater life fades, languor, and shadow vision attacks, they take 14 cold damage and are considered to be grappled.
Greater Life Fades (Su): A creature hit by a living detriment’s slam attack or engulfed by it take 13d6 nonlethal damage and are exhausted for 13 rounds. If they succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 22), they take half damage and are only fatigued.
Languor (Su): A creature hit by a living detriment’s slam attack or engulfed by it must make a will save (DC 20) or suffer the effects of the languor mystery. Although the living detriment may use either version of this mystery, they prefer the slow version.
Mysterious Enhancement (Su): Whenever a creature is hit by a living detriment’s slam attack, the living detriment either gets a +7 resistance bonus on all saving throws or a +7 deflection bonus to AC for 13 rounds.
Shadow Vision (Su): A creature with 3 or more Intelligence hit by a living detriments slam attack or engulfed by it must make a will save (DC 19) or suffer the effects of the shadow vision mystery.

[B]LIVING MYSTERY LORE
Characters who have ranks in Knowledge (the planes) can learn more about umbral devourers. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.
Knowledge (the Planes)

DC Results
15 Some mysteries, for reasons unknown to shadow magic users, take on a life of their own.
20 Living mysteries are surprisingly resilient, resisting many attacks and healing themselves with ease.
25 A living mystery unleashed their mystery’s normal effect whenever they hit or engulf a foe.

Mockery Creature
There are a few strange tails of creatures who wanders off into the plane of shadows and finds a twisted mockery of themselves among their other umbral opponents. Most of these are thought of either as wise proverbs or as the ravings of lunatics and drunkards. The mockeries are out there, and though they are not mobilizing, it is hard to find ease knowing that each man woman child, and beast has a double of them waiting. Even if a Mockery’s double dies, the mockery remains as a twisted testament to their life. Some mockeries imitate individuals, and others exist to mock a race in general

Sample Mockery Creature[
Mockery Goblin, 1st-level Warrior
Small Humanoid (Goblinoid, Shapechanger)
Hit Dice: 1d8+1 (5 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 40 ft.
Armor class: 15 (+1 size, +1 Dex, +2 leather armor, +1 light shield), touch 12, flat-footed 12
Base attack/grapple: +1/-3
Attack: Morningstar +2 melee (1d6) or javelin +3 ranged (1d4)
Full attack: Morningstar +2 melee (1d6) or javelin +3 ranged (1d4)
Space/reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special attacks: —
Special qualities: Broken bonds, darkvision 60 ft., damage reduction 10/magic, immortal, immunity to cold and mind affecting effects, morphic anatomy, rejuvenation
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +1, Will –1
Abilities: Str 11, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 6
Skills: Hide +5, Listen +2, Move Silently +5, Ride +4, Spot +2
Feats: Alertness
Environment: Plane of Shadow
Organization: Ebon Gang (4-9), Dark Band (10-100 plus 100% noncombatants plus 1 3rd-level sergeant per 20 adults and 1 leader of 4th-6th level), Warband (10-24 with mockery worg mounts), or umbral tribe (40-400 plus 100% noncombatants plus 1 3rd-level sergeant per 20 adults, 1 or 2 lieutenants of 4th or 5th level, 1 leader of 6th-8th level, 10-24 mockery worgs, and 2-4 mockery dire wolves)
Challenge rating: 3
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Any
Advancement: By character class
Level adjustment: +0

This little humanoid has a flat face with a broad nose, pointed ears, and a wide mouth filled with small, sharp fangs. Although bipedal its arms hang down almost to its knees. Something about the small being seems off, but it is impossible to tell just what.

COMBAT
A mockery goblin fights just like other goblins, with low courage and great numbers. Their nature is rarely made visible unless they use their morphic anatomy ability.
Broken Bonds (Ex): Most mockery goblins spend their entire lives on the plane of shadow, to which they are linked. If they leave the plane, however, the ties that kept them alive are forever broken, causing a slow death in the mockery goblin. Each week, the mockery creature takes 1 constitution damage. In addition, every month, the mockery creature’s constitution is permanently lowered by 1, which cannot be reversed even by a miracle or wish.
Immortal: Mockery goblins do not die of old age.
Morphic Anatomy (Ex): The mockery goblin, despite looking like an imitation of another creature, is truly a morphic shapechanger. As a swift action, they can extend their reach by 5 feet. As a move action, they can fit through gaps as narrow as 1 inch in diameter. As a standard action, they can imitate the alter self spell, except that it affects the mockery goblin regardless of their type and only lasts as long as it is concentrated on. In addition, the mockery goblin is immune to critical hits and sneak attacks

Creating a Mockery Creature
”Mockery” is an inherited template that can be added to any living creature or onto any unique or individual creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature).
A mockery creature uses all the base creature’s statistics and abilities, except as noted here.
Size and Type: The mockery creature gains the shapechanger subtype.
Speed: Each of the mockery creature’s movement speeds increases by 10 feet.
Special qualities: A mockery creature retains all the special qualities of the base creature and also gains the following qualities.
—Darkvision out to 60 ft.
—Damage reduction 10/magic
—Immunity to cold and mind-affecting effects
Broken Bonds (Ex): Most mockery creatures spend their entire lives on the plane of shadow, to which they are linked. If they leave the plane, however, the ties that kept them alive are forever broken, causing a slow death in the mockery creature. Each week, the mockery creature takes 1 constitution damage. In addition, every month, the mockery creature’s constitution is permanently lowered by 1, which cannot be reversed even by a miracle or wish.
Immortal: Mockery creatures do not die of old age.
Morphic Anatomy (Ex): The mockery creature, despite looking like an imitation of another creature, is truly a morphic shapechanger. As a swift action, they can extend their reach by 5 feet. As a move action, they can fit through gaps as narrow as 1 inch in diameter. As a standard action, they can imitate the alter self spell, except that it affects the mockery creature regardless of their type and only lasts as long as it is concentrated on. In addition, the mockery creature is immune to critical hits and sneak attacks
Rejuvenation: Mockery creatures cannot truly die, short of their broken bonds ability, until their original has been killed. If a mockery creature is killed while its original yet lives, it comes back to life with full hit points 1d4 weeks later (if a Mockery Creature is not made as a mockery of a specific creature, assume that they do not rejuvenate).
Abilities: Intelligence at least 3.
Skills: A Mockery creature gets a +20 racial bonus on disguise checks to look like their original creature (if it is based on an individual).
Environment: All Mockery creatures naturally remain on the plane of shadow.
Challenge Rating: +2
Alignment: Any
Level adjustment: —

MOCKERY LORE
Characters who have ranks in Knowledge (the planes) can learn more about mockery creatures. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs
Knowledge (the Planes)

DC Results
20 Every race and individual has a twisted mockery of it living somewhere on the plane of shadow.
25 Although mockeries look like the originals, they are truly morphic shapechangers, made to imitate forms on the material plane.
30 Mockery creatures can leave the plane of shadow if they must, but doing so dooms them to a slow and painful death.

Shadow Keeper
Small Fey
Hit Dice: 1d6+1 (4 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 20 ft.; fly 40 ft. (average)
Armor class: 18 (+1 size, +4 deflection, +3 Dex), touch 18, flat-footed 15
Base attack/grapple: +0/-5
Attack: Shortsword +3 melee (1d4-2) or light crossbow +3 ranged (1d6/19-20)
Full attack: Shortsword +3 melee (1d4-2) or light crossbow +3 ranged (1d6/19-20)
Space/reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special attacks: Keeper of Crossroads, Spell-Like Abilities
Special qualities: Damage reduction 5/cold iron, light sensitivity, low-light vision, protector of shadows, spell resistance 16
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +3
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 18
Skills: Diplomacy +8, Disguise +8, Hide +7, Knowledge (nature) +5, Move Silently +7, Perform (sing) +8, Sense Motive +5
Feats: Weapon Finesse
Environment: Plane of Shadow or Underground
Organization: Solitary or Pair
Challenge rating: 1
Treasure: 50% goods; 50% items
Alignment: usually neutral
Advancement: 2-4 HD (Small)
Level adjustment: +3

The small being before you looks almost like a miniature elf, with the exception that it possesses dusky skin and a pair of black butterfly wings.

It is said that long ago, a race of fey were sent from the material plane into the plane of shadow, to bring into it nature and joy. After millennia of failure, however, they returned to find their previous posts taken by new forms of fey. Retreating into self-imposed exile, they returned to the only post left for them, the guarding of darkened places in the world. Unlike most forms of fey, shadow keepers do not gather in groups. Instead, each meditates in isolation, protecting a cavern or area in the plane of shadows, meeting with each other only to mate and raise young or to protect an area of shadow from those who would desecrate it. Though their songs are rare, the few that have been heard speak of the wonders of shadow and solitude. The shadow keepers protect the darkness from those who would dare desecrate it with illumination. They also protect creatures native to that habitat and the area itself, from those who would seek to exploit it.

COMBAT
Shadow keepers are rather inept at combat, hoping to solve problems before they can start, either through diplomacy or, failing that, their keeper of crossroads ability. If a lasting problem does manifest itself, however, it is not uncommon for ten or more shadow keepers to gather. They fight under the cover of shadows, hiding themselves, threatening their opponents with illusions, and peppering their opponents with crossbow bolts or arrows of dusk, should they wish for the confrontation to remain nonlethal.
Keeper of Crossroads (Su): Shadow Keepers understand how difficult it is for some to travel without light. Some more understanding Shadow Keepers offer travelers another way to travel without light. Less understanding Shadow Keepers punish travelers for their reliance upon it. A number of times per day equal to their charisma modifier (usually four times each day), a Shadow Keeper can grant a target darkvision out to 60 feet and a +10 bonus on survival checks or deny that target of any darkvision or low-light vision they possess (including superior low-light vision) and impose a –10 penalty on survival checks. Both uses of this ability require a successful touch attack against the target and last until the target is exposed to natural sunlight (but not equally bright light, such as a daylight spell).
Light Sensitivity (Ex): Shadow Keepers are dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.
Protector of Darkness (Su): While in areas of darkness or shadowy illumination, Shadow Keepers add their charisma bonus (if any) as a deflection bonus to their AC.
Spell-Like Abilities: At will—Arrows of Dusk, Black Candle, Trick of the Light (DC 14); 3/day—Dusk and Dawn, False Form, Voices from Nowhere (DC 15); 1/day—Without a Trace. Caster level 8th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

SHADOW KEEPER LORE
Characters who have ranks in Knowledge (the planes) or Knowledge (nature) can learn more about the shadow keepers. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs
Knowledge (the Planes) or Knowledge (Nature)

DC Results
15 Shadow keepers are few dedicated to the protection of dark places, both on the material plane and the plane of shadow.
18 Shadow keepers have the ability to help or hurt those traveling through their homes, depending on their moods, until their target sees the light of sun once more.
21 Shadow keeper employ a good range of shadow magic, gained from their long protection of darkness.

Shadow Ore Golem
Large Construct
Hit Dice:12d10+30(96 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 20 ft.
Armor class: 29 (-1 size, +4 Dex, +16 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 25
Base attack/grapple: +9/+19
Attack: Slam +15 melee (2d8+6)
Full attack: 2 slams +15 melee (2d8+6)
Space/reach: 10 ft./20 ft.
Special attacks: Wraith Strike
Special qualities: Adaptive body, construct traits, damage reduction 10/adamantine, darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 10, hide in plain sight, immunity to magic, light vulnerability, low-light vision, shadow blend, slight build, unreliable
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +4
Abilities: Str 22, Dex 18, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 1
Skills: Hide +20, Move Silently +24
Feats: Combat Reflexes
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary or Gang (2-4)
Challenge rating: 11
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always Neutral
Advancement: 15-20 (Large); 21-32 (Huge)
Level adjustment: –

This automaton is barely comparable to the iron or flesh golems in stories. The figure appears to be composed of loose, black stones, floating near each other in a roughly humanoid pattern. A dark mist seems to fill the space between the stones.

Shadow ore golems are semi-reliable guardians first created on the plane of shadow. They are created from loose chunks of shadow ore, kept coherent by bonds of shadow between them. They are often kept in areas of darkness, where they are most effective.

COMBAT
Shadow Ore Golems are normally ordered to wait in shadows until an intruder approaches. Then, they strike out from cover, striking their foes and occasionally hiding back within the shadows.
Adaptive Body (Ex): Whenever a Shadow Ore Golem is hit by a weapon crafted of a special material, the Shadow Ore Golem’s slam attacks are treated as being crafted of that material for 1d4 rounds. Their slam attacks may be treated as multiple special materials, for this purpose.
Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): A shadow ore golem can make hide checks without cover or concealment or while observed as long as they do so within 10 feet of shadowy illumination or darkness.
Immunity to Magic (Ex): A shadow ore golem is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance.
Light Vulnerability (Ex): A shadow ore golem in an area of sunlight or within the radius of a sunlight spell loses their fast healing, hide in plain sight, slight build, and wraithstrike abilities, and has their reach halved
Shadow Blend (Ex): while not in an area of bright light, a shadow ore golem gains concealment.
Slight Build (Ex): much of a shadow ore golem’s area is taken up by insubstantial bonds between the chunks of shadow ore. By compressing the ore together, shadow ore golems can fit through areas as if they were up to two size categories smaller
Unreliable (Ex): as the famed creators of automatons (MMII) have learned, shadow is a much less reliable power source than an elemental spirit. Therefore, at the beginning of each round, there is a chance that the shadow ore golem is unable to keep up with the events of the previous round, rendering it dazed and flat-footed for that round. The exact odds of this happening are determined by light conditions, as dictated below.

Light condition % chance
Darkness 10%
Shadowy 25%
Bright Light 50%
Wraith Strike (Su): As a swift action, a shadow ore golem can turn all slam attacks made for the rest of the round into melee touch attacks. The shadow ore golem does not add their strength modifier to the attack or damage rolls of such attacks. Once this ability has been used, it cannot be used again for 1d4 rounds.
Skills and Feats: A shadow ore golem gains a +20 racial bonus on hide and move silently checks and gains combat reflexes as a bonus feat.

SHADOW ORE GOLEM LORE
Characters who have ranks in Knowledge (the planes) can learn more about shadow ore golems. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs
Knowledge (the Planes)

DC Results
15 Shadow ore golems possess unnatural stealth capabilities, hiding with little or no darkness available.
20 Shadow ore golems have much longer reach than one would expect, imitate any special materials struck with, and can bypass armor.
25 Despite their many defenses, the animating force of a shadow ore golem is unreliable, especially in bright light.

CONSTRUCTION
I don’t know the equation for calculating the cost of the shadow ore golem, but if someone could provide me with such an equation, I would be more than pleased to write this down.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 01:34 PM

Shadow Phantom
Medium Abberation (incorporeal, shapechanger)
Hit Dice: 10d8+20 (65 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: Fly 30 ft. (perfect)
Armor class: 15 (+3 deflection, +2 Dex), touch 15, flat-footed 13
Base attack/grapple: +7/—
Attack: incorporeal touch +9 melee (1d6)
Full attack: 2 incorporeal touches +9/+4 melee (1d6)
Space/reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special attacks:Baleful Translocation, Final Surprise
Special qualities: Amorphous, Borrowed Form, Incorporeal Traits, Instant Movement, Veil of Corporeality
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +8
Abilities: Str –, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 16
Skills: Bluff +16, Disguise +18, Listen +10, Spot +9
Feats: Alertness, Deceitful, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative,
Environment: Plane of Shadow
Organization: Solitary, pair, or mockery (2-4)
Challenge rating: 5
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always Neutral Evil
Advancement: 11-20 HD (Medium)
Level adjustment: —

A wisp of insubstantial shadow glides steadily towards you.

On the plane of shadow, some visitors have visited warped versions of familiar sights and heard the shouts of loved ones. The unlucky ones have run into a more difficult obstacle, themselves. Although not truly a copy of an individual, shadow phantoms populate the shadowy mockeries of inhabited areas, playing the “roles” of typical creatures, despite their incorporeal state. Whenever they pass through another creature, they become the perfect imitation, fooling both simple and magical tests.

COMBAT
A battle with a shadow phantom almost invariably starts with it rising up from the ground, passing through another party member (and making a touch attack against them using flyby attack), and then “walking” forward, making the one that lags behind look like a copy.
Amorphous (Ex): A shadow phantom is immune to extra damage from critical hits and sneak attack.
Baleful Translocation (Su): As a free action, a shadow phantom can attempt to switch locations with another creature up to 100 ft. away. This attempt is thwarted if the target to be switched with succeeds on a DC 18 will save. Regardless of success or failure, another attempt may not be made for 1d4 rounds.
Borrowed Form (Su): Whenever a shadow phantom passes through the square of a target within one size category of themselves, they instantly take the appearance of that creature. This illusion covers visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile, and thermal components (but the illusion of the new form cannot cause any damage that the shadow phantom cannot) of both it and any items carried. Furthermore, the shadow phantom learns all languages known by the target for as long as they remain in that form. Any attempts to discern the original from the fake via divination reveals them both to have the same alignment, thoughts, and items (the shadow phantom, however, has access to none of this information). A true seeing spell reveals the shadow phantom for what it is. Any item copied in this way is nonfunctional (a sword, for instance, can still be used, but will only deal the normal 1d6 touch attack damage).
Final Surprise (Su): When slain, a shadow phantom can make a final melee touch attack against any adjacent foe as an immediate action. If it succeeds, the touched target suffers the effects of the phantasmal killer spell (Save DC 18).
Instant Movement (Ex): Whenever another creature moves through the shadow phantom’s space, the shadow phantom may make a move action as an immediate action as soon as the other creature occupies their space (their appearance is copied by the borrowed form ability).
Veil of Corporeality (Ex): A shadow phantom truly appears to be corporeal. They can walk (and make appropriate sounds for walking), have tactile and thermal aspects included in their disguise, and can will their disguise to appear injured if appropriate. No spot or listen check can discern that the shadow phantom is truly incorporeal (although they may still see through the disguise).
Skills: A shadow phantom has a +10 racial bonus on disguise checks while using the borrowed form ability.

SHADOW PHANTOM LORE
Characters who have ranks in Knowledge (the planes) can learn more about shadow phantoms. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs
Knowledge (the Planes)

DC Results
18 Shadow phantoms are particularly effective incorporeal shapechangers, native to the plane of shadow.
21 A shadow phantom’s disguise is almost complete, fooling mundane experimentation and even most divination spells.
25 A shadow phantom leaves one last surprise when slain, an illusion meant to frighten its killer to death.
28 The only flaw in a shadow phantom’s disguise is its inability to read its target’s mind or access its thoughts.

Shadow Scuttler
Small Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 3d10+6 (22 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 40 ft., burrow 20 ft.
Armor class: 18 (+1 size, +4 natural, +3 dex)
Base attack/grapple:+3/+0
Attack: Bite +6 melee (1d4+1 plus poison)
Full attack: Bite +6 melee (1d4+1 plus poison)
Space/reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special attacks: Planar burrow, poison
Special qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, shadow blend, shadow scuttle
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +3
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 8
Skills: Hide +6, Move Silently +6
Feats: Improved Iniatiative, Weapon Finesse
Environment: Plane of Shadow
Organization: Solitary or cluster (2-6)
Challenge rating: CR 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 4-6 HD (Small); 7-9 HD (Medium); 10-11 HD (Large)
Level adjustment: —

A small, segmented insect with at least 12 slender legs, each trailing off into shadow as it reaches the floor, emerges from the ground. A dark blue shell covers most of its body and its head is little more than mandibles surrounded by a ring of antennae, which apparently conceal its eyes.

The Shadow Scuttler appears to be the shadowy relation to the typical ankheg, although no genetic links have been made, as of yet. They appear to burrow using their fast-moving mandibles alone, and they possess a venom capable of slowing down attackers. Unlike ankhegs, however, they possess no ability to sense potential prey from their tunnels, and so prefer to hide in dark places and wait there for prey.

COMBAT
Shadow Scuttlers, being much smaller than their material cousins, have correspondingly smaller appetites. A couple of bite attacks provide it with a good meal, although it will not hesitate to kill prey that does not put up much of a fight. When in danger, they typically use their shadow scuttle ability to keep themselves safe long enough to use their planar burrow ability.
Planar Burrow (Su): As a full-round action, a shadow scuttler can dig themselves from the plane of shadow to the material plane or visa-versa. This ability leaves no usable portal, however. When a shadow scuttler uses this ability, they reappear at the exact spot on the target plane in which they had last used this ability.
Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude DC 13, initial damage speed is reduced by 10 feet for 1 hour, secondary damage target cannot run or charge for 1 hour. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Shadow Blend (Su): While not in bright sunlight or within the radius of a sunlight spell, the shadow scuttler gains concealment.
Shadow Scuttle (Ex): Once per hour, a shadow scuttler can take a withdraw action as an immediate action. If this is done in response to an attack, the attack has a 50% miss chance. If this is done in response to an area effect, the shadow scuttler has a 50% chance of avoiding that effect, so long as they move out of its area.

SHADOW SCUTTLER LORE
Characters who have ranks in Knowledge (the planes) can learn more about the shadow scuttlers. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs
Knowledge (the Planes)

DC Results
12 It is said that ankhegs have a relation on the plane of shadow, known as shadow scuttlers.
18 Shadow scuttlers are defensive in nature, blending in with shadows, using a speed-slowing poison to stop pursuits, and having the ability to retreat a distance in a mere moment’s time.
25 Shadow scuttlers are known for their ability to tunnel between the material plane and the plane of shadow.

Shadow-Warped
Throughout the ages, there have been those individuals depraved enough to attempt to infuse their body with darkness. In most cases, this actually means an infusion of evil through pact with a fiend, a transformation into an undead, or a deal with a deity of evil. In a few, rare cases, however, an infusion of darkness is literally meant as an infusion of darkness, taken directly from the plane of shadow. The mixing of constant existence with morphic shadow, however, makes for a poor excuse of a creature, doomed to misery for the rest of its (hopefully short) life. This technique is sometimes used upon others, to make an army of pliable creatures.

Sample Shadow-Warped Creature
Shadow-warped Blink Dog
Medium Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 4d10+8 (30 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 50 ft.
Armor class: 15 (+3 Dex, +1 natural, +1 deflection), touch 14, flat footed 12
Base attack/grapple: +4/+5
Attack: Bite +5 melee (1d6+1)
Full attack: Bite +5 melee (1d6+1)
Space/reach: 5 ft./10 ft.
Special attacks: —
Special qualities: Blink, darkvision 90 ft., dimension door, daylight sensitivity, endless agony, fortification, low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +1
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 7
Skills: Hide +2, Listen +2, Sense Motive +3, Spot +2, Survival +3
Feats: Dodge, Mobility, Track
Environment: Plane of Shadow
Organization: Solitary or Pair
Challenge rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually Chaotic Good
Advancement: 5-7 HD (Medium); 8-12 (Large)
Level adjustment: +3 (Cohort)

A big canine with yellow-brown fur and large ears looks completely different from its normal kin, bearing patches of wavering black fur and an unnaturally extended snout and neck. It disappears and quickly reappears somewhere else.

When a blink dog is subjected to large amounts of shadow, they may become infused with it. They maintain their teleportation abilities, but have been driven to the point of insanity. This insanity, combined with their lower intelligence, has kept shadow-warped blink dogs from remembering their own language.

COMBAT
Shadow-warped blink dogs, due to their insanity and related lack of language, rarely get together in groups of more than 2. As they cannot take advantage of flanking, they simply wade through the battle field, teleporting close enough for their improved reach to hit, biting, and then running away with their improved speed.
Blink (Su): A shadow-warped blink dog can use blink as the spell (caster level 8th), and can evoke or end the effect as a free action.
Daylight Sensitivity (Ex): A shadow-warped blink dog is dazzled in areas of bright light.
Dimension Door(Su): A shadow-warped blink dog can teleport, as dimension door (caster level 8th), once per round as a free action. The ability affects only the shadow-warped blink dog, which never appears within a solid object and can act immediately after teleporting.
Endless Agony (Ex): The writhing of the unstable shadowstuff makes maintenance of the body nearly impossible, driving the shadow-warped blink dog insane with pain. The shadow-warped blink dog cannot fight defensively, use the total defense option, or use the combat expertise feat. In addition, the shadow-warped blink dog cannot use the concentration skill or any other intelligence-, or charisma-based skill check other than intimidate, and cannot cast any spells (or similar abilities) that take longer than 1 standard action to use. Lastly, the shadow-warped blink dog is immune to all charm effects.
Fortification (Ex): As some of the shadow-warped blink dog’s organs are infused with shadowstuff, they may be able to move out of the way of an attack, providing a 50% chance to negate extra damage from a sneak attack or critical hit. This percentile is rolled separately from any granted by armor or other such exterior sources.
Saves:Shadow-warped blink dogs take a –4 penalty on all will saves made against compulsion effects.

Creating a Shadow-Warped Creature
“Shadow-warped” is an acquired template that can be added to any corporeal aberration, animal, dragon, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, plant, or vermin (referred to hereafter as the base creature).
A shadow-warped creature uses all the base creature’s statistics and abilities except as noted.
Speed: One of the shadow-warped creature’s speeds is increased by 10 feet, chosen at the time that the template is acquired.
Armor class: A shadow-warped creature loses two points of natural armor (to a minimum of +0 natural armor) but gains a +1 deflection bonus to AC.
Space/reach: The shadow-warped creature has their reach extended by 5 feet.
Special qualities: A shadow-warped creature has all the special qualities of the base creature, plus the following special qualities.
—Darkvision 30 feet, or the shadow-warped creature’s existing darkvision is extended by another 30 feet.
Daylight Sensitivity (Ex): A shadow-warped creature is dazzled in areas of bright light.
Endless Agony (Ex): The writhing of the unstable shadowstuff makes maintenance of the body nearly impossible, driving the shadow-warped creature insane with pain. The shadow-warped creature cannot fight defensively, use the total defense option, or use the combat expertise feat. In addition, the shadow-warped creature cannot use the concentration skill or any other intelligence-, or charisma-based skill check other than intimidate, and cannot cast any spells (or similar abilities) that take longer than 1 standard action to use. Lastly, the shadow-warped creature is immune to all charm effects.
Fortification (Ex): As some of the shadow-warped creature’s organs are infused with shadowstuff, they may be able to move out of the way of an attack, providing a 50% chance to negate extra damage from a sneak attack or critical hit. This percentile is rolled separately from any granted by armor or other such exterior sources.
Saves: A shadow-warped creature takes a –4 penalty on will saves made to resist compulsion effects.
Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Str +2, Con +4, Int –4, Wis –2, Cha –4
Challenge rating: +0
Alignment: usually chaotic. Though the surging shadowstuff may not make a shadow-warped creature evil, it most certainly drives them insane.
Level adjustment: +1

SHADOW-WARPED LORE
Characters who have ranks in Knowledge (the planes) can learn more about shadow-warped creature. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs
Knowledge (the Planes)

DC Results
15 Some creatures are infused with shadowstuff, strengthening their body but weakening their mind.
20 The warping nature of shadowstuff has given shadow-warped creatures a lifetime of agony, although it protects them in other ways as well.
25 Shadow-warped creatures are more susceptible to compulsion magic, leading some depraved souls to force the condition onto others against their will.

Umbral Devourer

As is commonly known, both matter and shadow exist. Also known is that some magic utilizes shadow itself. Unknown, to all but a few scholars in existence, is that when shadow magic is invoked on our plane, an equal amount of material matter or magic is transferred to the Plane of Shadow, which is just as alien there as shadow magic is here. The plane of shadow, it seems, has come up with a solution to this problem. From random shadow stuff, oozes of various sizes have congealed, which work almost as scabs, absorbing material magic and keeping it sequestered until it is metabolized. Although it is alive (in the strictest sense of the word) umbral devourers do not truly die. Instead, as a dying blow would be dealt, the shadowstuff making up the umbral devourer is recycled elsewhere in the plane, where a new one is formed. As such, the population is on the incline, and their frequent slaughter by the material creatures (which umbral devourers assume to be a threat to the plane) makes sure that they are spread out among the plane, eating material matter wherever it may spawn.

COMBAT
Although they are very varied in strength, most use the same tactics. Once they detect magic, they move towards it, stealing the magic and then trying to destroy its source, if any.
Detect Magic (Su): All umbral devourers can detect the presence of magic within a 300 foot-radius, although they can neither identify schools of magic, recognize how many sources or how strong the magic is, nor pinpoint the location of the magic.
Spell Vulnerability (Su): umbral devourers have been created to recognize and destroy only material magic. Due to this, umbral devourers do not detect mysteries or magic of the shadow subschool with their detect magic ability. Furthermore, such forms of magic not only automatically overcome the umbral devourer’s spell resistance but treat the umbral devourer as having failed any related saving throws.
Skills: umbral devourers have a +8 racial bonus on Climb and Swim checks and may always choose to take 10 on a Climb check or Swim check, even if rushed or threatened

Minor Devourer
Small Ooze
Hit Dice: 2d10+4 (15 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 10 ft., climb 10 ft., swim 10 ft.
Armor class: 11 (+1 size), touch 11, flat-footed 11
Base attack/grapple: +1/-3
Attack: Slam +2 melee (1d4 plus 1d4 cold)
Full attack: Slam +2 melee (1d4 plus 1d4 cold)
Space/reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special attacks: Aura of Cold, Drain Spells
Special qualities: Blindsight 60 ft., Damage Reduction 2/Magic, Detect Magic, Ooze Traits, Spell Resistance 11, Spell Vulnerability
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +0, Will –5
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 10, Con 14, Int —, Wis 1, Cha 1
Skills: Climb +8, Swim +8
Feats: —
Environment: Plane of Shadow
Organization: Solitary
Challenge rating: CR 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 3-7 HD (Small)
Level adjustment: —

A small ooze looks like nothing more than a living puddle of grayish muck.

Minor Devourers are the weakest of the umbral devourers, only able to digest very weak spells. There is always a chance of developing into a larger umbral devourer, but the risks needed to do so are extreme, making it almost impossible for the unintelligent ooze. A minor devourer weighs about 50 pounds.

COMBAT
Minor devourers are in many ways limited by their small metabolism. Once they have sated themselves, they either run away to digest or keep fighting.
Aura of Cold (Su): A minor devourer emanates a weak area of cold. At the beginning of its turn, the minor devourer deals 1d4 cold damage to each creature within 5 feet of it. In addition, each of its slam attacks deal an additional 1d4 cold damage.

Drain Spells (Su): Once every 5 rounds, a minor devourer can attempt to steal spells from nearby spellcasters. As a full-round action, it forces every spellcaster within a 5 foot-radius to make a will save (DC 10 + 1/2 devourer’s HD + devourer’s con modifier) or lose a random spell (or spell slot, for spontaneous casters) of the highest level they have access to (maximum 1st level). For each spell stolen in this way (regardless of spell level), the minor devourer gains 5 temporary hit points, which last for 5 rounds. At the end of this time, the minor devourer gains a permanent hit dice for every 5 temporary hit points lost. A minor devourer with 7 hit dice instead becomes a lesser devourer at the first opportunity in which the area can hold its new mass.

Lesser Devourer
Medium Ooze
Hit Dice: 8d10+32 (76 hp)
Initiative: –1
Speed: 20 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.
Armor class: 9 (-1 Dex), touch 9, flat-footed 9
Base attack/grapple: +6/+7
Attack: Slam +7 melee (1d6+1 plus 1d6 cold)
Full attack: Slam +7 melee (1d6+1 plus 1d6 cold)
Space/reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special attacks: Aura of Cold, Drain Spells
Special qualities: Blindsight 60 ft., Damage Reduction 5/Magic, Detect Magic, Ooze Traits, Spell Resistance 14, Spell Vulnerability
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +1, Will –3
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 8, Con 18, Int —, Wis 1, Cha 1
Skills: Climb +9, Swim +9
Feats: —
Environment: Plane of Shadow
Organization: Solitary
Challenge rating: CR 6
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 9-14 HD (Medium)
Level adjustment: —

This dark grey mass looks like a mobile mudslide, albeit with a dark grey color.

Lesser Devourers are the second most common of umbral devourers, and are likely the stage of life in which any umbral devourer spends the most time, weak enough to not be sought out, but strong enough to push back the occasional attack.
Lesser devourers normally weigh about 100 pounds.

COMBAT
Lesser devourers are not as limited as minor devourers, thanks to a wider radius over which they can steal spells, in addition to increased speed, allow them to render magical opposition harmless. In addition, they can steal magic more frequently. Their enhanced fighting capabilities over that of minor devourers means that they need not run off to digest their spells.
Aura of Cold (Su): A lesser devourer emanates an area of cold. At the beginning of its turn, the lesser devourer deals 1d6 cold damage to each creature within 10 feet of it. In addition, each of its slam attacks deal an additional 1d6 cold damage.
Drain Spells (Su): Once every 4 rounds, a lesser devourer can attempt to steal spells from nearby spellcasters. As a full-round action, it forces every spellcaster within a 10 foot-radius to make a will save (DC 10 + 1/2 devourer’s HD + devourer’s con modifier) or lose a random spell (or spell slot, for spontaneous casters) of the highest level they have access to (maximum 3rd level). For each spell stolen in this way (regardless of spell level), the lesser devourer gains 5 temporary hit points, which last for 5 rounds. At the end of this time, the lesser devourer gains a permanent hit dice for every 5 temporary hit points lost. A lesser devourer with 14 hit dice becomes an average devourer at the first opportunity in which the area can hold its new mass.

Average Devourer
Large Ooze
Hit Dice: 15d10+90 (172 hp)
Initiative: –2
Speed: 30 ft., climb 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
Armor class: 7 (-1 size, -2 Dex), touch 7, flat-footed 7
Base attack/grapple: +11/+17
Attack: Slam +12 melee (1d8+2 plus 1d6 cold)
Full attack: Slam +12 melee (1d8+2 plus 1d6 cold)
Space/reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special attacks: Aura of Cold, Drain Spells
Special qualities: Blindsight 60 ft., Damage Reduction 10/Magic, Detect Magic, Ooze Traits, Spell Resistance 17, Spell Vulnerability
Saves: Fort +11, Ref +3, Will +0
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 6, Con 22, Int —, Wis 1, Cha 1
Skills: Climb +10, Swim +10
Feats: —
Environment: Plane of Shadow
Organization: Solitary
Challenge rating: CR 10
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 16-25 HD (Large)
Level adjustment: —

This dark grey pool works its way across the ground. Light barely seems to permeate its membrane.

Although not the most common, the average devourer, also known as the umbral devourer, is perhaps the most commonly known of the species, as it is the most common one that provides a real threat.
Average devourers normally weigh about 500 pounds.

COMBAT
Average devourers are straightforward attackers, bolstering themselves by stealing spells whenever possible and attacking in all other situations.
Aura of Cold (Su): An average devourer emanates an area of cold. At the beginning of its turn, the average devourer deals 1d6 cold damage to each creature within 20 feet of it. In addition, each of its slam attacks deal an additional 1d6 cold damage.
Drain Spells (Su): Once every 3 rounds, an average devourer can attempt to steal spells from nearby spellcasters. As a full-round action, it forces every spellcaster within a 20 foot-radius to make a will save (DC 10 + 1/2 devourer’s HD + devourer’s con modifier) or lose a random spell (or spell slot, for spontaneous casters) of the highest level they have access to (maximum 5th level). For each spell stolen in this way (regardless of spell level), the average devourer gains 5 temporary hit points, which last for 5 rounds. At the end of this time, the average devourer gains a permanent hit dice for every 10 temporary hit points lost. An average devourer with 24 hit dice becomes a greater devourer at the first opportunity in which the area can hold its new mass.

Greater Devourer
Huge Ooze
Hit Dice: 25d10+200 (337 hp)
Initiative: –3
Speed: 40 ft., climb 40 ft., swim 40 ft.
Armor class: 5 (-2 size, -3 Dex), touch 5, flat-footed 5
Base attack/grapple: +18/+29
Attack: Slam +19 melee (2d6+3 plus 2d6 cold)
Full attack: Slam +19 melee (2d6+3 plus 2d6 cold)
Space/reach: 15 ft./15 ft.
Special attacks: Aura of Cold, Engulf, Drain Spells
Special qualities: Blindsight 60 ft., Damage Reduction 20/Magic, Detect Magic, Ooze Traits, Spell Resistance 22, Spell Vulnerability
Saves: Fort +16, Ref +5, Will +3
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 4, Con 26, Int —, Wis 1, Cha 1
Skills: Climb +11, Swim +11
Feats: —
Environment: Plane of Shadow
Organization: Solitary
Challenge rating: CR 14
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 26-29 HD (Huge)
Level adjustment: —

This gigantic mass of blackish liquid quivers and shakes as it approaches.

Greater devourers are rare and dangerous. They have been known to attack wizarding colleges and towers, although they are normally repelled, at least eventually.
Greater devourers normally weigh about 2,000 pounds.

COMBAT
Greater devourers take advantage of their new engulf attack, ramming over dangerous foes to absorb more spellpower while attacking other foes mindlessly.
Aura of Cold (Su): A greater devourer emanates an area of cold. At the beginning of its turn, the greater devourer deals 2d6 cold damage to each creature within a 40 foot-radius of it. In addition, each of its slam attacks deal an additional 2d6 cold damage.
Drain Spells (Su): Once every other round, a greater devourer can attempt to steal spells from nearby spellcasters. As a full-round action, it forces every spellcaster within a 40 foot-radius to make a will save (DC 10 + 1/2 devourer’s HD + devourer’s con modifier) or lose a random spell (or spell slot, for spontaneous casters) of the highest level they have access to (maximum 7th level). For each spell stolen in this way (regardless of spell level), the greater devourer gains 5 temporary hit points, which last for 10 rounds. At the end of this time, the greater devourer gains a permanent hit dice for every 20 temporary hit points lost. An greater devourer with 29 hit dice becomes a superior devourer at the first opportunity in which the area can hold its new mass.
Engulf (Ex): using its quick speed, a greater devourer can simply mow down Large or smaller creatures as a standard action. It cannot make a slam attack during a round in which it engulfs. The greater devourer merely has to move over the opponents, effecting as many as it can cover. Opponents can make opportunity attacks against the devourer, but if they do so they are no entitled to a saving throw. Those who do not attempt attacks of opportunity must succeed on a DC 25 Reflex save or be engulfed; on a success, they are pushed back or aside (opponent’s choice) as the devourer moves forward. Engulfed creatures are subject to the devourer’s drain spells and aura of cold ability each round, and are considered to be grappled and trapped within its body. The save DC is Strength-based.

Superior Devourer
Gargantuan Ooze
Hit Dice: 30d10+300 (465 hp)
Initiative: –4
Speed: 50 ft., climb 50 ft., swim 50 ft.
Armor class: 2 (-4 size, -4 Dex), touch 2, flat-footed 2
Base attack/grapple: +22/+38
Attack: Slam +22 melee (3d6+4 plus 4d6 cold)
Full attack: Slam +22 melee (3d6+4 plus 4d6 cold)
Space/reach: 20 ft./20 ft.
Special attacks: Aura of Cold, Engulf, Drain Spells
Special qualities: Blindsight 60 ft., Damage Reduction 30/Magic, Detect Magic, Ooze Traits, Spell Resistance 25, Spell Vulnerability
Saves: Fort +20, Ref +6, Will +5
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 2, Con 30, Int —, Wis 1, Cha 1
Skills: Climb +12, Swim +12
Feats: —
Environment: Plane of Shadow
Organization: Solitary
Challenge rating: CR 18
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 31-34 HD (Gargantuan)
Level adjustment: —

The approaching mass of pitch-black liquid is as large as a pond. It’s cytoplasm almost seems to crackle with energy as you feel the temperature around you drop.

Superior devourers are a tremendous threat to magical communities. On the few occasions that they have escaped the Plane of Shadow, they have caused mass destruction, annihilating any source of material magic that they find.
Superior devourers normally weigh about 20,000 pounds.

COMBAT
Superior devourers take advantage of their engulf attack, ramming over dangerous foes to absorb more spellpower while attacking other foes mindlessly. When injured, they attempt to Drain Spells each round, until there are no more sources to draw upon or they are bolstered enough for combat.
Aura of Cold (Su): A superior devourer emanates an area of cold. At the beginning of its turn, the superior devourer deals 4d6 cold damage to each creature within a 60 foot-radius of it. In addition, each of its slam attacks deal an additional 4d6 cold damage.
Drain Spells (Su): As a full-round action, a superior devourer can force every spellcaster within a 60 foot-radius to make a will save (DC 10 + 1/2 devourer’s HD + devourer’s con modifier) or lose a random spell (or spell slot, for spontaneous casters) of the highest level they have access to (maximum 9th level). For each spell stolen in this way (regardless of spell level), the superior devourer gains 5 temporary hit points, which last for 20 rounds. At the end of this time, the superior devourer gains a permanent hit dice for every 40 temporary hit points lost. A superior devourer with 34 hit dice becomes a perfect devourer (see epic monsters) at the first opportunity in which the area can hold its new mass.
Engulf (Ex): using its quick speed, a superior devourer can simply mow down Huge or smaller creatures as a standard action. It cannot make a slam attack during a round in which it engulfs. The superior devourer merely has to move over the opponents, effecting as many as it can cover. Opponents can make opportunity attacks against the devourer, but if they do so they are no entitled to a saving throw. Those who do not attempt attacks of opportunity must succeed on a DC 29 Reflex save or be engulfed; on a success, they are pushed back or aside (opponent’s choice) as the devourer moves forward. Engulfed creatures are subject to the devourer’s drain spells and aura of cold ability each round, and are considered to be grappled and trapped within its body. The save DC is Strength-based.

UMBRAL DEVOURER LORE
Characters who have ranks in Knowledge (the planes) can learn more about umbral devourers. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs
Knowledge (the Planes)

DC Results
15 Umbral devourers are oozes native to the plane of shadow, spawned by the plane itself to detect and destroy material magic.
20 Umbral devourers possess an aura of unearthly cold, often steal spells from the opposition, and the larger ones can even engulf their prey.
25 Umbral devourers are resilient against all but magic weapons, but resist magic itself. They are, however, weak against shadow magic.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 01:36 PM

Reserved for future creatures.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 01:37 PM

Plagues and Poisons
Even the Plane of Shadow has some unique diseases and poisons, although perhaps not as many as most other planes.

Diseases:

Disease Infection DC Incubation Damage
Black Blight Ingested 16 1 week 1d4 Str
1d4 Cha
The Fading Inhaled 18 1d4 days 1d6 Dex

Black Blight: Black blight is caught by eating some plants indigenous to the plane of shadow. The target’s hair turns black and falls out as their skin becomes pockmarked and worn. It takes three consecutive saving throws to cure yourself of black blight, rather than the normal two.
The Fading: In some less formed areas of the plane of shadow, especially near the darklands, the air is only partially formed and tries to disassemble anyone breathing it from the inside out. Every time that a creature takes damage from the fading, they must make another fortitude save or lose their sense of touch for the disease’s duration, imposing a –2 penalty on all climb, disarm device, jump, open lock, swim, and tumble checks. If they have already lose their sense of touch, they are rendered blind for the disease’s duration. If they are already numb and blind, they are rendered deaf for the disease’s duration.

Poisons:

Poison Type Initial Damage Secondary Damage Price
Ebon Extract Contact DC 17 1d4 Wis Unconsciousness for 1 hour 425 gp
Midnight Residue Contact DC 22 0 2d6 Str+2d6 Dex 1,500 gp
Black Root Vine Ingested DC 16 1 Dex 1d4+1 Dex 150 gp
Beverut Ingested DC 20 0 3d6 Dex 750 gp
Ebon Cloud Inhaled DC 15 1d4 Wis 2d4 Wis+1d4 Int 225 gp
Black Mist Powder Inhaled DC 25 0 -2 Will saves for 1 hour 175 gp
Shadow Scuttler venom Injury DC 13 -10 speed for 1 hour no running/charging for 1 hour 400 gp
Dark Ichor Injury DC 15 1d4 Dex sickened for 1 hour 200 gp

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 01:38 PM

NEW DEITIES
Although most deities live on the outer planes, a few live on or are closely related to the plane of shadow.

DOLUS
God of Fools, the Hidden One, Trickster of Tricksters
Demigod (Neutral Evil)

Dolus is a god of trickery, but he displays his trickery in a quite unusual way. Instead of inspiring his worshippers to trick others, he tricks his worshippers. He cares not who or what his thralls think they are worshipping, as long as the power of that worship goes out to him. Due to his nasty habit of stealing worship from other deities, he fears retribution too much to live on the outer planes. Instead, he lives on the Plane of Shadow, where his angry brethren are unlikely to ever find him. Dolus’ holy symbol, or its closest equivalent, is a featureless, black circle. All formal worshippers tattoo this symbol somewhere on their body.
Anyone is a potential worshipper of Dolus, even if they do not know it. Dolus commonly floods the plane of shadow with his divine essence, increasing the odds that cultists (see earlier post) will call upon him instead of their desired source of power. There are a very few individuals who know Dolus’ identity, and have, as an act of worship, set out on a quest to meet the hidden one himself. Dolus’ views towards his direct worshippers, as of yet, remains to be seen.
Although Dolus actively teaches nothing on his own behalf, his few direct followers have learned from example and gain power, complete tasks, and manipulate others without doing so much as revealing their faces.
Portfolio: Secrecy, Manipulation, Shadow
Domains: Technically, Dolus grants access to every domain. His few direct worshippers, however, are limited to the Secrecy, Shadow, Evil, and Trickery domains.
Cleric Training: The only training that a cleric of Dolus truly needs is the discovery of Dolus’ name and identity. This task has not been made easy, however, and may require several divination attempts, an interrogation of another cleric of Dolus, or the recovery of ancient lore depicting him.
Quests: Dolus doles out no quests. Instead, he allows his followers to assign themselves tasks. Clerics of Dolus make it their mission to meet Dolus, face-to-face.
Prayers: Dolus accepts all forms of prayer with equal glee. As such, his few actual clerics usually choose to keep their prayers simple and quiet, knowing he will not mind.
Temples: Dolus has many temples, spread out amongst the planes. Actual temples dedicated to him in particular, however, are nonexistent. A cleric of Dolus can send their worship to their deity from anywhere and a shrine of Pelor would work just as well as a shrine of Wee Jas.
Rites: Despite the lack of formal rites, it is customary that if someone sees the face of a cleric of Dolus against their whims, that they mutilate, or magically alter their face.
Herald and Allies: Dolus’ one ally and friend is his herald, a Gloom (ELH, page 192).

Mae Kiar:
Reclaimer, Watcher of Darkness
Lesser Deity (Neutral)

Mae Kiar is a deity of, for lack of better terms, justifiable vengeance. Formerly an abyssym, she slew the balor that owned her family’s souls and took his soul in turn. This remarkable act of vengeance allowed her to ascend. Mae Kiar watches for dark acts and sends her worshippers to claim vengeance for those unwilling or unable to claim it themselves. Seeking nothing from her divine kin, she has isolated herself on the plane of shadows, where she claims evils can be seen earliest. Although she is dark with her verdicts, she is not nearly as cruel as Cas (deity of spite, see heroes of horror for details). She appears as a humanoid woman of indistinguishable race, surrounding by a blurring shroud of shadow and possessing two piercing red eyes. Her holy symbol is a fist, with a long crack running down its center.
Mae Kiar’s cause appeals to few out there, but some individuals see her teachings as appealing, and so worship her. She is a bit contrary in that she attracts and supports both evil and good worshippers. Evil worshippers look to her as a deity of violence, torturing and slaughtering portrayers of other dark acts with utmost glee. Good worshippers look to her as a deity of protection, protecting the downtrodden against those they cannot fight against on their own. A few warlocks look to her as a paragon, one who was able to escape her curse.
Portfolio: Vengeance, Justice, Shadow
Domains: Evil, Good, Shadow, Wrath
Cleric Training: Clerical training of Mae Kiar involves personal training by an elder cleric, culminating with a mission from the church.
Quests: Mae Kiar’s missions always involve the righting of a wrong or the punishment of a wrongdoer. She is careful to give missions only to followers with an appropriate alignment for that mission.
Prayers: Prayers to Mae Kiar always a proclamation of evils bested and those yet to be destroyed.
Temples: Shrines to Mae Kiar are surprisingly common, appearing in good and evil towns alike, as well as on lesser-known roads. They are often small and hidden in shadow, however.
Rites: The most famous of Mae Kiar’s rites is known as “the acknowledgement”, listing the name of the last evil thwarted before destroying a new one.
Herald and Allies: Mae Kiar’s Herald is a unique dark trumpet archon of neutral alignment. Her planar allies include concordant killers (see MM IV) and, surprisingly, the rilmani (see Fiend Folio).

Mutart:
Moon Maiden, The Silver Mistress
Greater Deity (Neutral Good)

Deity of the moon and tide (and on occasion, love), Mutart is one of the older deities in the current pantheon. She appears as a human or elven (the exact race seems to change over time) female, wearing a long, silver dress. Her skin and hair looks pale and silvery as well, but she possesses glowing blue eyes. She seeks relatively little from her worshippers, impacting their life directly as little as possible. Her holy symbol is, in most cases, a crescent moon, although full moons are sometimes used as well.
The Moon Maiden, more often than not, appeals to sailors, who often need the moon’s light or fear a rough tide. Poets, writers, and other romantics also pay her homage from time to time. Most who worship her, however, are lycanthropes, who she feels particularly responsible for and who are the only ones to possess full moon holy symbols. Some overzealous religions relate presence of her churches (perhaps rightly so) to lycanthrope attacks, and so seek to drive them out.
Mutart teaches that just as the sun illuminates, so does the moon as its reflection, a fundamental lesson taught to most shadow magic users as an example of reflection. By the same ticket, this lesson has inspired many diviners to work in unusual ways. She also teaches that the moon calls out, to lovers, to the tide, and, unfortunately, to lycanthropes.
Portfolio: Moon, Love, Ocean, Lycanthropes
Domains: Good, Moon, Ocean, Oracle
Cleric Training: Clerical training of Mutart is individualistic. As soon as an individual considers themselves worthy to be called a cleric, Mutart will accept them as one.
Quests: Mutart’s missions are few and far between. She allows clerics to decide how they should proceed, for the most part, so long as their goals to not contradict her own..
Prayers: Mutart’s prayers differ from area to area. In one country, prayers to her may be complex hymns. In another, they may be poetic recitations.
Temples: Mutart’s temples are grand and tend to be poetically placed, such as on the top of a large hill or on a seaside cliff.
Rites: It is customary among clerics of Mutart to bow ones head whenever one sees the reflection of the moon upon water.
Herald and Allies: Mutart has no true herald, instead claiming each moon acts in its own way as her herald, which she can make appear larger, smaller, or change color to signify events to entire worlds. Her planar allies are celestial or half-celestial lycanthropes.

Teka:
Lord of Madness, Father of Croob
Lesser Deity (Chaotic Neutral)

Teka is a deity that stands for nothing. His deific power was a terrible mistake that drove him to insanity. He appears as a floating, black brain, covered in cracks, as if about to shatter. Teka does not, and indeed cannot, leave the Plane of Shadow. His holy symbol is a black and cracked skull.
Since Teka’s ascension, he has formed the croob in a fit of madness, and through them, the galks and geluks. These individuals are among Teka’s only worshippers. A few small cults on the material plane worship Teka as well, but the number of individuals in these cults is far outweighed by the hordes of Teka’s creations. Teka’s enemies include most sane deities and individuals, although they are content knowing that Teka’s mind is no longer capable of forming a proper long-term plan.
Though Teka teaches nothing, the Geluks have made it their business to interpret every garbled message of Teka into a tangible message. The entire mass of “Tekan” philosophy encompasses several material plane philosophies.
Portfolio: Insanity, Mind, Shadow
Domains: Chaos, Madness, Mind, Shadow
Cleric Training: Clerical training of Teka is best left undescribed, consisting of several atrocities, the least of which is self mutilation of the brain.
Quests: Teka’s missions, even as interpreted by the Geluks, seem to make little sense. Some missions call for massacres among the croobs, while others call for peace treaties with buffalos. If the Geluks are trying to turn Teka’s thoughts into a plan, it is impossible to see where it is going.
Prayers: Prayers to Teka consist of screams, moans, and gurgling noises. As such, one listening to a church of Teka may come to assume it is a torture chamber.
Temples: Shrines to Teka are made ridiculously big, at the orders of the Geluks. Sometimes, the croob have to squeeze their way around a church to get to their home each day.
Rites: Teka, according to the Geluks, accepts several rites, each of which is worse than the atrocities of clerical training.
Herald and Allies: Teka, lacking the sanity to gather forces, has neither herald nor planar allies (unless the croobs, galks, and geluks are to be included in such a category).

Honorable Mention
Although I can not give its statistics and have only just remembered it, I feel that an honorable mention should go to the Shadow, member of the Dark Six from Ebberon. For purposes of Thoroughness, I also mention another deity of shadows, Erebus, from Dragon issue #322 (which, interestingly enough, is the first source to mention the Nightshade Covenant and creates the basis for shadow elementals as Darkness Pseudo-Elementals. I’d advise you to get the issue: it’s a great shadow magic history lesson, If you know where to look).

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 01:40 PM

New Affiliations
To match the three organizations given to us in the Tome of Magic, I provide you with three additional affiliations.

Reclaimers of the Mind
Symbol: The symbol of the reclaimers is a brain, wrapped in bandages.
Background, Goals, and Dreams: The reclaimers are group of shadow magic users, psionicists, and diviners, all dedicated to the reclaiming of knowledge, lead at all times by a council of three dark minds.
Members: The reclaimers welcome all races equally, but only allow the magically or psionically adept enter their group. One is free to leave at any time, so long as they submit to having their mind probed for any withheld information.
Secrets: The ultimate goal of the reclaimers, beyond the mere accumulation of lore, is to pull Teka back into the material plane, possibly restoring his sanity while keeping his divinity intact. Hidden by the council is a portal leading to the plane of shadow, which they expect will be instrumental. Until a member finds a means to complete their ends, however, the reclaimers are happy to accumulate knowledge.
Type: College (secretly Cabal)
Scale: 2 (neighborhoods)

Criterion Affiliation Score Modifier
Character Level +1/2 PC’s level
5 or more ranks in any knowledge skill +1 per skill
5 or more ranks in Knowledge (the Planes) +2
Able to use divination spells, mysteries, +2
or powers of 3rd level or higher
Visibly carries holy symbol of Teka +4
Completes a mission for the reclaimers +2 per mission
Brings back piece of forgotten lore +2 per piece of lore (max 2/year)
Has lived on Plane of Shadow for at least +6
one year
Makes peaceful contact with croob society +2 (once only)
No ranks in any knowledge skill -2
No spellcasting, shadow magic, -10
or psionics ability
Good alignment -6
Fails mission for reclaimers -4 per mission

Titles, Benefits, and Duties:

Affiliation Score Title: Benefits and Duties
3 or lower Not affiliated or junior member with no benefits
4-10 Explorer: +2 competence bonus on decipher script and search checks.
11-20 Archeologist: 1/day, you may reroll a knowledge check, lore check, or bardic knowledge check and take the better of the two results.
21-29 Reclaimer: You can read a single piece of parchment as a full-round action. In addition, you may read items that were recently destroyed (reclaiming the raw knowledge from the destroyed item), as long as they were destroyed less than 1 round/level prior.
30 or higher Incarnate: You can take 20 on any knowledge check in which you have at least one rank, even when rushed or under pressure. +4 competence bonus on decipher script and search checks.

Executive Powers: Assassinate, Craft, Research

Shadowgauntlet
Symbol: the symbol of the shadowgauntlet is an emaciated hand with fingers that seem a bit too long (anyone familiar with shadowgaunts recognizes the hand as belonging to them).
Background, Goals, and Dreams: The shadowgauntlet, as it is named by others, exists entirely on the material plane, near the ruins of Gengardon. It appears, at first glance, to be an organization composed completely of shadowgaunts. When someone else enters though, they are treated as one of the group. Several sages, fighters, and explorers have traveled to the shadowgauntlet to meet the enigmatic shadowgaunts on equal grounds, where they can compete, fight, or trade equipment and information. Most people theorize that the shadowgauntlet is the shadowgaunt’s way of reaching out to other races. Despite the seeming fluidity of roles in the shadowgauntlet, senior members do seem to have more of a say in what happens, and members tend to offer wears to senior members with less compensation than normal.
Members: The shadowgauntlet is mostly comprised of Shadowgaunts, although anyone who enters the structure that holds it is heralded as, at the very least, a probationary member.
Type: Fighting Company
Scale: 2 (one structure plus planar visitors)

Criterion Affilliation Score Modifier
Character level +1/2 PC’s level
Native to Plane of Shadow +1
Shadowgaunt +2
Shadowcaster or Cultist +1
Beats another member of equal or higher level +2 (max 1/month)
in nonlethal combat.
Spends 1 or more years as an active member. +2/full year
Shares an interesting story of outside world +1 (max 2/year)
and presents it in interesting way
(DC 20 perform check).
Fulfills a mission request from a senior member +2 per mission
Defiles Gengardon -4
Does not show up at least once per month. –1 per absent month
Refuses three consecutive mission requests -2 per three refused missions
from senior members.

Titles, Benefits, and Duties: As a member of the Shadowgauntlet attends regularly over time, fights other members, brings in new stories, and fulfills the mission requests of others, they find themselves more respected amongst the other members of the shadowgauntlet. At the same time, some of the shadowy energies from the plane permeate the shadowgauntlet’s members due to their long proximity to it. The only thing that is truly expected from members is their regular participation, both in attendance and in missions.

Affiliation Score Title: Benefits and Duties
3 or lower Probationary member with no benefits.
4-10 Junior: you are more likely to be called upon for missions.
11-15 Apprentice: hide and move silently are always class skills for you.
16-22 True Member: You gain a +2 bonus on attempts to influence the attitudes of other shadowgaunt members. You gain a +1 dodge bonus to your AC in areas of shadowy illumination.
23-29 Senior Member: You gain a +2 inherent bonus to your dexterity score and an additional +2 bonus on reflex saves.
30 or higher Elder: 2/year, you may request that a mission be fulfilled. The mission is attempted by 1d4+1 effective cohorts of random classes. Their level is determined by your effective leadership score. You are free to accompany them on such a mission. You gain a +8 bonus on attempts to influence the attitudes of other shadowgaunt members.

Executive Powers: None.

The Seven Paths
Symbol: The symbol of the Seven Paths is seven equidistant lines stretching out from one source.
Background, Goals, and Dreams: The seven paths was founded by Farsen Gorlock, a half-orc initiate of the seven enigmas. Unusually philosophical for a half-orc, Farsen (the only Walker of Seven in the affiliation), he created the Seven Paths as a wizard college of sorts made exclusively for shadowcasters. Although the college is filled with shadowcaster students, only those that stay after their formal education to learn more actually enter the affiliation.
Members: Although there are no racial stigmas within the seven paths, shadowcasters alone are allowed to join.
Type: College
Scale: 5 (City)

Criterion Affiliation Score Modifier
Character level +1/2 PC’s level
5 or more ranks in knowledge (arcana +2 per skill
or the planes)
Able to cast 3rd level mysteries +2
Able to cast 5th level mysteries +4
Possesses at least one item creation feat +2
Is an initiate of the seven enigmas +8
Brings a new student to the school +2/student (max 2/year)
Also casts spells -2
No ranks in Knowledge (arcana or the planes) -5 per skill
Does not spend at least one month per year -20
on campus.

Titles, Benefits, and Duties: As you advance through the seven paths, your shadowcasting ability improves. You must, however, spend some time on campus, either performing research and experiments or teaching students. The college also requires you to fulfill special tasks every now and again.

Affiliation Score Title: Benefits and Duties
3 or lower Walker of One: no affiliation or junior member with no benefits.
4-10 Walker of Two: You are called upon regularly to perform special tasks. You gain a +2 bonus on attempts to influence the attitude of seven paths members.
11-15 Walker of Three: When crafting magic items, you can supplement your own life force with shadowstuff, allowing you to pay only 90% of the normal XP cost.
16-22 Walker of Four: Select one metashadow feat you possess that can be taken multiple times. You may use it one additional time per day. In addition, you gain a +4 bonus on attempts to influence the attitude of seven paths members

23-29 Walker of Five: Once per month, you may request any shadow magic scroll or potion costing 750 gp or less. You must replace them with shadow magic scrolls or potions of equal or greater value within one month of taking them.
30 or higher Walker of Six: You gain Cold Resistance 10. In addition, you gain a +6 bonus on attempts to influence the attitude of seven paths members.

Executive Powers: Craft, Research, Trade

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 01:51 PM

Spells
Although mainly dedicated to shadow magic, it would be negligent to not print any new spells. Though not all of them possess the shadow subschool, the same thing could actually be said for shadow magic.

ASSASSIN SPELLS
1ST-LEVEL ASSASSIN SPELLS
Darkened Mind: Conceal your thoughts from others.
2ND-LEVEL ASSASSIN SPELLS
Shadow Touch: Inflict chilling cold instead of striking vital points.
4TH-LEVEL ASSASSIN SPELLS
Cloak of Shadow: Cloak protects against mundane projectiles and allows short distance flight.

BARD SPELLS
1ST-LEVEL BARD SPELLS
Dark Mist: Create illusory mist that only your allies can see through.
2ND-LEVEL BARD SPELLS
Darkened Mind: Conceal your thoughts from others.
4TH-LEVEL BARD SPELLS
Escape Tactics: Create shadow copies of you and allies to aid in your escape.
6TH-LEVEL BARD SPELLS
Cloak of Shadow: Cloak protects against mundane projectiles and allows short distance flight.
Shadow Replication: Imitate any apprentice mystery.

BLACKGUARD SPELLS
2ND-LEVEL BLACKGUARD SPELLS
Shadow Steed: Grant mount concealment and ability to walk across unstable surfaces.
4TH-LEVEL BLACKGUARD SPELLS
Dark Avatar: Create large, immobile creature of shadow to slow down assailants.

CLERIC SPELLS
1ST-LEVEL CLERIC SPELLS
Detect Mysteries: detect nearby shadow magic
Disperse Shadows: Increase areas of darkness to areas of shadow.
2ND-LEVEL CLERIC SPELLS
Darkened Mind: Conceal your thoughts from others.
6TH-LEVEL CLERIC SPELLS
Dark Avatar: Create large, immobile creature of shadow to slow down assailants.
8TH-LEVEL CLERIC SPELLS
Phantom Avatar: Create illusory image of deity to harm and strike fear in creatures of opposed alignments.

SECRECY DOMAIN
Granted Power: Once per day/2 class levels, you may spend a standard action to turn invisible for 1 round, as the invisibility spell.

SECRECY DOMAIN SPELLS
1 Undetectable Alignment: Conceals alignment for 24 hours.
2 Darkened Mind: Conceal your thoughts from others.
3 Nondetection: Hides subject from divination, scrying.
4 Selective Sight: Become invisible except to your allies.
5 False Vision: Fools scrying with an illusion
6 Mislead: Turns you invisible and creates illusory double.
7 Repulsion: Creatures can’t approach you.
8 Mind Blank: Subject is immune to mental/emotional magic and scrying.
9 Fortress of Secrecy: Create secluded extradimensional space to hold yourself and allies.

DRUID SPELLS
1ST-LEVEL DRUID SPELLS
Shadow Impediment: Make the terrain rough and damaging.
2ND-LEVEL DRUID SPELLS
Hunter of the Night: Make one creature more adept for night.
Shadow Snare: Create an invisible trap out of ambient shadows.
4TH-LEVEL DRUID SPELLS
Phantasmal Pack: create a pack of phantasmal animals to attack.

HEXBLADE SPELLS
1ST-LEVEL HEXBLADE SPELLS
Dim: Lowers areas of light into shadow.
2ND-LEVEL HEXBLADE SPELLS
Pin Shadows: Pin a target to the ground by their shadow.
4TH-LEVEL HEXBLADE SPELLS
Cloak of Shadow: Cloak protects against mundane projectiles and allows short distance flight.

PALADIN SPELLS
1ST-LEVEL PALADIN SPELLS
Disperse Shadows: Increase areas of darkness to areas of shadow.

RANGER SPELLS
1ST-LEVEL RANGER SPELLS
Shadow Impediment: Make the terrain rough and damaging.
2ND-LEVEL RANGER SPELLS
Shadow Snare: Create an invisible trap out of ambient shadows.

SORCERER/WIZARD SPELLS
1ST-LEVEL SORCERER/WIZARD SPELLS
Detect Mysteries: detect nearby shadow magic.
Dim: Lowers areas of light into shadow.
Shadow Impediment: Make the terrain rough and damaging.
2ND-LEVEL SORCERER/WIZARD SPELLS
Dark Mist: Create illusory mist that only your allies can see through.
Net of Shadow: Create a mist to block opponents or catch your fall.
3RD-LEVEL SORCERER/WIZARD SPELLS
Ebon Relay: Cast certain spells from another location as a swift action.
4TH-LEVEL SORCERER/WIZARD SPELLS
Shadow Assault: Imitate a evocation that you have just cast.
5TH-LEVEL SORCERER/WIZARD SPELLS
Transient Foe: Create a shadowy copy of your foe to fight them with.
6TH-LEVEL SORCERER/WIZARD SPELLS
Escape Tactics: Create shadow copies of you and allies to aid in your escape.
Shadow Thought: Briefly grand intelligence to the unintelligent
7TH-LEVEL SORCERER/WIZARD SPELLS
Ephemeral Transformation: Grant one target the dark template
8TH-LEVEL SORCERER/WIZARD SPELLS
Dark Banishment: Send one target back to the Plane of Shadow.
9TH-LEVEL SORCERER/WIZARD SPELLS
Burst of Shadow: Damaging cone that may blind those who disbelieve it.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 01:53 PM

Burst of Shadow
Evocation/Illusion (Shadow)
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 9
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 20 feet
Area: 20 ft. cone
Duration: Instantaneous or Permanent
Saving Throw: Will Half and Fortitude Partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

As you complete the casting, you notice a miniscule portal to the plane of shadows open up at your fingertips. Fostering it with your own magical energy, you force it to enlarge, spilling waves of shadowstuff upon your enemies.

All targets within the range of this effect take 1d6/level damage (maximum 225d6). Due to its partially illusory nature, anyone succeeding on a will save takes only half that much damage. Any target that succeeds on their will save must make an additional fortitude save or become blinded as their sense of sight is overwhelmed by the assault.

Cloak of Shadow
Abjuration
Level: Assassin 4, Bard 6, Hexblade 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target You
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

As the material components dissolve into the air, a black cape materializes on your back, flowing in rhythm to some unfelt breeze.

While this spell is in effect, you are immune to nonmagical projectiles. In addition, as a move action, you may fly up to twice your speed with average maneuverability. If you do not end this movement on another solid surface, however, you begin to fall.
Material Component: a bat wing and a single drop of a demon’s ichor.

Dark Avatar
Illusion (Shadow)
Level: Blackguard 4, Cleric 6
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft.+ 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: One shadow duplicate of caster
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

As you crush the material component in your hand, a gigantic avatar appears behind you, bearing your likeness and ready to interpose itself between you and your foes.

This spell creates a large creature within range, armed with a shadowy version of your weapon. The creature cannot move and has hit points equal to your caster level x 5. Each turn, it makes an attack at your highest attack bonus, dealing 1d4/level damage with a successful hit. The creature can make attacks of opportunity and the DC of all tumble checks to get past them are increased by 1/2 of your caster level.
Material Component: An oil of darkness, which is harmlessly crushed in the hand as the spell is cast.

Dark Banishment
Conjuration (Teleportation)
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 8
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature Touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None or Will Negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

As your hand makes contact with your foe, you watch their outline become blurred by shadow. Slowly, you watch them fade out of sight.

The target of this spell is sent to the Plane of Shadow. If the Target is a native to the Plane of Shadow, they may make a Will save to negate this spell’s effects.

Dark Mist
Illusion (Shadow)
Level: Bard 1, Sorcerer/Wizard 2
Components: S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 20 ft.
Effect: Illusory Cloud spreads in 20-ft. radius from you, 20 ft. high
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

As you form the final gesture of this spell, an inky blackness like smoke spreads from your hands. Despite its opacity, you can see easily through it to your allies, much in the same way as they can see you.

This spell creates an area of fog that acts to most as an obscuring mist spell. However, you and up to one individual/2 caster levels, chosen at the time of this spell’s casting, can see through the fog as if it weren’t there.
In addition, neither wind nor fire can eliminate the cloud and this spell may be cast underwater.

Darkened Mind
Abjuration
Level: Assassin 1, Bard 2, Cleric 2, Secrecy 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 hour/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

As the spell is cast, you feel your mind get caught in a fog. Despite this apparent fogginess, you appear to think with equal ease.

While under the effects of this spell, the caster is immune to any attempt to read their mind or make telepathic contact with them, although other divination effects (such as those that divine alignment) function normally against the caster.
In addition, the caster’s manner becomes nearly as unreadable as their mind, imposing a –4 penalty on any sense motive check made against them.

Detect Mysteries
Divination
Level: Cleric 1, Sorcerer/Wizard 1

Although they share many similarities, shadow magic is different from regular magic. By looking for the presence of distortions in the area, you can identify all shadow nearby shadow magic.

Detect Mysteries functions as detect magic with a couple of exceptions. On the first round, you learn of the presence or absence of shadow magic auras. On the second round, you learn the number of auras and whether each one was cast as a spell, spell-like ability, supernatural ability, or extraordinary ability. On the third round, you learn the strength, location, and school of magic of each aura.
Contrary to the name of this spell, detect mysteries also detects spells of the shadow subschool.

Dim
Evocation [Darkness]
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 1, Hexblade 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 0 ft.
Area: 10 ft./level-radius emanation
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

As you cast this spell, you watch the area around you go dark. It stops short of full darkness, however, at a twilight shadow.

All squares filled with bright illumination within range are lowered to shadowy illumination.
Any light or darkness spell can dispel or counter Dim.

Disperse Shadows
Evocation [Light]
Level: Cleric 1, Paladin 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 0 ft.
Effect: 10 ft./level-radius emanation
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

As you cast this spell, the darkness are lifted as if by an unseen source of light, throwing darkness into dim illumination.

All squares filled with darkness within range are increased to shadowy illumination.
Any light or darkness spell can dispel or counter Disperse Shadows.

Ebon Relay
Evocation
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 3
Components: S, V
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: 1 5-ft. square
Duration: 1 hour
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

You set up a seed of darkness in the air, connecting it to yourself with a transient link of shadows. Using this link, you can launch further spells from this seed of darkness.

Once per round, as a swift action, you may cast an evocation, conjuration, or illusion spell of 2nd-level The spell must have a casting time of 1 standard action or less. You may use either your line of sight or its line of sight (and it is treated as having darkvision out to 60 ft. for this purpose.) but it does not allow you to see from its perspective and the 5-foot square must have a line of effect with the spell’s target, if any.

Ephemeral Transformation
Transmutation
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 7
Components: V, S, M, XP
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Touch
Target: 1 willing or helpless creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will Negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

At the end of the long and tedious process, the target’s skin has darkened and their shadow has lengthened. They end the process as a new creature, a creature of shadow.

The target of this mystery loses one level (or 2 constitution, if they possess no level) but gains the dark template.
Material Component: The (mostly intact) remains of another dark creatures.
XP Cost: 1,000

Escape Tactics
Illusion (Shadow)
Level: Bard 4, Sorcerer/Wizard 6
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: Self + up to one willing ally/caster level.
Duration: 1d4 minutes
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

As the final syllable of the incantation escapes your mouth, each of your targets becomes surrounded by illusory copies of themselves. For a brief moment, each of the copies stands calmly. Then, each copy simultaneously starts screaming and running in random directions.

This spell creates 1d6+2 illusory copies of each of this spell’s targets anywhere within range. For the duration of the spell, each illusory copy runs around blindly, screaming, shouting curses, or challenging others to follow. Each illusion contains audible, olfactory, thermal, and tactile components, in addition to its visual component. Once cast, there is no maximum distance that these copies can travel. Each illusory copy has an AC equal to the touch AC of its original. Alas, there is a bit of a connection between each copy and the original and if a copy is dealt damage, the original takes half that amount of nonlethal damage as that copy is destroyed.

Fortress of Secrecy
Conjuration (Creation)
Level: Secrecy 9
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: Extradimensional Fortress, up to three 10-ft. cubes/level (S)
Duration: 2 hours/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

As the spell is cast, a glittering, black passageway opens up where you have designated. Despite its opaque nature, you know that safe haven lies just beyond the doorway.

You conjure up an extradimensional dwelling that has a single entrance within range. The entry point looks like a shimmering blackness in the air that is 4 feet wide and 8 feet high. Furthermore, it is invisible to all but you, although a see invisibility or more powerful effect will reveal its presence. Only those you designate (to a maximum of one other/level, including pets, mounts, and familiars) may enter the mansion, and the portal is destroyed behind you when you enter. Once observers have passed beyond the entrance, they find the ruined remains of a grand fortress that looks as though it had been laid by siege for eons. The primary building material is wood, but each hinge is attached randomly and by any connector, from mud to gold to deffication. The atmosphere is damp and of anxiety and paranoia.
You can create any floor plan you desire to the limit of the spell’s effect. The place is very roughly furnished, and contains sufficient stale (but edible) foodstuffs to feed a dozen people per caster level.
Once inside the fortress, no exterior divination effects can be used in regards to any of its inhabitants, even if these divination effects would merely be used to gather information about the inhabitants. In addition, even though the Fortress exists in a way that makes it coterminous with all planes, no exterior force can break into or dispel the Fortress once the entrance has closed. Furthermore, no inhabitants within can be contacted from the outside by sources such as dream, demand, nightmare or sending. Once per round, as a standard action, you may send a message, as the sending spell, cast at your caster level, to any individual on any plane with no chance of failure. No individual may be contacted more than once during a single use of this spell.
As a standard action, any inhabitant of the fortress can send themselves to any plane of existence. If the return to the plane from which this spell was cast, they emerge near the original entrance to the spell. Otherwise, they emerge at a random location on the new plane (although multiple creatures moving to the same plane within one round of each other arrive in close proximity to each other). Either way, all items associated with the fortress disappear when someone leaves it. Anyone leaving the fortress finds the trip to be a one-way journey, with no way back to the extradimensional haven. When the caster leaves the fortress, the spell ends, forcing everyone else onto the same plane as the caster.

Hunter of the Night
Transmutation
Level: Druid 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Touch
Target Animal Touched
Duration: 24 hours
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: No

As you weave incantations over the animal you touch, you prepare it to deal with darkness, weaving a bit of shadow into its being to aid the process.

The animal targeted by this spell gains a number of benefits. First of all, it gets darkvision out to 60 feet. Secondly, it gets a +2 enhancement bonus to its Dexterity score. Lastly, it gains immunity to fatigue and exhaustion.

Net of Shadow
Illusion (Shadow
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 immediate action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level
Effect: Anchored plane of shadow, up to 20 ft. to a side
Duration: Duration 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

As you unleash this net of shadows, it launches out, anchoring itself vertically or horizontally.

If this spell is used, it must adhere to at least two opposite surfaces. If used to make a horizontal plane, it stops falling with no damage and can carry 200 pounds/level before breaking. Alternatively, it can be used to slow down other flying or falling assailants. If used to make a vertical plane, it is limited to stopping others from following. The plane created via this spell has 5 hit points/level and has a break DC of 10+caster level. This spell cannot be used if even one of the squares that the plane would occupy is already occupied.

Phantasmal Pack
Illusion (Shadow)
Level: Druid 4
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect: Conjured shadow beasts
Duration: Concentration+1 round
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

Drawing upon the natural ambient shadows around you, you form several beasts, formed fully of nature’s shadows.

You conjure 1d6+2 medium incorporeal animals, the nature of is determined by the druid but has no effect on the spell. The animals do nothing but make attacks of opportunity if not otherwise directed. As a swift action, one animal can be made to move up to 30 feet in any direction. As a move action, one or more animals can be made to make attacks against adjacent foes, using your caster level as their attack bonus and dealing 2d6+ your caster level nonlethal damage with a successful attack, or twice that with a critical hit. The animals also provide flanking. If any animal is successfully dealt damage, they are destroyed.

Phantom Avatar
Illusion (Phantasm, Shadow) [Cold, Fear, Mind-Affecting]
Level: Cleric 8
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area: 30 ft.-radius emanation, centered on a point in space
Duration: Instantaneous, and then 1d4 rounds
Saving Throw: Will negates or Will partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

You draw upon a small fraction of your deity’s might, turning it into coherent form through use of shadow, and then instilling the fear through the use of phantasm. As the spell is cast, an avatar of your deity seems to rise from out of nowhere. As the avatar makes its attack, even you can feel a surge of cold pass over you.

This spell creates an illusory avatar of your deity to inspire fear within your deity’s foes. All creatures of an opposed alignment to your deity in at least one axis must make a Will save or take 1d6 cold damage/level and become panicked for 1d4 rounds. All creatures opposed to the alignment of your deity in both the good-evil axis and the lawful-chaotic axis take half damage and become shaken for 1d4 rounds even if they make a successful Will save.

Pin Shadows
Necromancy
Level: Hexblade 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: 1 creature
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: Reflex negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

In the blink of an eye, you pin your opponent’s shadow to the ground, rendering them unable to move.

If the target fails their saving throw, they become immobilized.

Selective Sight
Illusion (Glamer)
Level: Secrecy 4
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You + up to 1 target/level
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

You mask yourself from head to toe with the invisibility of this spell, but leave a few chinks in this new armor for your allies to see through.

Selective Sight functions as the invisibility spell. However, up to one ally/level can see you as if you were not invisible. Furthermore, when you take an offensive action, only the target(s) of your offensive action become able to see you (although they can point out your location to others, should they survive the experience).

Shadow Assault
Illusion (Shadow)
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: See Text
Effect: One 3rd-level or lower evocation spell
Duration: See Text
Saving Throw: Will Negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

Briefly skimming across the surface of shadow magic, you unleash another attack, much like your previous one in nature, but with far less substance behind it.

Shadow Assault imitates the effects of any single 3rd-level or lower evocation spell that you have cast within the last round. Before any other saving throws are allowed, the target may make a Will save to disbelieve. In addition, the target is allowed spell resistance, even if the imitated spell did not. Lastly, if the spell imitated has a duration longer than instantaneous, its duration is halved.

Shadow Impediment
Transmutation
Level: Druid 1, Ranger 1, Sorcerer/Wizard 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./level)
Area: 1 5 ft-square/level
Duration: 10 minutes/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

You weave magic about the ground, causing each shadow cast to impede movement.

Each of the selected 5 ft-squares is treated as being difficult terrain. In addition, anyone walking through such as square takes 1 damage, as the semi-solid shadows scrape against them.

Shadow Replication
Illusion (shadow)
Level: Bard 6
Components: None
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: See Text
Area/Target/Effect: See Text
Duration: See Text
Saving Throw: See Text
Spell Resistance: See Text

You begin to weave strands of shadow together like the many threads of a tapestry. Instead of a fine piece of art, however, you create raw magic from these shadows.

Shadow Replication imitates the effects of any apprentice mystery, cast at your caster level.
Note: The experience of casting this spell is difficult to put in words, and impossible to pass down in the form of scroll or other magic item, although mysteries copied using this spell may be used to create other magic items.

Shadow Snare
Conjuration (Creation)
Level: Druid 2, Ranger 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area 1 5-foot square
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: Reflex negates
Spell Resistance: No

Running your hand along the ground, you set shadows against the ground to trap the first person who passes by.

The first creature to walk into the designated 5-foot square takes 2d6 nonlethal damage unless they succeed on a Reflex Save. If that creature carries a nonmagical light source, they instead take 4d6 cold damage, unless they succeed on their Reflex Save, in which case they only take 2d6 nonlethal damage.
A Shadow Snare is suppressed so long as it is in the area of a magical light or darkness effect.

Shadow Steed
Transmutation
Level: Blackguard 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: 1 Mount
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

As you cast this spell, your mount almost seems to disappear as some of its flesh seems to fade away.

The mount targeted by this spell gains a 20% miss chance against all attacks. In addition, they can walk across semi-solid surfaces and liquid as if it were solid ground.

Shadow Thought
Transmutation
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 6
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 Standard Action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One creature with an intelligence of 2 or less
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes

Worming shadow into their psyche, you grant your unwitting target the gift of true cognition.

If this spell is used on a non-intelligent creature or a creature who’s intelligence score has been lowered to 0, that creature gains an intelligence score of 1d6+4 for the spell’s duration. If they have not been damage so far in the encounter, their initial attitude towards the caster and their allies is indifferent.
Alternately, if this spell is used on a creature with an intelligence of 1 or 2, that creature gains a +4 enhancement bonus to their intelligence score for the duration of this ability. An animal so affected is treated as a magical animal for the duration of the spell.

Shadow Touch
Evocation [Cold]
Level: Assassin 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: touch
Target: creature touched
Duration: instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude half
Spell Resistance: Yes

You conceal your hands with a layer of cold, which you then attempt to pass onto your foe.

If your touch attack against your target succeeds, your target takes an amount of cold damage equal to your normal sneak attack damage. This spell effects creatures normally immune to sneak attacks.

Transient Foe
Illusion (Shadow)
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 5
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: 1 shadow copy of a foe
Duration: See Text
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

Bearing a small piece of your foe, you make a lesser copy of them. Although you know it cannot beat the original, it can certainly help.

This spell summons an illusory double of your foe. It has 50% as many hit points as the foe and only deals 50% as much damage as the foe with each successful attack. If the foe’s attacks come with any secondary effect (such as poison or disease), that benefit is lost unless it is completely mechanical (such as improved grab or rend). The Illusory Copy imitates all spells known/prepared by the target up to 4th level, as well as all spell-like abilities imitating spells up to 4th level. In addition, any spell-like abilities normally usable at will are usable only three times each day. The values of any energy resistance, fast healing, spell resistance, and damage reduction are halved while any regeneration is lost.
The illusory double may only take offensive action against their original copy (although others may get caught in the crossfire) or others standing in the way of that goal. The spell lasts for the duration of the encounter, until either the original flees in a way that the double cannot duplicate or until the original is dead.
You may only have one Transient Foe spell active at any given time.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 01:56 PM

Reserved for new spells (I'm unlikely to need this space but you can never be sure).

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 01:57 PM

Magical Locations
I’ve never before made a single magical location and I can admit it. Even so, for the sake of being overly thorough, let’s make a good 4 of them.

Shrine of Dark Winds
As the well-versed planar scholar knows, everything reflects off of the Plane of Shadow, including divinity and worship, as the Cultist demonstrates. In some places, however, this reflected divinity groups together, forming tangible winds of divine energy. In the center of these, either built by the winds or by those who have visited them, are usually shrines, dedicated to the raw divinity of the area. Although the area is not necessarily divinely morphic, any being can feel that the wind in such places is “different”.
Lore: Characters can gain the following pieces of information about a shrine of dark winds by making Knowledge (the planes) checks at the appropriate DCs, as given below.
DC 15: A shrine of dark winds is a site where concentrated divine energy flows on the Plane of Shadow.
DC 20: A shrine of dark winds gives up its power to any who know how to call upon divinity’s shadow, but its location shifts awfully fast, even compared to the norm on the plane of shadow.
DC 25: Anyone who calls upon a shrine of dark winds[I] gains the power to call otherworldly creatures to their aid.
Description: No two [I]shrines of dark winds look exactly the same. Some of them possess a white marble cathedral in their center while others possess a crude sacrificial slab. Regardless of the actual shrine’s appearance, it is hard to mistake a shrine of dark winds due to the visible black winds that blow about them.
Prerequisite: In order to acquire the power of a shrine of dark winds, one must possess the patron’s gift ability, the patron’s weapon alternate ability, or must possess the shadow domain (see Ebberon Campaign Setting).
Location Activation: Claiming the power of a shrine of dark winds is as simple as praying before the shrine within, which requires a full-round action and provokes attacks of opportunity. A shrine of dark winds can only bestow its power to one individual before needing to recharge.
Recharge: Once a shrine of dark winds has conferred its ability on a creature, it cannot confer is again for 30 days. Finding it again at the end of that time may be a problem, however, as a shrine of dark winds shifts its location much faster than most features on the Plane of Shadows, as if blown onwards by the dark winds themselves.
Special Ability: Once per day, as a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity, the one attuned to the shrine can summon any outsider with half as many hit dice as themselves. The outsider called gains the dark template and serves the one who calls it for 1 minute/level. Much like other summoning effects, killing the creature called forth does not truly kill it and creatures summoned lose all abilities to summon further creatures.
Duration: The conferred ability lasts for 30 days.
Aura: Strong; (DC 21) Conjuration
Ability Value 2,500 gp

Gengardon Runes
It is said that Gengardon was kept running by a strange, runic magic. The only support for this theory, aside from a few shadowgaunt memories of bright lights and strange symbols, is an event that occurs every year. Once per year, strange runes manifest themselves in one small part of the ruined metropolis. There is always a giant clamor on this date, both by shadowgaunts and others, to reach this locale and steal its power for themselves.
Lore: Characters can gain the following pieces of information about Gengardon Runes by making Knowledge (the planes) checks at the appropriate DCs, as given below.
DC 15: It is said that in the ruined shadow metropolis of Gengardon, strange runes manifest once per year in a random area.
DC 20: Each year, there is a gigantic clamor to reach the runes, both by strangers and Gengardon’s former inhabitants. It is said that the process of claiming the power only requires sufficient personal power and the will to take the power in.
DC 25: The runes grant the inheritor of their power a limited measure of protection from attacks.
Description: The Gengardon Runes, it is said, never appear in the same place twice. It is also said that they never take the exact same shape twice. Even so, the Gengardon runes always shed a violet glow with the brightness of a candle and everyone gazing at them intrinsically knows that they are there for protection and how to take their power, if they are powerful enough to take said power, that is. Whenever the power is called upon, similar runes appear upon their body, warding off harm.
Prerequisite: Only a character with 5 or more character levels can benefit from Gengardon runes, and only if they can claim its power before someone else does.
Location Activation: All that a character must do to claim the power of the Gengardon runes is place their hands on a rune and will the power to course through them, a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity.
Recharge: Once Gengardon runes have conferred its ability onto another, it remains inactive for 1 year.
Special Ability: As an immediate action, the beneficiary of Gengardon runes may lower the amount of damage taken to them from any source by their Charisma modifier (minimum 1)
Duration: The benefits of Gengardon runes last until its effects have been used seven times. One person can gain the benefits of Gengardon runes more than once, gaining seven additional uses each time.
Aura: Moderate; (DC 18) Abjuration
Ability Value: 6,500 gp

Deep Darkness
There are some long-forgotten places within the Plane of Shadow where it makes no attempt at mocking the material. In these places, the Plane of Shadow seems to melt as scenes and backgrounds existing nowhere else in the multiverse exist. In some of these places, the Plane of Shadow makes no attempt as mocking matter at all. In these few rare cases, all of the surroundings seem to melt into an utter blackness, which one is forced to swim through. These areas are known by the Croob as the deep darkness
Lore: Characters can gain the following pieces of information about deep darkness by making Knowledge (the planes) checks at the appropriate DCs, as given below.
DC 15: There are some places where the plane of shadow does not possess any matter at all, instead possessing an area of darkness that no light can pierce.
DC 20: It is said that moving through an area of Deep Darkness is akin to swimming through empty air. It is also said that any who spend too much time in Deep Darkness lose their eyes and sense of sight.
DC 25: One who draws upon an area of Deep Darkness for power gains the ability to see without sight.
Description: There is not much to describe about an area in which only darkness exists. All sources of light are extinguished as they pass through the deep darkness, never emerging on the other side. Someone passing through the deep darkness feels themselves floating in thin air, and can move with mere thought. In addition, each hour, a creature possesses a 50% chance of floating either up or down (50% each) 1d4x10 feet without meaning to. As no ground exists below the deep darkness, however, it is possible for a reckless adventurer to get trapped underneath the plane of shadow for a time, although they will most likely have the brains to head back up eventually. The more common problem is adventurers entering the deep darkness, raising themselves several hundred feet above the ground without noticing it, and then trying to leave.
Prerequisite: Only sighted creatures can gain the benefits of deep darkness
Location Activation: A creature can only get the benefits of deep darkness by spending a full day in its depths, at the end of which time the target’s hair (if any) is permanently turned black and their eyes appear to have been wiped off of their face.
Recharge: As soon as one creature has received the conferred ability of deep darkness, it is ready to bestow the benefits upon another. In fact, multiple creatures can use one area of deep darkness at the same time. The simple fact is, not many creatures want to get its benefits.
Special Ability: As long as an affected creature is not in an area of bright light, they gain blindsight out to 60 feet and cannot be flanked. While in an area of bright light, however, the affected creature is rendered blind.
Duration: The conferred ability of deep darkness is permanent, until the affected creature receives the effects of a cure blindness/deafness spell
Aura: Medium; (DC 18) Transmutation
Ability Value: 1,500 gp per benefiting party member.

Frozen Cliffs
Although the Plane of Shadow is constantly shifting, some places occasionally try to move too fast. When a shadowquake is not enough to relieve the seismic stress, a bit of the ground is propelled into the air, forming a bluff or cliff. Furthermore, all creatures in that area are frozen in place and that area does not move for a century or so, giving the impression that the entire area is frozen in time. By slaying the frozen inhabitants of such an area, one can claim the time that the inhabitant was denied. Frozen cliffs often end up as markers on the few maps of the Plane of Shadow that exist, because they aren’t likely to move for a long time.
Lore: Characters can gain the following pieces of information about frozen cliffs by making Knowledge (the planes) checks at the appropriate DCs, as given below.
DC 15: There are some places on the plane of shadow where time has been temporarily stopped in order to protect the plane’s stability.
DC 20: On such frozen cliffs, time has even stopped for the area’s inhabitants.
DC 25: By slaying an inhabitant of a frozen cliff, you can steal some of their lost time.
Description: A frozen cliff looks no different from any other cliff or bluff, but small hints give it away, such as grass that shatters instead of bending, birds caught in mid-flight over the cliff, and unharmed (and warm) inhabitants that never seem to wake up. Furthermore, while on a frozen cliff, the time of day never appears to change (although this just leads to a more drastic transition when the cliff is left.
Location Activation: To gain the conferred ability of a frozen cliff, all that one must do is kill one of its frozen inhabitants.
Recharge: Any number of inhabitants may be killed at one time to grant multiple creatures the conferred ability, but there is a definite limit to the number of creatures remaining. Generally, a frozen cliff is found with 1d8+2 remaining inhabitants.
Special Ability: Any beneficiary of the frozen cliffs gains time stolen from the slain inhabitant, increasing each of their speeds by 10 ft. In addition, once per day, they may move up to their speed as an immediate action. Doing so removes the speed increase for the rest of the day, however.
Duration: 30 days
Aura: Strong; (DC 21) Transmutation
Ability Value 10,000-100,000 gp (10,000 gp per remaining individual)

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 01:59 PM

Epic Shadow Magic

The Epic Cultist
To the Epic Cultist, faith is power. While others doubt the validity of your faith and others still seek to destroy you for it, your faith has been enough to keep you alive thus-far. At this point, you can walk in daylight, content in the knowledge that few would dare to oppose you and risk your divine retribution
The bonuses provided by bonus mystery is immediately tangible to one who gets half as many mysteries as a shadowcaster. In addition, at high enough levels, unlock shadows grants you a good source of power. After enough time, shadow ritual allows you to make more impressive epic mysteries than shadowcasters as you can use mitigating factors.
A Shadowcaster will need most of their ability boosts in Charisma and Wisdom, but increases to Constitution and Dexterity would be of great help as well for survival purpose, and Strength is always good if you intend to jump into the fray.
Other Options: Feats such as guarded by shadow and living phantom provide you with a defensive edge. Other, more mundane forms of defense, such as energy resistance, epic toughness, and fast healing also provide good survivability. If you consider your casting abilities up to snuff, you could always take item creation feats.
Hit Die: d8
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier
Mysteries: The cultist’s caster level is equal to her class level. At 21st level and every off level afterwards, the cultist learns a new mystery, gaining the usual number of daily uses. The cultist must still pick mysteries using the same restrictions.
Fundamentals: A cultist gains a bonus fundamental at 22nd level and every 4 levels afterwards.
Bonus Feats: The epic cultist gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic shadowcaster feats) every three levels after 20th. In addition, the epic cultist still gets new bonus feats for gaining access to new paths.
Epic Shadowcaster Feats: Blinding Speed, Bonus Mystery, Dampening Aura, Destructive Mystery, Efficient Metamagic, Energy Resistance, Epic Shadowcasting, Epic Toughness, Extended Lifespan, Extraordinary Mystery, Fast Healing, Greater Line of Shadow, Guarded by Shadow, Impeding Aura, Improved Nocturnal Caster, Improved Quicken Mystery, Living Phantom, Opportunistic Mystery, Piercing Mystery, Shadow Ritual, Superior Nocturnal Caster, Unlock Shadows

The Epic Cultist

Cultist
Level Special
21st Initiate Mystery
22nd Bonus Fundamental
23rd Initiate Mystery, Bonus feat
24th —
25th Initiate Mystery
26th Bonus Fundamental, Bonus Feat
27th Initiate Mystery
28th —
29th Initiate Mystery, Bonus Feat
30th Bonus Fundamental

The Epic Shadowcaster
To the Epic Shadowcaster, shadows are doorways. While others spend eons searching for power, you have found its shadow, and you possess equal might. The secrets of darkness and mechanics of shadow still interest you, but there are simply less mysteries left to be solved.
The Epic Shadowcaster has multiple options in front of them, in addition to the obvious (such as bonus mystery, efficient metamagic, epic shadowcasting, and extraordinary mystery), you may also want to pay attention to new metamagic options such as destructive mystery. You will probably need some defense, so taking feats such as energy resistance, Fast Healing, and Epic Toughness are not bad optons.
A Shadowcaster will need most of their ability boosts in Charisma, but increases to Constitution and Dexterity would be of great help as well for survival purpose.
Other Options: Counterspell Mastery, Dampening Aura, and Impeding Aura help to protect you against magic. Improved and Superior Notcturnal Caster can help your casting abilities during the night. Opportunistic Mystery allows you to take great advantage of any opening given to you.
Hit Die: d6
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier
Mysteries: The shadowcaster’s caster level is equal to her class level. Whenever a new level is gained, a shadowcaster learns a new mystery, gaining the usual number of daily uses. The shadowcaster must still pick mysteries using the same restrictions.
Fundamentals: A shadowcaster gains a bonus fundamental every 4 levels after 20th.
Bonus Feats: The epic shadowcaster gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic shadowcaster feats) every three levels after 20th. In addition, the epic shadowcaster still gets new bonus feats for gaining access to new paths.
Epic Shadowcaster Feats: Counterspell Mastery, Craft Epic Magic Arms and Armor, Bonus Mystery, Craft Epic Rod, Craft Epic Staff, Craft Epic Wondrous Item, Dampening Aura, Destructive Mystery, Efficient Item Creation, Efficient Metamagic, Energy Resistance, Epic Shadowcasting, Extended Lifespan, Extraordinary Mystery, Fast Healing, Forge Epic Ring, Greater Line of Shadow, Impeding Aura, Improved Nocturnal Caster, Guarded by Shadows, Improved Quicken Mystery, Opportunistic Mystery, Piercing Mystery, Polygot Scribe Epic Scroll, Superior Nocturnal Caster.

The Epic Shadowcaster

Shadowcaster
Level Special
21st —
22nd —
23rd Bonus feat
24th Bonus Fundamental
25th —
26th Bonus Feat
27th —
28th Bonus Fundamental
29th Bonus Feat
30th —

Note to self: make epic hollow, ephemeral watcher, eventide magus, and midnight seer.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 02:00 PM

Epic Feats

Name Prerequisites Benefits
Bonus Mystery — You learn an additional mystery
Counterspell Mastery Spellcraft 30 ranks Counter spells using any mystery of the appropriate level.
Dampening Aura The ability to cast 9th-level All spells cast within 10 feet take –4 penalty to their caster level
mysteries
Impeding Aura Dampening Aura, the ability to cast All adjacent spellcasters have their spells impeded.
Destructive Mystery — Alter a spell to deal untyped damage.
Efficient Metamagic Any twelve metamagic feats Applying metamagic no longer extends casting time.
Epic Shadowcasting Spellcraft 24 ranks, Knowledge Cast epic mysteries.
(the planes) 24 ranks, ability to
cast 9th-level mysteries.
Extraordinary Mystery — You can use one mystery as an extraordinary ability
Greater Line of Shadow Line of Shadow Can cast mysteries against foe without line of sight or line of effect more effectively.
Guarded by Shadows Shadow Guardian (Mind Blank) You add your charisma modifier to your AC and saving throws.
Improved Nocturnal Caster Nocturnal Caster Bonus from nocturnal caster applies to all mysteries or all spells.
Superior Nocturnal Caster Nocturnal Caster, Improved Nocturnal Gain bonus to caster level of mysteries at night.
Caster, the ability to cast 9th-level
Mysteries
Improved Quicken Mystery Quicken Mystery Can cast quickened mysteries as a free action.
Living Phantom Charisma 25, Shadow Guardian You can become incorporeal for 5 rounds each day
(Mind Blank) or Night Form
Opportunistic Mystery Combat Reflexes, Spellcraft 25 ranks Can use a mystery instead of taking an attack of opportunity.
Piercing Mystery — Cause a mystery to bypass spell resistance.
Shadow Ritual Epic Shadowcasting, Shadow Guardian You can use mitigating factors with your epic mysteries.
(Mind Blank)
Unlock Shadows Ability to cast 6th-level mysteries, You can learn and cast master mysteries.
Patron’s Gift or Patron’s Weapon

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 02:02 PM

Bonus Mystery [Epic]
You have unlocked additional shadow magic.
Benefit: You learn an extra mystery. You must still learn paths in order if your class requires you to do so.

Counterspell Mastery [Epic]
You have a mastery at countering spells.
Prerequisites: Spellcraft 30 ranks
Benefit: You may counter a spell by giving up a daily use of any mystery of an equal or higher spell level.

Efficient Metashadow [Epic]
You can utilize metashadow feats using less time.
Prerequisites: Any twelve metashadow feats
Benefit: Whenever you apply one or more metashadow feats that would extend casting time to a full-round action to any mystery, it is instead cast as a standard action. The quicken mystery metashadow feat may not be applied to such as mystery.

Epic Shadowcasting [Epic]
You can use shadows to create epic effects.
Prerequisites: Spellcraft 24 ranks, Knowledge (the planes) 24 ranks, ability to cast 9th-level mysteries.
Benefit: You may now develop and cast epic mysteries.

Extraordinary Mystery [Epic]
You can turn your mysteries into completely mundane effects.
Benefit: select one mystery you can use as a supernatural ability. You gain an extra daily use of that mystery and can cast it as an extraordinary ability, meaning that it can be cast even in antimagic zones or dead magic zones. It can still affect incorporeal creatures like a supernatural ability.

Dampening Aura [Epic]
You emanate an aura that warps normal magic.
Prerequisites: The ability to cast 9th-level mysteries
Benefit: All spells (but not mysteries) cast within 10 feet of yourself gain a –4 penalty to their caster level.

Destructive Mystery [Epic, Metashadow]
You can force your damage to damage those who might otherwise ignore it.
Benefit: Once per day, you can apply the effect of the destructive mystery feat to any mystery you cast. A destructive mystery converts all elemental and nonlethal damage normally deal into untyped lethal damage.
Casting a destructive mystery is a full-round action.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times.

Greater Line of Shadow [Epic]
You can cast mysteries without line of sight or line of effect to the target.
Prerequisites: Line of Shadow
Benefit: You may use line of shadow one additional time per day. In addition, you may use it after any amount of time has past since you last had line of sight or line of effect, so long as the target is in or adjacent to the last square in which you saw them. The target no longer gets a bonus on their save if you delay the casting of the mystery.

Guarded By Shadow [Epic]
You’re shadow deflects physical blows from your body and protects you.
Prerequisites:Shadow Guardian (Mind Blank)
Benefit: You add your wisdom modifier as a deflection bonus to your AC and as a resistance bonus to all saving throws.

Impeding Aura [Epic]
The core of your aura impedes normal magic.
Prerequisites: Dampening Aura, The ability to cast 9th-level mysteries
Benefit: Adjacent spellcasters cannot cast spells unless you allow them too or if they succeed on an opposed caster level check against you.

Improved Nocturnal Caster [Epic]
You gain more power at night.
Prerequisites: Nocturnal Caster
Benefit: At night, the save DCs of all spells or mysteries known increase by +1. This bonus overlaps with (does not stack with) the bonus from Nocturnal Caster.
Special: This feat may be taken multiple times. Its effects stack.

Improved Quicken Mystery [Epic]
You can utilize several mysteries in quick succession.
Prerequisites: Quicken Mystery
Benefit: When you cast a quickened mystery, it is cast as a free action instead of as a swift action, but you may only cast a number of quickened mysteries each round equal to your charisma modifier.

Living Phantom [Epic]
Your shadows can pull you into themselves to protect you from harm.
Prerequisites: Charisma 25, Shadow Guardian (Mind Blank) or Night Form
Benefit: You may spend 5 rounds each day incorporeal (applying the normal incorporeal traits). This ability is activated as an immediate action and is ended as a free action. The 5 rounds need not be continuous.
Special: This feat may be taken multiple times. Each time it is taken, you may spend 5 consecutive rounds incorporeal each day.

Opportunistic Mystery [Epic]
You can use any opening to cast another mystery
Prerequisites: Combat Reflexes, Spellcraft 25 ranks
Benefit: Whenever you could make an attack of opportunity, you may instead cast a mystery. No metashadow feats may be applied to this mystery.

Piercing Mystery [Epic, Metashadow]
You can force a mystery to pierce through your enemy’s defenses.
Benefit: Once per day, you can apply the effect of the piercing mystery feat to any mystery you cast. A piercing mystery ignores its target’s Spell Resistance, if any would apply.
Casting a piercing mystery is a full-round action.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times.

Shadow Ritual [Epic]
You can mitigate the difficulty of epic mysteries.
Prerequisites: Epic Shadowcasting, Shadow Guardian (Mind Blank)
Benefit: You may make use of mitigating factors in the development of your mysteries, using table 2-3 of the Epic Level Handbook

Superior Nocturnal Caster [Epic]
You can draw upon night as only shadow magic can.
Prerequisites: Nocturnal Caster, Improved Nocturnal Caster, The ability to cast 9th-level mysteries.
Benefit: At night, the caster level of all mysteries you cast gets a +1 bonus.
Special: This feat may be taken multiple times. Its effects stack.

Unlock Shadows [Epic]
You can unlock greater feats of shadow than is normal for cultists.
Prerequisites: Ability to cast 6th-level mysteries, Patron’s Gift or Patron’s Weapon
Benefit: You may learn and cast Master mysteries.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 02:03 PM

What are Epic Mysteries:
Epic Mysteries are mysteries developed from a core of various magical ingredients called seeds. Furthermore, they are made of pure shadowstuff directly from the plane of shadow, making them incredibly hard to eliminate. Despite their power, they still follow the rules of normal shadow magic unless otherwise noted. Much like with epic spells, however, it takes much time and personal investment to actually develop an epic mystery. Unlike with epic spellcasting however, rather than spending money and life force to develop their spells, they test their knowledge and power against the plane of shadow, putting their very life on the line.

Learning Epic Mysteries:
In order to learn Epic Mysteries, one only needs the epic shadowcasting feat. With that feat in tow, the two step procedure of development and casting can begin.

Epic Mystery Development:
Before it can be cast, an epic mystery must be developed. As shadows shift and morph less willingly than raw magic, it takes a mystery-user weeks to accomplish what a spellcaster could in days.
Every day that the mystery-user spends trying to learn the epic mystery, they must spend at least 8 hours studying and meditating, engaging in no more than light activity. If this is ignored for 3 consecutive days, they are set back by a week in their progress (or they must abandon the attempt and start again from scratch if they have made under a week of progress)
Every week, the mystery-user must make a knowledge (arcana) or knowledge (the planes) check against the mystery’s Spellcraft DC, in order to direct their studies properly. The mystery-user may not take 10 on these checks and they take a –2 penalty on the check for each day that week in which they did not prepare themselves. With each failure, no progress is made for the week. If the mystery-user fails their knowledge check on three consecutive weeks, they must abandon the attempt and start again from scratch.
In addition, once every 4 weeks, the mystery-user must bodily visit the plane of shadows and make a Spellcraft check against the mystery’s dc, to subtly shape the plane of shadows to their advantage. The mystery-user takes a –2 penalty on this check for each unsuccessful weekly knowledge check made within the last month and may not take 10 on such checks. If this Spellcraft check is failed, the mystery-user is slain, as they enter a realm of power beyond their control. If they are later revived from the dead, they must start again from scratch. An additional such Spellcraft check is made at the end of the development process in addition to that week’s knowledge check (if the development process ends at a 4-week interval, make only one spellcraft check, as normal).
Perhaps uniquely among shadow magic, the development of epic mysteries is so complex that it needs specialized tools, herbs, and other commodities, providing a tangible cost. This paltry fee, however, is as copper pieces compared to the fortunes needed to fund epic spell development. The specialized equipment can be ignored, if need be, but the mystery-user takes a –10 penalty on all knowledge and Spellcraft checks made to develop the epic mystery without the equipment.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 02:06 PM

Epic Shadowcasting:
Once it has been developed, an epic mystery becomes tied to the mystery-user’s spiritual shadow by a bit of their life force. An epic mystery-user can have as many epic mysteries known at any time equal to one tenth of their added ranks in knowledge (arcana) and knowledge (the planes). Each epic mystery is usable once per day as an extraordinary ability and can be learned multiple times (with a +2 competence bonus on all checks to develop it for each time it has been successfully developed. Epic mysteries affect incorporeal creatures as if they were supernatural abilities. Repeated developments of epic mysteries count towards the mystery-user’s limit).
In order to cast an epic mystery, they must make a spellcraft check against the epic mystery’s dc. As their life force is holding onto each epic mystery, the expenditure of epic mysteries weakens them and the results of the spellcraft check determine not only success or failure but how much of that life force was retained. With a successful spellcraft check, the epic mystery is successfully cast and the mystery-user is merely fatigued for one hour (any successive epic shadowcasting within this time renders the mystery-user exhausted for an hour). With a failed spellcraft check, the daily use of the epic mystery is wasted and the mystery-user loses two points of constitution (or dexterity, for mystery-users without constitution scores) until they can regain their epic mysteries.
The casting of an epic mystery causes the mystery-user’s shadow to quake, multiply, and even rise up or ripple as the effects of the epic mystery emerge from it. This display is visible with a DC 0 spot check.
Metashadow, Items, and Epic Mysteries
Metashadow feats and other feats that manipulate normal mysteries cannot be used with epic mysteries.
A character cannot create an item that imitates the effects of an epic mystery. Only major artifacts, beyond the capabilities of even epic characters to create, can house such tremendous power.
The saving throw against a character’s epic mystery is 10 + 1/2 caster level + relevant ability modifier. It is possibly to create epic mysteries with higher save DCs, however, by applying the proper factors.

Epic Mystery Terms

Epic Mystery
Mysteries that are different from common mysteries. They are normally custom-made and do not come in paths.
Factor
A modification to the base use of a seed, which usually increases the difficulty of casting the mystery.
Mitigating Factor
A special factor used in epic spells to make an epic spell easier to cast. No parallel exists with epic mysteries, with the exception of very powerful cultists.
Seed
Every custom made mystery created by characters starts with a base effect called a seed. They are the fundamental building blocks of both epic spells and epic mysteries, although the seeds used for each one are somewhat different in function.
Epic Mystery Descriptions
Each epic mystery uses the same format as any other mystery, with two additional entries; Spellcraft DC and To Develop
Spellcraft DC
This is the DC of the spellcraft check needed to cast the mystery, as well as the DC for the knowledge and spellcraft check(s) needed to develop the mystery.
To Develop
The first part of this entry shows the amount of time, money, and checks that are needed to develop the epic mystery. The rest of the development entry shows the seeds and factors used to create the epic mystery.

Ancient Fire
Evocation [Fire]
Spellcraft DC: 57
Range: 250 ft.
Area: 60 ft.-radius emanation
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex Half and Fortitude Negates
To Develop:: 5,700 gp; 11 weeks; 11 Knowledge (arcana or the planes) checks (DC 57); 3 Spellcraft checks (DC 57). Seeds: rot of shadows (DC 15), terrible frost (DC 15). Factors: effect large or smaller objects (+12 DC), effect all objects within the area (ad hoc +10 DC), fire damage (+5 DC).

Everything within the area of this mystery takes 10d6 fire damage (Reflex Half). In addition, any large or smaller items within the area (including corpses created due to the fire damage) are completely destroyed, leaving behind no trace. Unattended, mundane items get no saving throw against destructions but attended items and magical items may make fortitude saves to resist the destruction effect.

Armor of Fear
Enchantment (Fear) [Mind-affecting]
Spellcraft DC: 35
Range: Personal
Duration: until discharged
Saving Throw: Will Partial
To Develop:: 3,500 gp; 7 weeks; 7 Knowledge (arcana or the planes) checks (DC 35); 2 Spellcraft checks (DC 35). Seeds: fear of shadows (DC 10). Factors: Contingent trigger (+15 DC), Scare to Death or Shaken (+10 DC)

The next time that the mystery-user is attacked by a living target, their form appears to their attacker to split open, revealing their worst fear. If the target fails their saving throw, they die of fright. If they succeed, they are instead shaken for 20 minutes (affecting their attack roll).

Blot Out the Sun
Evocation [Darkness]
Spellcraft DC: 67
Range: 0 ft.
Area: 500 ft.-radius area
Duration: 1 hour
Saving Throw: None
To Develop:: 6,700 gp; 13 weeks; 13 Knowledge (arcana or the planes) checks (DC 67); 4 Spellcraft checks (DC 67) Seeds: seething darkness (DC 14). Factors: allow self to see through darkness (+2 DC), increase area by +2,500% (+50 DC), Increase duration by +100% (+1)

The area in which this epic mystery is cast becomes pitch black. Darkvision and similar senses still function within it, however. You may see through this area of darkness as if it did not exist.

Dark Simulacrum
Conjuration (creation)
Spellcraft DC: 50
Range: 50 ft.
Effect: 1 fabricated double
Duration: 40 rounds
Saving Throw: None
To Develop:: 5,000 gp; 10 weeks; 10 Knowledge (arcana or the planes) checks (DC 50); 3 Spellcraft checks (DC 50). Seeds: pulled from darkness (DC 20), hidden in shadows (DC 10). Factors: CR 21 creature (+16 DC), bonus on move silently and disguise checks (+4 DC)

You create a double of yourself, as you were at 21st level. The double has only 50% of the hit points you possessed at 21st level and deals only 50% of normal damage with its attacks, spells, and other damaging abilities. In addition, all equipment it carries is treated as nonmagical. The double, however, gains the dark template and gains a +10 bonus on hide checks, move silently checks, and disguise checks made to imitate you. You may only possess one Dark Simulacrum at a time.

Dark Simulacrum, Improved
Conjuration (creation)
Spellcraft DC: 250
Range: 50 ft.
Effect: 1 fabricated double
Duration: permanent
Saving Throw: None
To Develop:: 25,000 gp; 50 weeks; 50 knowledge (arcana or the planes) checks (DC 250); 13 Spellcraft checks (DC 250). Seeds: pulled from darkness (DC 20), hidden in shadows (DC 10). Factors: CR 21 creature (+16 DC), items duplicated (ad hoc +10 DC), 100% real (+50 DC), bonus on move silently and disguise checks (+4 DC), invisible even after attacking (+15 DC), permanent (x2 DC)

You create a double of yourself, as you were at 21st level. All equipment that it possesses retains any magical ability, but on any round that a possession it was created with (or item created through such a possession, such as a sword made through a fabricated ring of three wishes) leaves its person, that item disappears. The double gains the dark template, gains a +10 bonus on hide checks, move silently checks, and disguise checks made to imitate you, and is permanently invisible to all but you. You may only possess one improved dark simulacrum at a time.

Eternal Watcher
Transmutation
Spellcraft DC: 210
Range: Touch
Target: 1 living creature
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: Fortitude Negates
To Develop:: 21,000 gp; 42 weeks; 42 Knowledge (arcana or the planes) checks (DC 210); 11 Spellcraft checks (DC 210). Seeds: warped form (DC 15), unnatural resilience (DC 15), unnatural resilience (DC 15). Factors: Increase damage reduction by 4 (+8 DC), Increase value of damage reduction to epic (+12 DC), increase spell resistance value by 20 (+40 DC), permanent (x2 DC)

The target instantly goes through a tremendous change to their body. Their type changes to construct, causing them to gain construct traits (including immunities and lack of constitution score). In addition, the target gains damage reduction 5/epic. Lastly, the target is granted spell resistance 30.

Forest of Self
Illusion (Figment)
Spellcraft DC: 55
Range: 6,000 feet
Effect: Illusory doubles of mystery-user
Duration: 20 hours
Saving Throw: None
To Develop:: Seeds: Deceptive Shadows (DC 11). Factors: 21 extra images (+21 DC), images automatically respond to attack (ad hoc +2 DC), audible, olfactory, tactile, taste, and thermal aspects included (+10 DC), Cast mysteries from any image (+10 DC)

The mystery-user creates 22 images of himself or herself, within range. Each one includes audible, olfactory, tactile, taste, and thermal aspects. In addition, they can cast their mysteries from any one of them. Each one acts appropriately to attack without concentration. Each one has an effective number of hit points equal to the mystery-user. After taking that much damage, an illusion appears to die. If any effect would cause an illusion to leave sight (such as being swallowed whole), it is dispelled.

Frozen Gate
Evocation (Teleporation) [Cold]
Spellcraft DC: 39
Range: 250 feet.
Area: 60 ft.-radius emanation
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex Half and Will Negates
To Develop:: 3,900 gp; 7 weeks; 7 Knowledge (arcana or the planes) checks (DC 39); 2 Spellcraft checks (DC 39). Seeds: Shadow’s Escape (DC 20), Terrible Frost (DC 15). Factors: no specified location on Plane of Shadows (ad hoc +2 DC), travel to plane of shadows (+2 DC)

With this mystery, the mystery-user creates an area of frigid cold, dealing 10d6 cold damage to everyone in the area (Reflex half). In addition, everyone within its area must make a will save or be transported to the plane of shadow.

Into the Ground
Conjuration (Teleportation)
Spellcraft DC: 38
Range: 100 ft.
Target: 1 creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex negates
To Develop:: 3,800 gp; 7 weeks; 7 Knowledge (arcana or the planes) checks (DC 38); 2 Spellcraft checks (DC 38). Seeds: shadow’s escape (DC 20). Factors: Travel to any plane (+4), Change Will Save to Reflex Save (+6), designate “subterranean” area (+4), designate that area has no exit (ad hoc +4).

The target of this mystery, should they fail their reflex save, is teleported into the nearest subterranean air pocket that can hold them and has no exit, even if that area is on another plane. Any possessions they carry are left in their previous location. Depending on the depth and nature of the air pocket, the target may take cold damage or fire damage each round, the amount of which is decided by the DM.

Mark of Shadow
Divination
Spellcraft DC: 72
Range: Touch
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: None
To Develop:: 7,200 gp; 12 weeks; 12 Knowledge (arcana or the planes) checks (DC 72); 3 Spellcraft checks (DC 72). Seeds: unasked questions (DC 18), unasked questions (DC 18). Factors: permanent (x2 DC)

The touched creature is forever, if intangibly, marked by the mystery-user. The mystery-user always knows the plane of existence on which the creature resides. In addition, once per day as a standard action, the mystery-user can learn, with 90% accuracy, the creature’s intentions for the next half hour (although these intentions may or may not be realized within that time). A mind blank or similar effect blocks this mystery’s effects for its duration, but does not dispel it.

Shadow Thrall
Enchantment (Compulsion
Spellcraft DC: 111
Range: 50 feet
Target: One Living Creature
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: None
To Develop:: 11,100 gp; 22 weeks; 22 Knowledge (arcana or the planes) checks (DC 111); 6 Spellcraft checks (DC 111). Seeds: dark empowerment (DC 12), ebon command (dc 15). Factors: allow harmful and unreasonable tasks (+10 DC), permanent duration (x2 DC), deny saving throws (x2 DC)

The target becomes a permanent thrall to the mystery-user. No telepathic link is created with the creature and this mystery grants no special ability to communicate with the creature so thralls with different or no languages can only be given simple orders. In addition, so long as it is controlled, the thrall gains the dark template. A subject forced to take actions against its nature receive no further saving throw. Protection from evil or a similar effect can prevent the mystery-user from exercising control while they are protected, but does not prevent the establishment of Shadow Thrall or dispel it. Only one such thrall can be controlled at a time.

Shattering Shadows
Evocation
Spellcraft DC: 34
Range: 25 feet
Target: 1 item
Duration: 1d4 rounds or instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
To Develop:: 3,400 gp; 6 weeks; 6 Knowledge (arcana or the planes) checks (DC 34); 2 Spellcraft checks (DC 34). Seeds: rot of shadows (DC 15), shade unraveled (DC 15). Factors: +4 bonus on dispel check (+4 DC)

This mystery has two functions, with one working right after the other. First of all, the mystery-user makes a dispel check against the item. They roll 1d20+15 against a DC of the item’s caster level. Artifacts are subject to this ability. Any item successfully dispelled has its magical properties shut off for 1d4 rounds.
Secondly, the item, if it is of small size or smaller, is destroyed. An attended or magical item gets a fortitude save to resist this ability. An artifact need not make a saving throw to resist but a temporarily disenchanted artifact does, albeit with a +10 bonus on the saving throw.

Siphon Life
Transmutation
Spellcraft DC: 64
Range: Touch and Personal
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: None
To Develop:: 6,400 gp; 12 weeks; 12 Knowledge (arcana or the planes) checks (DC 64); 3 Spellcraft checks (DC 64). Seeds: bended time (DC 13), bended time (DC 13). Factors: drain additional 19 years from opponent (+19 DC), add additional 19 years to self (+19 DC).

This epic mystery subtracts twenty years from your target’s current and future age categories and adds 20 years to your current and future age categories.

Sudden Rejuvenation
Abjuration
Spellcraft DC: 62
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Permanent until discharged
To Develop:: 6,200 gp; 12 weeks; 12 Knowledge (arcana or the planes) checks (DC 62); 3 Spellcraft checks (DC 62). Seeds: unnatural resilience (DC 15). Factors: contingent trigger (+15 DC), +80 temporary hit points (+32 DC)

The first time that the mystery-user would be knocked to 0 or less hit points, they immediately gain 100 temporary hit points before taking any of that damage.

Walking Contagion
Necromancy
Spellcraft DC: 44
Range: Touch
Target: 1 living creature
Duration: 28 days, and then permanent until cured
Saving Throw: Fortitude Negates
To Develop:: 4,400 gp; 9 weeks; 9 Knowledge (arcana or the planes) checks (DC 44); 3 Spellcraft checks (DC 44). Seeds: cursed shade (DC 12). Factors: render target immune to disease (+4 DC), target is vector for 28 days (+28 DC)

If the target fails their fortitude save, the mystery-user renders the target as a walking vector for the black blight disease, which they are rendered immune to the effects of as long as they are infected. They cannot be cured of the disease naturally or magically for 28 days, after which time they can heal through either method.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 02:07 PM

Developing Epic Mysteries
An epic mystery, much like an epic spell, is developed from smaller pieces called seeds and augmentations called factors. Every epic seed has a base Spellcraft DC, and every factor has a Spell-craft DC adjustment. When a desired mystery is developed, the mystery-user spends resources and time to subtly shift the plane of shadows in a way that will allow for the desired epic mystery. The base Spellcraft DCs of each seed are added together; then the DC adjustments of the factors are added to that total. The sum equals the final Spellcraft DC for the epic mystery.
The final Spellcraft DC is the most significant gauge of the epic mystery’s power. A mystery-user attempts to cast an epic mystery by making a Spellcraft check against the epic mystery’s Spellcraft DC. Thus, the mystery-user knows immediately, based on his or her own Spellcraft bonus, what epic mysteries are within his or her capability to cast, which are perilous, and which are simply suicidal to attempt to learn. Epic mystery-users don’t commit time and money to develop epic mysteries until they are powerful enough to cast them.
An epic mystery, being an extraordinary ability, is neither arcane nor divine. All the epic mysteries described above can be developed independently by a character who spends the necessary time and money and who is willing to take the risk. Alternatively, a character can use those epic mysteries as a starting point when creating customized versions of the mysteries.
Resource Cost
The development of an epic mystery uses up raw materials costing a number of gold pieces equal to 100 x the final Spellcraft DC of the epic mystery being developed.
Development Time
Developing an epic mystery takes a number of weeks equal to its final Spellcraft DC divided by 5 (rounded up).
Adding Seed DCs
When two or more epic seeds are combined in an epic mystery, their base Spellcraft DCs are added together. Both contribute toward the spell’s final Spellcraft DC.
Determining School
When combining two or more seeds to develop an epic mystery, the school of the finished spell is decided by the caster from among the seeds that make up the epic spell.
Combining Descriptors
When two or more epic seeds are combined in an epic mystery, all the descriptors from each seed apply to the finished mystery.
Casting Times
All epic mysteries take a full-round action to (attempt to) cast.
Combining Range, Targets, Area, and Effect
One seed might have a range of 12,000 feet, another seed might have a range of 400 feet, and a third seed might not have a range at all. Likewise, some seeds have targets, while others have an effect or an area. To determine which seed takes precedence in the finished epic mystery, the character must decide which seed is the base seed. The seed most important to the mystery’s overall purpose is the base seed, and it determines the casting time, range, target, and so on. The other seeds apply only their specific effects to the finished spell. It is occasionally difficult to determine a base seed by examining the mystery’s effects. If no one seed is most important, simply pick one seed for the purposes of making this determination.
Combining Durations
When combining two or more seeds to develop an epic mystery, the seed with the shortest duration determines the duration of the finished epic mystery. If any seed of an epic mystery is dismissible by the caster, the epic mystery is dismissible.
Saving Throws
An epic mystery inherits whatever saving throws its component seeds allows, but it gains no more than one saving throw of each type (fortitude, reflex, and will).
Factors
Factors are not part of epic seeds, but they are the tools used to modify specific parameters of any given seed. Applying factors to the seeds of an epic mystery increases the final Spellcraft DC but it can increase the duration, change the area of a spell, and affect many other aspects of the spell.
There are two kinds of factors:
1. Those that can affect a number of seeds.
2. Those that can only be used with specific seeds.
Ad hoc modifiers
Many new epic mysteries have additions or components not covered in the seeds and factors given here. In these situations, assess an “ad hoc” Spellcraft DC adjustment for such components of the mystery—the example mysteries use ad hoc factors frequently. In all cases, the DM determines the actual Spellcraft DC of the new mystery

Factor Spellcraft DC Modifier
Casting Time
Cast as standard action +6
Cast as swift action +10
Contingent on specific trigger +15
Duration
Increase Duration by 100% +1
Permanent Duration (apply after all other factors) x2
Dismissible by caster (if not already) +1
Range
Increase range by 100% +1
Target
Add extra target within 300 feet +6
Change from target to area (pick area option below) +6
Change from personal to area (pick area option below) +12
Change from target to touch or ray (300 feet range) +2
Change from touch or ranged touch attack to target +2
Area
Change area to line (5 ft. x300 ft. or 10 ft.x150ft.) +1
Change area to cylinder (10-ft. radius, 30 ft. high) +1
Change area to 40-ft. cone +1
Change area to four 10-ft. cubes +1
Change area to 20-ft. radius +1
Change area to target +2
Change area to touch or ray (close range) +2
Increase area by 100% +2
Saving throws
Add +1 to the mystery’s save DC +1
Exchange one saving throw with another +6
Deny any saving throw x2
Other
Increase damage die by one step (d20 maximum) +6

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 02:10 PM

Epic Mystery Seeds

Seed: Bended Time
Transmutation
Spellcraft DC: 13
Range: Touch
Target: Creature Touched
Duration: 10 minutes; permanent for age adjustment
Saving Throw: None

The target of this seed gains an extra move action on each of their turns. If you increase the spellcraft DC by +5, the target gains an extra standard action on each of their turns. If you increase the spellcraft DC by +15, the target gains an extra full-round action on each of their turns. By increasing the spellcraft DC by +50, you speed up the target so much that the world appears to freeze, following all normal limitations of the timestop spell.
As a special use of this seed, you may add or subtract one year to the target’s age category. You may grant or deny them additional years by increasing the spellcraft DC by +1 per year. Incremental adjustments to a creature’s age category overlap. These added or subtracted years also apply to each later age category.

Seed: Cursed Shade
Necromancy
Spellcraft DC: 12
Range: 400 ft.
Target: 1 living creature
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: Will negates

An epic mystery made using the Cursed Shade seed imposes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls, skill checks, and saving throws made by the target. For each additional –1 penalty applied to these areas, increase the spellcraft DC by +1. For each –1 penalty applied to an ability score, increase the spellcraft DC by +1, or by +2 for each –1 penalty applied to their constitution score. No ability score can be lowered to 0 in this way. For each –1 penalty applied to their AC, increase the spellcraft DC by +2.
This seed can also be used to infect the target with a mundane disease. To use a supernatural dc, increase the spellcraft DC by +4. To infect the target with multiple diseases, increase the spellcraft DC by +2 per mundane disease and +4 per supernatural disease beyond the first. To render the target able to infect others through physical contact, increase the spellcraft DC by +1 per day they are able to infect others. If using this option, you may increase the spellcraft DC by an additional +4 to render the target immune to their diseases as long as they are infectious. In addition, while so carrying the disease, they cannot be cured of it.

Seed: Dark Empowerment
Transmutation
Spellcraft DC: 12
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 20 hours

Mysteries using the Dark Empowerment seed grant the target the dark template. By increasing the spellcraft dc by +10, the target instead inherits the shadow template. In addition, you can provide a +1 enhancement bonus to any skill check, any saving throw, attack and damage rolls, natural armor, or any ability score by increasing the spellcraft DC by +2 per point of enhancement bonus (multiple enhancement bonuses from this source stack with each other).

Seed: Dark Inhibition
Transmutation
Spellcraft DC: 19
Range: 100 ft.
Area or Target: 40 foot-radius emanation or object or creature
Duration: 40 minutes
Saving Throw: Reflex partial

If an epic spell using this seed is used to make an emanation, everyone within its area must make a reflex save each round or become immobilized. You can slow down the speed of anyone within the area by increasing the spellcraft DC by +2 for every 5 feet by which you want to slow down your targets (you can lower the speed of others down to a minimum of 5 feet). In addition, no spells of up to 1st level can be cast within the emanation. For each additional level of spells to be excluded, increase the spellcraft DC by +15.
If cast onto an object, its shadow roots it in place, taking a DC 25 strength check to move. For every +1 bonus to this strength check DC, increase the spellcraft DC by +1. In addition, the objects weight is multiplied by ten. Lastly, all armored creatures within a 40-foot radius of the object have their armor check penalties increased by an additional –4. For each –1 increment that this penalty is increased, increase the spellcraft DC by +2.
If cast onto a creature, its shadow moves sluggishly, anchoring down its body as well. All of the creature’s movement speeds are halved, and any fly speed they may have has its maneuverability lessened by 1 degree. By increasing the spellcraft DC by +4, the target cannot run or charge. In addition, the target has a 5% chance each round of not acting, as if paralyzed. For every +2 increase to the spellcraft DC, up to a maximum of a 70% chance.

Seed: Deceptive Shadows
Illusion (figment)
Spellcraft DC: 11
Range: 6,000 ft.
Effect: Visual figment that can extend for up to twenty 30-ft. cubes.
Duration: 20 hours
Saving Throw: Will disbelief (if interacted with)

This seed creates a visual illusion of an object, creature, or force. The caster can move the image within the limits of the size of the effect by concentrating (the image is otherwise stationary). The image disappears when struck by an opponent unless the caster causes the illusion to react appropriately. For an illusion that includes audible, olfactory, tactile, taste, and thermal aspects, increase the spellcraft DC by +2 per extra aspect (they cannot deal damage, however). If all of these aspects are added, the target does not gain a will save to disbelieve the illusion. For each image to be created beyond the first, increase the Spellcraft DC by +1. For an illusion that follows a script determined by the mystery-user, increase the spellcraft DC by +7. The illusion follows the script without any needed concentration. For an illusion that makes an area appear to be something other than it is, increase the spellcraft DC by +4. To allow yourself to cast mysteries from an illusion, increase the spellcraft DC by +10.

Seed: Ebon Command
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]
Spellcraft DC: 15
Range: 50 feet
Target: One living creature or one or more objects
Duration: 10 minutes
Saving Throw: Will negates

One living target is compelled to follow a course of activity, which must be worded to sound reasonable. Asking the creatures to do an obviously harmful or unreasonable act negates the effect unless you increase the spellcraft DC by +10. This compelled course of activity can continue for the entire duration. If they finish the compelled activity in a shorter amount of time, the mystery ends when the subject finishes what they were asked to do.
Alternately, one small inanimate object within range can be animated (as animate objects). For each size category larger than small of the animated object, the spellcraft DC is increased by +2. For each object beyond the first to be animated, the spellcraft DC is increased by +4, +2 for each size category it is larger than small. If used in this way, the seed has the transmutation school and no subschools or descriptors.

Seed: Fear of Shadows
Enchantment (compulsion) [Fear, Mind-Affecting]
Spellcraft DC: 10
Range: 300 ft.
Target: 1 living creature
Duration: 20 minutes
Saving Throw: Will negates

An epic mystery created using the Fear of Shadows seed causes the target to become shaken. To make the target become Frightened, increase the spellcraft DC by +4. To make the target become Panicked, increase the spellcraft DC by +6. To make the target cower where they stand, increase the spellcraft DC by +8, To make the target die of fright on a failure and become shaken on a success, increase the spellcraft DC by +10. To allow this to affect foes normally immune to Fear or Mind-Affecting effects, increase the spellcraft DC by +10. To allow this to affect nonliving creatures, increase the spellcraft DC by an additional +5.

Seed: Hidden in Shadows
Illusion (glamer)
Spellcraft DC: 10
Range: Touch
Target: Creature Touched
Duration: 24 hours

The target of a mystery using this seed gains a +10 bonus on hide checks. Bluff checks, Disguise checks, Escape Artist checks, Move Silently checks, Sleight of Hand checks may also be made to receive this bonus by increasing the spellcraft Dc by +2 per skill check. For each point by which the bonus is to be increased, increase the spellcraft DC by +1.
By increasing the spellcraft DC by +10, the target becomes invisible. They lose this invisibility the first time that they take an offensive action unless the spellcraft DC is increased by an additional +5.
By increasing the spellcraft DC by +10, the target becomes immune to all divination effects.

Seed: Pulled from Darkness
Illusion (Shadow)
Spellcraft DC: 20
Range: 50 ft.
Effect: one fabricated item or creature
Duration: 40 rounds
Saving Throw: None

Epic mysteries formed from this seed allow its mystery-user to pull a small creature or item out of nowhere. If used to create matter, it creates up to 1,000 cubic feet of matter. For every additional 500 cubic feet to be created, increase the spellcraft DC by +4. This matter may seem valuable but receives none of the special (or magical) qualities of what it imitates and has half the normal hardness and hit points. By increasing the spellcraft DC by +4, the special (but not magical) qualities of imitated items are carried over. In addition, the matter gains a +1 bonus to its hardness and 5 extra hit points for every +1 bonus that you apply to the seed’s spellcraft DC.
When used to create creatures, it creates any creature with a CR of 5 or less, and grants them the dark template. In addition, they have only 50% of the normal hit points for that creature and deal only 50% of the normal damage for that creature. You can increase both of these statistics (up to 100%) by increasing the spellcraft DC by +5 per +10% bonus. For every +1 bonus to the creature’s CR, increase the spellcraft DC by +1. For each creature of the same CR to be summoned beyond the first, multiply the spellcraft DC by x2.

Seed: Rot of Shadows
Evocation
Spellcraft DC: 15
Range: 25 ft.
Target: 1 object or 1 creature
Duration: Instantaneous or permanent
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates

You destroy one object small or smaller object. To use this seed on medium or larger objects, increase the spellcraft DC by +6 per size category larger than small. To completely destroy an object and leave no trace, increase the spellcraft DC by +8.
The base spellcraft DC of this seed is 19 if used to stop a creature from receiving healing (both natural and magical) from any nonmagical source. For every +4 by which you increase the seed’s spellcraft DC, you inflict one permanent negative level onto your opponent, which never results in actual level loss. This use is treated as a necromancy effect.

Seed: Seething Darkness
Evocation [Darkness]
Spellcraft DC: 14
Range: 0 feet
Area: 20-foot radius
Duration: 30 minutes

You bring a 20-foot area of darkness into existence and dispel all light effects within that radius. Darkvision sees through this darkness normally. You can render this Darkvision useless in this darkness by increasing the spellcraft DC by +4 and you can render all sight through the darkness useless by increasing the spellcraft DC by +8. You can allow individuals to see through it as if it were not there by increasing the spellcraft DC by +2 per individual. You can exclusively effect targets of certain alignments or races by increasing the spellcraft DC by +6 per such distinguishment.
The base spellcraft DC of this seed is 12 if it is used to create an area of shadowy illumination. You can give one or more individuals (per casting) concealment in this area by increasing the spellcraft DC by +2 per individual. In addition, you can grant a +1 bonus to caster level on Illusion spells, spells with the shadow subschool, spells with the darkness descriptor, or all mysteries by increasing the spellcraft DC by +2 for each to receive the bonus. In addition, you can negate the effects of any non-epic effect with the light or darkness descriptor within the area by increasing the spellcraft DC by +4.

Seed: Shade Unraveled
Abjuration
Spellcraft DC: 15
Area: 20 foot-radius emanation, centered on you
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None or Will negates

This seed allows you to make a dispel check each round against all magic objects, and ongoing spells within the area of this emanation each round. For each magic aura to be ignored, increase the spellcraft DC by +2. Otherwise, make a dispel check (1d20+11 against a DC of 11 + target spell’s caster level) against every magic item and ongoing spell effect within the emanation’s area. For each additional +1 on the dispel checks, increase the Spellcraft DC by +1. Spell effects end and magic items cease to function for 1d4 rounds. This seed can end spells not normally subject to shadow’s fade. Any interdimensional interface is closed for 1d4 rounds. Even artifacts are subject to this seed. As another use of this seed, you can banish extraplanar creatures within the emanation back from whence they came, requiring them to make will saves or else return back to their home plane. For every +2 bonus to the spellcraft DC, they cannot return to the plane of existence from which they were banished for 1 day.

Seed: Shadow’s Escape
Conjuration (Teleportation)
Spellcraft DC: 20
Range: 100 ft.
Target: 1 creature and up to 500 lbs. of nonliving matter touched by that creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None or Will Negates

This seed allows for the formation of epic mysteries that transport targets through conduits of shadow. You can transport the creature to any destination regardless of distance. For travel to the plane of shadows, increase the spellcraft DC by +2. For travel to other planes, increase the spellcraft DC by +4. For each 20 pounds in objects beyond the base 500 pounds, increase the spellcraft DC by +1. To effect objects exclusively, increase the spellcraft DC by +2. The mystery-user need not have actually seen the place to send the target. They instead transport the target to a precise location, as long as it is unoccupied. By increasing the spellcraft DC by +4, the mystery-user may instead indicate a more vague locale (such as pub, plane of shadow, or castle) and have the target teleported to the nearest such location, so long as they appear in an unoccupied space.

Seed: Terrible Frost
Evocation [Cold]
Spellcraft DC: 15
Range: 250 ft.
Area: 60 foot-radius emanation or 1 mile/level-radius
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex Half

This seed creates an area of incredible cold, dealing 10d6 cold damage, or half that with a successful reflex save. For each additional 1d6 cold damage dealt, increase the spellcraft DC by +2. For each, identically-sized (and identically-damaging) emanation beyond the first to be created, increase the spellcraft DC by +10. To change the cold damage into another energy type (changing the descriptor of the seed appropriately), increase the spellcraft DC by +5.
The base spellcraft DC of this seed is 20 if it is used to lower the temperature within a 1 mile/level-radius by 1 band. For each additional temperature band to be lowered, increase the spellcraft dc by +4.

Umbral Perceptions
Divination
Spellcraft DC: 17
Range: Personal or touch
Target: You or creature touched
Duration: 24 hours

Epic Mysteries using this seed grant you darkvision out to 60 feet and gain low-light vision. For every 10 feet by which the range of your darkvision is extended, increase the spellcraft DC by +1. Increase the spellcraft DC by +2 to gain superior low-light vision. You can see invisible creatures if you increase the spellcraft DC by +5 and ethereal creatures by increasing the spellcraft DC by an additional +5.
Alternately, you can use this seed to take away the senses (sight, smell, hearing, taste, or touch) of a creature touched. For each sense beyond the first to be taken away, increase the spellcraft DC by +2. This use of the seed is a necromancy effect

Seed: Unasked Questions
Divination
Spellcraft DC: 18
Range: Personal
Duration: Instantaneous

Mysteries using this seed allow you to learn an answer to a question about the future with 90% accuracy. This seed gazes 30 minutes into the future. For every further 30 minutes it is made to see into the future, increase the spellcraft DC by x2. Only one word answers are given to the questions. For each question beyond the first to be answered, increase the spellcraft DC by +10. Only one epic mystery using this function can only be used each day.
Alternately, you can learn what plane of existence one object or person is on. By increasing the spellcraft DC by +20, you can pinpoint the location of that person or object. You can locate multiple people and/or objects by increasing the spellcraft DC by +4 for each target beyond the first.

Unnatural Resilience
Abjuration
Spellcraft DC: 15
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 10 hours

Mysteries utilizing the resilience seed grant the target of this seed 20 temporary hit points. For every 5 extra temporary hit points that you wish to grant the target, increase the spellcraft DC by +2.
The Resilience seed can also be used to grant damage reduction 1/magic. For each additional point of damage reduction, increase the spellcraft DC by +2. To increase the damage reduction value to epic, increase the spellcraft DC by +12.
The Resilience seed can also be used to grant spell resistance 10. For each additional point of spell resistance, increase the spellcraft DC by +2.
The base spellcraft dc of this seed is 18 if it is used to grant fast healing 2. For every additional point of fast healing to be granted, increase the spellcraft DC by +2. To change this fast healing to an equal amount of regeneration (passed by two types of energy of your choice as you cast the mystery), increase the spellcraft DC by +6. This use is a conjuration (healing) effect.

Warped Form
Transmutation
Spellcraft DC: 15
Range: 200 ft.
Target: 1 creature
Duration: Permanent

An epic mystery using this seed grants the target a new movement speed. If the movement chosen is flight, it has average maneuverability. For each movement speed granted beyond the first, increase the spellcraft DC by +4. In addition, they are granted a 50% chance to negate any extra damage from a sneak attack or critical hit scored against them. For every additional 5% chance, increase the spellcraft DC by +1. Lastly, the target takes a –1 penalty to charisma while in sunlight. For each additional –1 penalty, increase the spellcraft DC by +2.
Alternately, this seed can be used to disguise or change the type of a creature. If used to provide a disguise, the target gets a +20 bonus on disguise checks. If used to change creature types, the target retains any racial benefits, but replaces the traits of their old type with the traits of their new type.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 02:11 PM

Reserved for variant rules.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 02:13 PM

Reserved for variant rules.
This is not an accidental double post.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 02:15 PM

Reserved for variant rules.
This is not an accidental triple post.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 02:16 PM

Reserved for variant rules.
This is not an accidental quadruple post.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 02:20 PM

Shadow Magic for the Players
I have, after much reflection, come up with a couple of suggestions and warnings for players playing shadowcasters (as my other classes have not been fully play-tested, I assume that players will run into similar problems).

Beware Undead: Your greatest enemy, ironically enough, is one of the most common for low-level parties to face. Against Skeletons and Zombies, shadowcasters are at a great disadvantage. Undead are immune to mind-affecting effects and nonlethal damage. Furthermore skeletons have immunity to cold while zombies have extra hit points to make up for this lack of immunity. Lastly, they both have enough damage reduction to make fighting with a traditional “mage-ish weapon” (quarterstaff, dagger, etc.) pointless. If you have to pick one or the other, however, you definitely want to pick zombies, because as long as you can keep moving away from them, they will have to use their only action catching up. To prepare for undead encounters, try to carry around a heavy mace and heavy crossbow. With these weapons in tow, you should be able to overcome the damage reduction of your undead foes at least once in a while, although you will still probably need the help of your comrades.

Remember your comrades: As shadowcasters are often seen as masters of combat control, try to live up to the part. Even though putting difficult terrain between the barbarian and the troll keeps the troll from charging the barbarian, it stops the barbarian from charging as well. In the same way, placing a wall of fire between the troll and a spellcaster won’t deter it from charging through the wall to kill said frail spellcaster (although placing a line of the aforementioned difficult terrain connecting the two could help).

Keep the Bomb: The common conception that a shadowcaster unloads all of their force at once seems to be true at all but very high levels. Whether you are at 1st level and only have one real mystery or are at 8th level, ready to drop a Quickened Killing Shadows followed by an Empowered, Maximized Killing Shadows, you are usually only going to have one big attack. As a general rule, use it only in a matter of life or death. Even if you think you are fighting what you suspect to be the toughest dude in the dungeon, keep your bomb unless that tough dude either threatens to kill one of your compatriots or said compatriots deliver you a death threat. In this way, you can reserve your “bomb” for what turns out to be the actual big baddie, or at least reserve it for clean up duty.

The Best Start Paradox: Ironically, one of the best ways that one can start playing as a Wizard. Even though they have no ability to sneak unseen, have less hit points, and only one good saving throw, their knack for surviving to level 2 surpasses that of the shadowcaster (if only because of bonus spells). The secret is “A Creeping Darkness” (ToM, page 115 sidebar). There are a few points to this worth pointing out, however.
1. As most DMs let characters start with maximum hit points, if you start off with wizard (4+Con HP) and you use the creeping darkness to exchange it (+1 HP), you are effectively only getting 5+Con HP, 1 less than a shadowcaster 1 would have received.
2. Skill points remain the same when using the creeping darkness, so use it as your opportunity to brush up in various knowledge skills. There is also no rule, to my knowledge, that would make you lose Draconic if you use your wizard level to learn it.
3. Even if you lose your last wizard level, you keep your spellbook. I suggest selling it, because it would take an insane DM to let you put in new starting spells whenever you retake your first level of Wizard.
4. Just because it states that you replace metamagic feats with appropriate metashadow feats does not mean you may ignore the prerequisites of said metashadow feats. You can’t trade in quicken spell for quicken mystery unless you have the required three metashadow feats.
5. Even though it never states that you lose your familiar and there is no errata correcting that point, using that is a cheap blow, so expect all sane DMs to confiscate your familiar as “your bond has been surrendered to the shadows”. Nice DMs might have it be the same familiar that returns with the Shadow Familiar feat, however (except for, you know, the dark thing). Reeeeallly nice DMs will let you keep the familiar (as a pet if nothing else) and give it the dark template when you take the Shadow Familiar Feat. If you actually expect a second familiar from the shadow familiar feat, however, you deserve to be shot… in the head… with a hammer.
The Creeping Darkness sidebar could’ve been more in depth of how the changes work, but most of it is intuitive. Although it was made for another reason, I still think that it is the start for a shadowcaster character with the highest survivability. Also, if only your intelligence or only your charisma is high, you can start play as a wizard or sorcerer, only to embrace the creeping darkness when the other score becomes high enough.
Example of Use: Bergett Mayonar starts as a human wizard 1, taking several knowledge skills along with the silent and empower spell metamagic feats. During this level, Bergett, being the greedy, jealous human that he is, starts marking all of his possessions with arcane marks. Bergett then discovers shadow magic, and dives head first into it. Next level, Bergett is now a Shadowcaster 2 with still mystery, empower mystery, shadowcast (which effects normal spells equally), Life Fades (to knock out store clerks), Bend Perspective (to peer around corners), Widened Eyes (to look out for thieves), Umbral Hand (to grab what he wants), and Mystic Reflections (to look for his own arcane marks). This new magic kind of freaks berget out, however, so he retakes his first level of wizard again, taking the maximize spell feat. After his spellbook gets burnt in a failed robbery, however, he decides that wizardry isn’t worth it, converting to shadowcasting a second, and final, time, gaining maximize mystery, flesh fails (for torture), and piercing sight (for paranoia), which is enhanced by his newly found darkvision. As the new fundamental, Bergett picks liquid night (a new way to mark valuables).

The Feat Temptation: One of the biggest problems faced at 1st and 2nd levels are deciding which feats to take. In addition to several feats that I created above, made partially for this reason, there are several others that should be looked at or covered, for better or for worse. Here are some more tempting feats for the shadowcaster.
Path Focus/Greater Path Focus: If your first mystery runs on caster level, like life fades, the total +2 caster level and +2 DC that this feat provides is intriguing (especially to a human shadowcaster, which can get them both at 1st level). However, this technique hurts more than it helps, enforcing the stereotype that shadowcasters are done after launching only a couple of attacks.
Favored Mystery: This feat, once again tempting to humans who can take it twice at 1st level, is a bit of a conundrum. In the short run, the extra two mysteries per day could really help. In the long run, however, these feats may end up looking like a waste.
Still Mystery: This feat, despite its simplicity, is quite useful. This is mostly in part to that fact that with it, you can wear armor without risk of losing your mysteries. Furthermore, if functions as a metashadow feat for meeting the prerequisites of others.
Point Blank Shot: This feat is another small gem. It helps you with your crossbow early in the game and with any ray mysteries you acquire later on.
Martial Study: This feat is a bit of a conundrum. Taking Setting Sun or Shadow Hand is a good way to expand your abilities, getting one or two abilities per encounter to supplement your abilities per day. However, most of the maneuvers require attack rolls, making the use of this feat limited. Even so, if you use it to get the Cloak of Deception and Shadow Jaunt maneuvers, you will be in a pretty good place, although getting them would require your 6th- and 9th-level feats, not your 1st- and 2nd-level ones.
Trickery Devotion: This feat puts a nice tool into your hands, but it is once again limited to once per day, and even someone who takes it multiple times is limited by a single duration/day. Even so, it is a nice tool that gets better as you level up, good both for activating traps (make it drag a sack of flour) and drawing attacks by entering rooms first.
Knowledge Devotion: Knowledge devotion is a real gem, lasting entire encounters, scaling, and usable more than once per day. I suggest adding Knowledge (religion) to your list of class skills with it, to better fight against undead. Unfortunately, the earliest that you can get this feat is 3rd-level.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 02:23 PM

Shadow Magic for the DM
I have come up with several opinions considering shadow magic and shadowcasters through long contemplation. For the benefit of the DM, let me share them with you.
Shadow Magic Enemy: As currently stands, the complicated mechanics and weak power level makes shadowcasters, in the eyes of many DMs and Players, better apt as a foe than as a player. In fact, as a foe, considering that Umbral Sight, Sustaining Shadow, and fundamentals are unlikely to come into play, shadowcasters are one of the simplest spellcasters to run (only paying attention to daily uses of 1 ability/level).
To keep those enemies simple, it may be a good idea to ignore the feats that I have presented, as many of them would ruin that perfect simplicity (although they don’t add much to the bookkeeping of the shadow magic player). If you want to use the prestige classes and mysteries provided here, however, you could make multiple unique and memorable encounters.

Shadowcaster Player: If a player wants to be a shadowcaster, you should consider, as the DM, warning them that a shadowcaster isn’t just another spellcaster and may need to be played a bit cautiously. Despite some of the “shortcomings” of the class, try running things normally. If the player is smart, they will soon realize the limits of their own abilities and try to compensate for them in other ways. If they die, they can either remake a similar character and learn from that death or choose to make a new character that requires less caution. There is no lost honor for making a character that seems more familiar to the player.
At the same time, however, if a shadowcaster is in your group, you may either want to make long-term adjustments or warn the player of possible difficulties. Even though having a shadowcaster shouldn’t stop you from placing the characters in a skeleton-filled tomb, It may be wise to rethink having the rest of the campaign relate to fighting off the undead horde (for shadowcasters are weak against the undead). This, however, isn’t unique to the shadowcaster. Expecting shadowcasters to fight zombies and skeletons (two undead they particularly despise) for their career is like asking a wizard to adventure on the plane of fire, with their spellbook and familiar, at level 1, or like asking a fighter with full plate and a new +1 sword to delve into a rust monster layer.

Cultist/Cleric Relations: Although it may seem appropriate considering their background, you needn’t make a shadowcaster player feel needlessly uncomfortable every time that they enter a church of pelor or whenever you mention the party cleric. Although it is fine to mention such facts, most cultists have very little to fear. There is no way in existence to specifically detect the shadow magic of cultists (unless a sharp eye catches their shadow moving). Furthermore, even if the party discovers them, even the cleric may develop a similar relation to the Knight-Rogue relationship. No religious doctrine, as of yet, prevents cultists and clerics of the same alignment from working together, so long as the cultist doesn’t do anything too extreme or purposefully mocks the cleric’s religion.

The Grand Unveil: Unless one of your players is a shadow magic user, shadow magic should be anything but casually introduced. The leader of the wizarding guild, the heretic locked beneath the church, and the assassin that failed to kill the king are all good people to introduce shadow magic to the party. If you can introduce it while on the Plane of Shadows, all the better. By not allowing shadow magic until it is introduced at some point, you are (in some twisted, perverted sense) protecting the character against the early levels of shadow magic users, when they are generally at their weakest. Even if your party starts with a shadowcaster, if may be impressive to hold him back from the party for awhile, shadowing them (ignore pun) perhaps, until he/she enters the fray to make their dramatic entrance.

Scarcity of Shadow: Even though shadow magic now has a total of 6 affiliations/organizations, shadow magic should still be incredibly rare. To make sense of this, just think that there are few shadow magic users to begin with, and many of those few are bunched into organizations or affiliations, or, in the case of cultists, cabals, leaving very few “freelance” shadowcasters and cultists out there.
One of the biggest tasks regarding shadow magic is keeping it rare and “different”. It is not required that your players are fascinated or surprised by shadow magic, only that they fully recognize that it is not normal magic. When a character walks through a structure belonging to the Tenebrous Cabal, watching various students learn how to manipulation shadows, you should make some effort to make such sights seem unusual.

Twenty Rumors/Hooks (feel free to post your own)
1: The PC finds a town in which no shadows are cast, despite the time of day.
2: The Church of Pelor has found a Heretic in its ranks after a mysterious eclipse of the sun.
3: The new city mayor has acquired the services of a spellcaster to help rid the town of corruption. It is said that this spellcaster keeps a slave of shadow bound to her.
4: Runes have started flashing all over Gengardon, but to what end?
5: A large series of catacombs, filled with cabals of cultists, has recently been found.
6: From the perspective of an island in the middle of a lake, it is always dusk
7: A necromancer has recently moved into town, but she does not seem to mean anyone harm, simply wishing to research.
8: A Master of Shadow has recently commandeered a large tribe of goblins, and is driving it closer to the closest town.
9: Pitch black versions of the local flora and fauna have been seen near the wizarding tower.
10: The local wizard college has found a new prodigy who has never failed at countering his opponent’s spells, but his opponents always claim that something is weird about his magic.
11: A large section of the underdark is now under the control of the Nightshade Covenant, thanks to the work of an ambitious Drow shadowcaster.
12: A thief runs rampant in the city during the night, but all witnesses report his features to be blurred and indistinct.
13: In a graveyard where a great shadowcaster was buried, shadows and shadow elementals have been reported rising from out of the ground.
14 The chief advisor of the town’s mayor has recently taken an interest in the Plane of Shadows, and has been sequestering himself there for days at a time. It has been two weeks since he was last seen.
15: A band of Khayal genies have hoodwinked a local merchant out of a lot of money, but she is too terrified of them to confront them.
16: For reasons unknown, shadow elementals have been patrolling through the city, floating through walls as easily as down streets.
17: A strange, tentacled creature has taken refuge in the baker’s pantry. It has already eaten his apprentice and his wife.
18: The various factions of the Nightshade Covenant have broken into open war against each other.
19: Archaeologists have recently found an ancient tomb, filled with darkness so thick that no light can pierce through it.
20 The City of Onyx (home to the Khayal) has been closed to the outside world for the past five days. Loud screams have been heard issuing from inside.

Note to Self: attempt to get number of hooks up to 50 (if not 100).

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 02:27 PM

Please No Mouseferatu (A.K.A, Ari Marmell)

I know that Ari Marmell has come up with an unofficial fix to the shadowcaster and I am also aware that some people don’t like “fixers” as I am suggesting. There are however, 2 tangible benefits to my approach.
1. Variety. When most people bring up a discussion about the shadowcaster, whether to make new material, ask if it is worth it, or whatever, 9 out of 10 times, someone points out Ari’s’s fix and the thread sinks into the background. No one seems to feel that new material is needed as long as there is an easy “fix”, even though the continual creation of new material keeps old concepts fresh. Any attempt to make new material is greeted with a “thanks, goodbye now.” By not taking Mouseferatu’s fixes, you make the new additions to the class not only useful but vital, making every addition a new dimension for the limited class.
If you need an example, think of the often underrated fighter and the weapon mastery feat from the PHBII. The moment that a new option for an underrated class came out, there was a sudden burst of commotion all over the boards. My source of material is supposed to do something similar, reminding others that there are other options beyond the optimized and providing a class with a brief appearance of optimization (as all classes are entitled to have at some point or another).
2. Marketability. The simple fact of it is, Mouseferatu’s fix is, and may always be, unofficial (actually, he specifically states that it is not even unofficial). He has admitted mistakes in the original design, but there is no forum (ignore the pun) in which it can be officially fixed. The official Errata on the Wizards website is not meant to hold such things and I see nowhere else where it could be made official, as no dragon magazine has ever remade a class (although we could, I suppose, hope it is remade in 4e, although that is a bit of a longshot). On the other hand, new mysteries, new alternate abilities, etc. are marketable.

I repeat:

Please do not bring up the unofficially unofficial fix of Ari Marmell

I got that off of my chest just so no one would bring up Ari (if anyone can contact him, he can look at this and judge it for himself), not to start a giant rant thread. I repeat, this is not a rant thread (or at the very least, it is a constructive rant thread that should continue to be constructive). Bring up Ari’s fix and I know that the thread will either be pulled into a rant or be forgotten as soon as the topic is dropped.

P.S.: by a similar token, please do not bring up actual “fixes” that you or a friend has made for the shadowcaster. Although it seems to be an equally valid option to adding more material, my approach is easier to combine with other attempts. For example, if someone else were to make a similar thread, a player could reasonably take material from both that thread and this one. However, if two threads pop up, each suggesting “fixes”, the player will have to choose one or the other, keeping any real inertia from getting behind either "fix".

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 02:28 PM

Behind The Curtain:

Shadow Immersion/Desires Manifest: Of all mysteries, these have been the hardest to introduce. So, allow me to explain myself. First of all, with shadow immersion, the problem that it is forcibly “prepared” each day. Since its creation, I’ve changed its cost from instant death to a large backlash.
As far as Desires Manifest, yes, I am making it pretty hard to use. The thing is, a wish cannot come cheap to a class that is balanced by its numerical lack of “spells”. Furthermore, no mystery to date has an XP cost (a trend I am unwilling to change), making the ability to imitate mysteries, create Items, or revive the dead a bit overpowering. In response, I enacted a fatal and unavoidable penalty. A harsh price but one that many will pay nonetheless

The Shadow Exclusivity Error: With most magic systems, the basic trend is that there is some feat or ability allowing others to emulate their abilities (to a certain extent) but the prestige classes are limited to those utilizing that system. Shadow Magic, for whatever which reason, ran completely contrary to this, allowing no outside access to mysteries outside of the Shadowsmith. On the other hand, their prestige classes are more open than others, especially to users of “traditional shadow magic” (spellcasters using shadow spells).
This combination, while allowing for a gentle easing into shadow magic, both robs it of some exclusivity and isolates it as a class. Through a combination of racial substitution levels, alternate class abilities, and more exclusive prestige classes, I attempt to fix this problem. Don’t worry, the flavor of the class has not been harmed. If anything, a new level of flavor has been added. With alternate class abilities, there are more ways to introduce shadow magic into gameplay, some of which flow more smoothly. With racial substitution levels, the class seems to naturally fit into the world, allowing it to develop a niche. With more exclusive prestige classes, you have new ground to explore once the initial shock and novelty of shadowcasting wears off.
Once again, I have solved a problem, not through rules tweaking, but by the addition of new material.

Overlap: I feel as though there is a much smaller and (ImO) less severe error that I should point out. In the Tome of Magic, and in the later web enhancement (to cityscape, not tome of magic), I notice that no two paths seemed to share a theme. In the process of making new mysteries, however, this is almost impossible, for how would I unite old favorites like freedom of movement-overland flight-find the path, for example, without trampling upon the flavor of ebon roads. Making 50 new paths, it was incredibly hard to keep each path separate and there is some overlap. If you think I should rearrange the mysteries into different paths to isolate each path’s uniqueness, let me know and give me some ideas. Another unique step that I did was flavoring over some divine spells into mysteries. With my addition of the “divine” cultist base class, it seemed like a logical step.

Explanation of the Eventide Magus’ Spellcasting:
Some people may be wandering why someone who was trained as a wizard is now casting as a spontaneous caster without a spellbook, why the eventide magus is able to cast mysteries or spells without their ebon staves at all, or why their charisma score is used for Umbral Strain checks. Allow me to elaborate.
First of all, it must be understood that all of an eventide magus’ power is emerging from the plane of shadow, including that used to power their normal spellcasting. The less chaotic energies are forced within the narrow restrictions of an arcane spell while the more chaotic energies are forced within the wider restrictions of a mystery.
Simply put, the only thing that your taking from your experience at wizard college is the format in which a spell should be cast. You are forcing shadow energy to conform to these arcane formulae that you have already learned or that you learn as you level up (explaining why intelligence is used). Furthermore, you can spontaneously cast spells as the energy you need is always available to be forced into the “template” of a spell.
However, the unstable energies of the plane of shadow don’t always like being forced into a more stable form (umbral strain checks). You keep the energies in line with the force of your own personality (which explains the bonus that your charisma adds to umbral strain checks). When you use The Price to cast spells outside of their normal limits, you are literally trying to hold the energy of the spell just outside of the normal template, making it harder to keep from dispersing (explaining the DC increase). The exception to this is beyond limits, in which you simply try to recycle used energy in a way that actually hinders your flow of power.
Let’s talk about the ebon staff. As soon as you have created your first ebon staff (and many individuals create dozens learning about the path of the eventide magus, even before taking their 1st level), the shadow energy passing through it becomes ingrained in you. As such, you can still manifest your spells and mysteries when the staff is not around. However, as the staff delivers a continual stream of energy, it is far easier to use your abilities within close proximity to it.

Abyssym: Overpowered?
All warlock fans out there probably noticed the Abyssym. This prestige class looks amazing. Full shadowcasting and invocation progression, the ability to apply metashadow feats to your eldritch blast, and several small effects tacked onto both your mysteries and eldritch blasts. From many perspectives, this may be the best thing to happen to the warlock since the hellfire warlock (despite a bit of lack in eldritch blast progression, which can be made up for by said prestige class). The thing is, the class was made to look amazing. Every class deserves a truly awesome option. Try comparing this to the Planar Shepherd, Master of Many Forms, Abjurant Champion, Jade Pheonix Master, Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil, Dweomer Keeper, Hulking Hurler and many, many others. This is meant to be a “high-grade”, power-gamer attention grabber, granting versatility to two classes renowned for their lack of versatility. Is it powerful? probably. Is it broken? Not quite.

Inspirations: Intentional and Otherwise.
Many of you out there may think that the cursed walker is a bit familiar. If you choose to associate it with an even darker version of the grisgol (MM 3), that is your business, but that was not my inspiration. Those of you who have the Dread Codex PDF file, however, may recognize the CR 12 Lector, another cursed-item hunting undead. This was my inspiration, although I turned much fluff into crunch.
Also, a few of you might think that my night stone creation was inspired by some (drow?) items used in Bolder’s Gate. Having never played the game myself, this is pure coincidence. I only just realized the parallel myself. However, I have recently stated in the description that it was once used by drow (indeed, that recent drow sourcebook talked of items that become useless in sunlight).
As far as deities, Dolus is the Greek god of trickery and Mutart is a combination of the Egyptian moon goddess (Mut) and the Amazon moon goddess (Artemis). A bit rough, but it works.

Complications
The Efficient Metashadow epic feat is probably the clunkiest thing that I have ever worded, although the meaning should come through. Also, I don’t know the formula for pricing constructs, and was thus unable to price the Shadow Ore golem.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 02:30 PM

What I need from you:
Yes. Although I have accomplished all of this, I have done far from doing it with flying colors, and there are some things that I need help on or additions to.
1. New, less clunky word for the Efficient Metashadow epic feat.
2. Possible construction information for the Shadow Ore Golem (can’t find a formula anywhere!!!)
3. Further material. Despite my work, there are several places that I wanted to touch upon but didn’t, such as bloodlines, flaws, traits, traps, new features for the plane of shadow, etc. In reality, however, any work that is not obviously broken has a place, either under the contributed material post or in my list of links. Feel free to post any new material, or post links to preexisting material that you have already made. You will get credit, rest-assured.
4. Criticism, input, and personal suggestions. Although I don’t want this to degrade into a hate thread and I may not take each suggestion given, receiving criticism is good for the creative spirit and giving it will help to keep this thread alive, so by all means, say what you think. I only ask that you try to tone down criticism towards others who may (with any luck) provide further material, for though most on these boards are far more mature than I, it cannot be taken for granted.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 02:31 PM

Reserved for submitted material
(Fingers crossed) :smallwink:

First off I would like to say that all the stuff on your Descent of Shadows is awesome.

I was reading through the lists and I noticed no mention of the Shadow Familiar feat being combined with Improved Familiar. So here is a list of what I think may be suitable Improved Familiars for a Shadowcaster with the Shadow Familiar and Improved Familiar feats.

Improved Familiar - Book - Arcane Spellcaster Level
Shadow Asp - Fiend Folio - 3rd
Shadow Elemental, Small - Tome of Magic - 5th
Shadow Mastiff - Monster Manual I - 7th

SHADOW MEPHIT
Small Outsider (Shadow, Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 3d8 (13 hp)
Initiative: +7 Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), fly 50 ft. (perfect)
Armor Class: 17 (+1 size, +3 Dex, +3 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/–1
Attack: Claw +4 melee (1d3)
Full Attack: 2 claws +4 melee (1d3)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Breath weapon, spell-like abilities, summon mephit
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/magic, darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 2
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +3
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 15
Skills: Bluff +8, Escape Artist +9, Hide +13, Diplomacy +4, Disguise +2 (+4 acting), Intimidate +4, Listen +6, Move Silently +9, Spot +6, Use Rope +3 (+5 with bindings)
Feats: Dodge, Improved Initiative
Environment: Plane of Shadows
Organization: Solitary (1), gang (2–4 mephits of mixed types), or mob (5–12 mephits of mixed types)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 4–6 HD (Small); 7–9 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: +3 (cohort)

Shadow mephits come from the Plane of Shadows.

An shadow mephit is about 4 feet tall and weighs about 1 pound.

Shadow mephits speak Common and Abyssal.

Combat

Breath Weapon (Su): 15-foot cone of shadows, 1d4 damage +1d4 cold damage, Reflex DC 12 half. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +1 racial bonus.

Spell-Like Abilities:
1/hour - Dusk and Dawn, (Caster Level 3)
1/day - Umbral Touch (DC 15, caster level 6th). The save DC is Charisma-based.

Fast Healing (Ex): An shadow mephit heals only if exposed to any condition of illumination other than full daylight.

Summon Mephit (Sp): Once per day, a shadow mephit can attempt to summon another shadow mephit, much as though casting a summon monster spell, but with only a 25% chance of success. Roll d%: On a failure, no creature answers the summons that day. A mephit that has just been summoned cannot use its own summon ability for 1 hour. This ability is the equivalent of a 2nd-level spell.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 02:36 PM

Special Thanks

Thank you Namo for helping to point out some fixes to mysteries that were long in coming and for remaking the cursed visage mystery.
Thank you to CaBaal for playtesting so much of the material, providing such great feedback, and checking what could be broken.
Thank you Peacenlove for helping to point out a great many fixes and for complementing this material with alot of your own homebrew.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-19, 04:15 PM

IT IS DONE!!!!! (well, kind of...)

I'm going to get to work right now on putting up that table of contents I promised.

If any of you managed to brave the endless sea of text and crunch (or waded in deep enough to tell what was there), I'd be happy to hear your questions, comments, critiques, and concerns.

:smallbiggrin: :smallbiggrin: :smallbiggrin: :smallbiggrin: :smallbiggrin: :smallbiggrin: :smallbiggrin: :smallbiggrin: :smallbiggrin: :smallbiggrin:

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-21, 09:59 AM

I've expanded the table of contents a bit, although its still not quite done.

I knew that the massive amount of text would keep some people at bay but come one.

Isn't there anybody out there. :smallfrown:

Lairship

2008-03-21, 10:07 AM

Just to keep your hopes up, I am as we speak, reading it. :cool:

A small note, the Ebon Quill is said to be white, ebon means black, could it not be a Pallid or Bleached Quill? Or change the description to to make it black?

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-21, 11:11 AM

Changed to pallid quill.

Thanks for raising my spirits.

Also, just edited ephemeral watcher's improved midnight shield ability. Now, it can completely take natural attacks out of commision for 24 hours, damaging the creature at the same time.

Realms of Chaos

2008-03-26, 11:36 PM

Table of Contents is finally finished. :smallsmile:

namo

2008-04-09, 02:27 PM

I'm soon going to play a Shadowcaster using some of the material from here, but I've already got comments about some mysteries.

(I already complimented you over on the Wizards boards, so I won't repeat that part. :smallwink:)

Midnight Scream
Initiate, Voice of Night
Level/School: 6th/Evocation
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area: 20-ft. radius burst
Duration: Instantaneous, then 24 hours
Saving Throw Fortitude half (object)
Spell Resistance: Yes

You enrage the air around your target, speeding it faster and faster, sucking all noise from around it until the air screams in pain.

This mystery deals 2d6/level sonic damage to all creatures and objects within the area, or half as much. Unlike most effects, this mystery damages attended and unattended items alike. Furthermore, all nonmagical flames in the area are extinguished and every creature who fails their Fortitude save is deafened for 24 hours. Lastly, all potential for sound is removed from the area for 24 hours, effecting the area as if through a silence spell.
Damaging attended items with an area effect is a Bad Idea (TM). In addition, it's a sonic effect, so you're basically going to destroy all the gear of all the affected creatures. Either take that out or cap the damage to attended objects to 4 or so (in that case mention that it bypasses hardness) : the creatures affected would become acutely aware that another casting would destroy most of their precious items.

Revise Vista
[b]Apprentice, Darkest Dawn[b]
Level/School: 1st/Transmutation
Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels)
Area: 20 foot-radius emanation
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

The ground in the selected area takes a slightly darker hue, but the landscape does not change at all, or at least, it doesn’t seem to change.

In the affected area, your allies gain a +5 foot enhancement bonus to their speed while your enemies have their speed reduced by 5 feet.
In addition, all allies in the area are treated as having the benefits of higher ground against enemies.
Lastly, if your caster level is 5th or higher, all allies gain a +1 bonus and all enemies take a –1 penalty on all attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks/5 levels.
This one is horribly overpowered : it scales too well. A 1st level mystery to give +4 to allies and -4 to foes without save or SR ?! True, the area is limited, but in some situations (rooms) it doesn't matter.
Make it SR: Yes and let the bonus/malus increase to 2 at CL 6 and stay there.

Finally, we've houseruled one mystery in the following way :

Cursed Visage
Apprentice, False Faces
Level/School: 2nd/Necromancy
Range: Close (25 ft+5 ft/2 levels)
Target: 1 creature
Duration: Permanent ; 1 round/level (D) (see text)
Saving Throw: Fortitude Negates then Fortitude partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

Shadows rush towards your opponents face, cursing them with misfortune.

The target of this mystery takes a permanent -1/two caster levels penalty on all charisma-based skill-checks. The target loses all extraordinary or supernatural enhancements to their sight or hearing (such as low-light vision, darkvision, and blindsight). An ooze's blindsight instead degrades to blindsense.

In addition, for 1 round/level the target's words do not carry the power to speak command words or verbal components of spells. Every round on your turn, the target gets a new save to negate this effect of the spell for that round.
That way it doesn't hose arcane casters permanently, and it doesn't completely neutralize oozes (which often only rely on blindsight).

edit: also, Twisted Summons needs to be based on CR rather than HD, but I haven't started the rebalancing. I'll take a look at the Summon Monster line.

Counter-arguments welcome. :)

Realms of Chaos

2008-04-09, 08:58 PM

Midnight Scream: Admittedly, I think that I typed this one up after reading a thread about how a straw hat is magically immune to fireballs the moment that it is placed on a player's head. The line saying it damages attended objects has been dropped. In the future, if I want to take out my anger on such an atrocity, I will make a fundamental that deals 1 damage if you succeed on a ranged touch attack.

Revise Vista: Strangely, the bonus/penalty thing was something that I tacked on as an afterthought. Its no wonder that I never considered its power. I considered restricting the benefits to hide checks, listen checks, move silently checks, spot checks, and initiative checks (and perhaps attack rolls made while flanking). So that there is no question to its power, however, I'll take your suggestion.

Cursed Visage: This one was created on a random whim the first time that I posted project shadow on these boards. Looking at it now, you are completely right. I have replaced my version with your fixed version.

namo, you shall be listed to the thanks list.

Does anyone else out there have any questions, comments, or concerned? I'm always ready to listen.

Maerok

2008-04-13, 09:03 PM

This is epic. Do you think this could be fit into a PDF? If I have some free time, could I actually make an attempt to try and format it into something like a sourcebook?

If someone could engineer a page background (like with WotC sourcebooks, the fancy stuff around the edges of the page), that would look sharp. The page numbers can be put in automatically with a well-placed footer.

Demo PDF: Chapter 1 - Base Classes: The Cultist and the Hollow (http://www.freewebs.com/midnightmurder/DescentOfShadowsDemo2.pdf)
This demo features a horrid scan of my Tome of Magic book from the Shadow Magic section that I chopped together, but it doesn't look too bad using OpenOffice, which fought me tooth and nail.

Realms of Chaos

2008-04-14, 08:15 AM

Yes! Yes! Yes!

By all means, If you have the time, feel free to turn this into a PDF (I don't have the technological know-how to format it properly and stuff, so sad).

If that sample was a bad scan, let me be the first to say that I can't wait to see what a good scan would look like. :smallbiggrin:

Maerok

2008-04-14, 02:04 PM

Well what I mean is that the border effect (the part that says Shadow Magic and has all the artwork like of stuff surrounding the text) is from a scan I attempted last night. If I could find a better scan or someone with PhotoShop/GIMP could conjure one up, it would look better close up. If you zoom in around the edges, the border is kind of choppy. Other than that things are coming along nicely so far. The base class section is practically done (it'll be 30 or so pages). It helps a lot that the formatting on the text carries over to OpenOffice.

I'm doing it in sections so I will merge the separate chapters as individual documents at the end because it is tough to make page changes in the earlier pages of a section with my set-up right now.

EDIT:
:::Done so far:::
Base Classes - 30 pages
Mysteries - 43 pages

NOTE:
If I ever see someone use Summon Ooze to summon a Dark Black Ooze, I'm going to punch them in the head. :smallbiggrin:

Realms of Chaos

2008-04-16, 09:13 AM

NOTE:
If I ever see someone use Summon Ooze to summon a Dark Black Ooze, I'm going to punch them in the head. :smallbiggrin:

As if a Dark Shadow Jelly or Dark Void Ooze are any better. :smallbiggrin:

Seriously, though, this is the kind of thing that I'd never be able to do in a hundred years, so thank you for you're help.

Maerok

2008-04-24, 12:22 AM

I'm kind of slowed down right now, but I've got the Base Classes and Mysteries sections done.

namo

2008-04-24, 12:57 AM

Another round of short comments :
- Absolute Truth -> the killing effect should be a death effect

- Disastrous Orbs -> cap the number of orbs aimed at a single target (otherwise it's an insta-kill)

- Truth Beyong Truth -> negative levels are harsh (you lose high-level mysteries !) - what about Con or Wis damage instead ? Since Con is pretty harsh too, I'd go with Wis myself : you're endangering your sanity by using it, and lowering your Will save, but you can still function.
Perhaps let the targets resist with SR when first targeted, and if the SR is not penetrated they are immune to this casting.
Add a clause that you can't use it if you are immune to tis negative effects (neg. levels or Wis. damage).

- Volcanic Ruin -> define the action needed to create a new pool/vent (standard ?).

Twisted Summons: This one my character actually took, so I intend to spend some time polishing it. The problem is that HDs are a bad measure of a creature's power. Example: I'd summon myself a glabrezu (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/demon.htm#glabrezu) at level 12 ! Even without the SLAs, its CR is around 12, so you summon a monster roughly as powerful as yourself. There's the War Troll (MM3) too, then the Marilith at CL 16, etc...

I started from the Druid Summon Nature's Ally list, since many creatures do not have SLAs. SNA5 - CRs: Adult Arrowhawk 4, Dire Lion 5, Elemental 5, Giant Constrictor Snake 5, Griffon 4, Rhinoceros 4. SNA6 - CRs: Average Salamander 6, Average Xorn 6, Baleen Whale 6, Dire Bear 7, Elephant 7, Girallon 6, Megaraptor 6.

But the Shadowcaster can choose any monster (possibly one for which the loss of Sp and Su abilities doesn't matter too much) spontaneously, and it receives a nice miss chance. It is cast as a standard action. OTOH the Dark template is probably not a huge boost for the average monster ; you can only summon 1 creature per casting and you miss out on the utility of the summons spells, which often comes from SLAs. You don't benefit from summon-boosting effects since it's a Conj(Creation) effect.

First draft:
I'd limit it at CR 6 when one first gets the mystery (CL 11), then ramp it up : CR 7 at CL 13, CR 8 at CL 15, to a maximum of CR 9 at CL 17. It ends up on par with SNA8 CR-wise. And it should be done with DM approval.

It may still be too good, but it's a start.

Realms of Chaos

2008-04-24, 11:46 PM

It's always good to get insight into my work. Thank you once again, Namo.

Absolute Truth: gave it the death descriptor

Disastrous Orbs: to go with recent trends, you may aim no more than 1 orb/2 caster levels at a single target.

Truth Beyond Truth: this is the only thing I did not alter. Take note that this thing allows you to force yourself and each ally or enemy nearby to reroll once per round, EACH! Also, as this is going on, you are gaining a larger and larger AC bonus, which can easily reach +4 on the first round and may well hover close to (but not at, of course) +20 by the end of the duration. You had better believe that when it wears off, there are going to be reprecussions for abusing the universe like that. By the end of the mystery, it is only fitting that you be useless in combat as a newborn baby for awhile. Alternately, this could make a great heroic death mechanic, forcing rerolls until you die with an AC bonus of 30+.

Twisted Summons: I have included the CR limitations that you suggested, although I was very tempted to also allow CR 10 at 19th level.

Volcanic Ruin: I originally didn't right any activation action down as I meant for the caster to automatically create a new vent or pool each round without an action. As this seems a bit unrealistic, I have specifically stated that it takes a standard action.

Any more questions or comments?

P.S.: In case you're still listening out there, Maerok, how goes the progress?

namo

2008-04-25, 12:49 AM

Truth Beyond Truth: this is the only thing I did not alter. Take note that this thing allows you to force yourself and each ally or enemy nearby to reroll once per round, EACH! Also, as this is going on, you are gaining a larger and larger AC bonus, which can easily reach +4 on the first round and may well hover close to (but not at, of course) +20 by the end of the duration. You had better believe that when it wears off, there are going to be reprecussions for abusing the universe like that. By the end of the mystery, it is only fitting that you be useless in combat as a newborn baby for awhile. Alternately, this could make a great heroic death mechanic, forcing rerolls until you die with an AC bonus of 30+.

Re-rolls are more powerful than the AC IMO, but I agree that the ability it grants is extremely powerful. The problem is that I would never learn this mystery in an actual game, because being useless for 24h is too high a price to pay in terms of gameplay. It disrupts the plot, etc...

A solution would then be to only use it in "boss fights", when the fate of the universe is on the line, etc... But sacrificing a precious 'mystery known' slot of 8th level for a situational power hurts.

I definitely agree there is room for disagreement here. :smallwink: I just wanted to explain in more details why I think right now it's a "pretty to look at, but untouchable" mystery.

Twisted Summons: I have included the CR limitations that you suggested, although I was very tempted to also allow CR 10 at 19th level.
It's your homebrew, do it. :smallwink: I do suspect that summons are weak when you reach CL 19 and I went back and forth between stopping at CR 9 or 10. But I find it hard to balance such an open-ended mystery so in the end I went for the conservative choice.

Volcanic Ruin: I originally didn't right any activation action down as I meant for the caster to automatically create a new vent or pool each round without an action. As this seems a bit unrealistic, I have specifically stated that it takes a standard action.
I think it's decent : it gives the shadowcaster something useful to do without using any further resources.

Realms of Chaos

2008-04-25, 08:06 AM

I just found a way to tweak truth beyond truth without breaking it or losing its flavor. Now, you only gain AC (and negative levels) when you force someone else to reroll.

As such, if you don't want to lose high-level mysteries, you can use it as a personal range 1 reroll/round mechanism.

:smallbiggrin:

namo

2008-04-25, 04:32 PM

I like it. :smallsmile:

The Mormegil

2008-12-18, 03:41 PM

I may be summoning back the dead, but I need to, 'cause man, this is AWESOME! I'd love to have the .pdf though, because as it is, it's quite unreadable, if you know what I mean...

Realms of Chaos

2009-04-25, 11:26 AM

I...HAVE...RETURNED!!!!

Wow, It's been a long time since I've been on the boards. I've decided once and for all that I am obligated to finish this megapost. Even if I have to drag myself to the finish line with cinderblocks tied to my arms and legs, I will do it (I'll try to add something each day).

Once it is done, I will look into PDFing it.

That said, my PDF will probably need pictures. If anyone has or can look for pictures (of classes, mysteries, items, or whatever), that would be very much appreciated (and you'll be among the first to receive the PDF when it is done :smallsmile:).

Edit: Just put in racial information for humans, half-orcs, half-elves, dwarves, and gnomes.

peacenlove

2009-04-25, 07:07 PM

Having played with this material for some time now i need to add that it is an awesome source for the aspiring shadow magic user as well as an example of good homebrewing. I need to make some commentary though:

Question: Does the target's equipment turn to semiprecious stones by te use of the Treacherous horde mystery?

Question: For the without a trace mystery can i improve my chances of hiding through the use of the hide skill (as i can iwith the invisibility spell) or the Spot DC is set no matter what i do?

Insightful Shadowcaster
Your perception of the world has lent you the power you need to change it.
Prerequisites: Shadowcaster level 1, Wis 13
Benefit: You add your Wisdom bonus (if any) to your effective caster level when casting mysteries.
Special: This feat can only be taken at 1st level.

This fet as written is unplayable. for 36.000 gp (+6 wisdom item) i can have +3 caster level? At the very least make it for mysteries 1 grade below the maximum you can cast.

SHADOW FUNDAMENTALIST
...
Entry Requirements
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 5 ranks, Knowledge (the planes) 5 ranks
Shadowcasting: ability to cast 5 or more fundamentals
Emphasis mine. With the Shadow Tome feat you can enter this class at level 2 (and get all fundamentals an unlimited amount of time with metamagic on top at level 5) Was this intended? If yes consider that at level 5 i will throw every round a fell drained arrow of dusk. Make the fundamentals at about 7 and it has no problem.

Shadow Tome
You have emulated the Wizard’s ability to record your spells.
Prerequisites: Shadowcaster level 1, Liquid Night Fundamental
Benefit: You gain a tome of magic, resembling a Wizard’s spellbook. It costs half as much to add new pages and ink from Liquid Night is sufficient enough to negate the cost of ink. The tome itself gains a +2 bonus on all saving throws.
More impressively, whenever a Shadowcaster gains a new level, they learn an extra mystery, so long as its grade (fundamental, apprentice, initiate, master) is at least one less than the maximum grade that a Shadowcaster is capable of using.
New mysteries cannot be transcribed into the tome. Regaining mysteries takes 30 minutes instead of the normal 15 minutes and all mysteries within the tome are regained (as with the normal recovery of mysteries).
Special: This feat can only be taken at 1st level. In all other aspects, the tome imitates the wizard (including a sudden loss of access to mysteries if the tome is destroyed).

Ok this feat is a very nice idea that gives the shadow caster 6 fundamentals and 14 mysteries over 20 levels without empowering him a lot. But i need to make some comments.
A) The fact that a shadowcaster can take from 3 to 7 bonus feats is intended? (Bonus shadow caster feats aren't the best around but not the worst either)
B) I can now have 1 to 3 more path masteries because i have more completed paths. Still i must spend feats. Intended?
That said we didn't have much trouble with this feat (except from the early entry mentioned above) in our party and it brought the shadowcaster closer to power with other casters.

Epic Shadowcasting:
...
Each epic mystery is usable once per day as an extraordinary ability and can be learned multiple times (with a +2 competence bonus on all checks to develop it for each time it has been successfully developed.
...

Emphasis mine. So the greatest of all mystery magics can't affect incorpoeal creatures :smalltongue:? (don't worry i noticed it a month ago too :) ) Incorporeal creatures are only vurnerable to supernatural, spell like, spells (and mysteries)
and magic physical attacks (with a 50% ignore chance).
Solution is simple. Just add that they are either supernatural or extraordinary, whichever is more beneficial for the caster.

Truth is it is too big (hey that is a good thing :smallbiggrin: ) to be evaluated in depth. But if i have any more thoughts i will add them here. :smallsmile:

Guyr Adamantine

2009-04-25, 10:01 PM

My find:

Arcane Acknowledgement
You have taken advantage of your arcane nature.
Prerequisites: Shadowcaster level 1
Benefit: All mysteries that you possess by virtue of the Shadowcaster class are treated as arcane spells (even if they are cast as spell-like or supernatural abilities) for the purposes of meeting the prerequisites of prestige classes or feats, as well as for the purpose of caster levels granted by prestige classes.

After taking this fea, become a Noctumancer at level 3. At level 20, you'll have a Caster Level of 30 for all purposes.

A bit overkill, eh? :smallwink:

peacenlove

2009-04-26, 02:11 AM

@ Guyr Adamantine
Make the prerequisites Shadowcaster level 5 (most prestiges start there) . Add a clause saying that you can't gain more than 1 caster level per level by virtue of that feat(or something like that). Tweak its divine counterpart while you are there.

Some more notes:
In your Disciple of Dawn PrC Pierce the Unreal ability is outright stronger (remember invisibility is an illusion effect) than Pierce the Shroud. I suggest switching them place.

Midnight Scream Mystery needs an upper limit to its damage dice

Realms of Chaos

2009-04-26, 09:37 AM

Treacherous Horde was intended to transform a person much like flesh to stone does. I don't know whether the aforementioned spell does or doesn't transmute gear (though, going by the name, it doesn't).
Edit: You know what? for the sake of maintaining the treasure curve, I will specifically state that gear is left untouched.

For without a trace, I will change it so that you gain a +20 bonus to hide checks against true seeing and a +30 bonus otherwise. Seems a bit more fair.

Insightful Shadowcaster: Most people say broken rather than unplayable but I get your meaning. I have two things to say in the defense of this feat. First of all, it is one of those 1st-level-only feats, most of which seem stronger than other feats (spellcasting prodigy, collegiate wizard, shadow tome, mind over matter, etc). Secondly, this problem amplifies MAD, forcing you to spend resources on three ability scores.

Shadow Fundamentalist: If I raised the number of fundamentals to 7, we'd still have the same problem (keep in mind that a shadowcaster can select an additional fundamental in place of a mystery when they gain a level). Instead, I will boost the needed skill ranks to 6 apiece. Also, I'm pretty sure that fell drain is a metamagic feat, not a metashadow feat.

Shadow Tome: a) Wow, I can't believe I blanked on this. I honestly never considered that my feat gave out bonus feats (a general no-no). I will change the feat so whenever its possessor would get a bonus shadowcaster feat (whether or not this feat is responsible), they gain an extra daily use of a mystery they possess. This is better than favored mystery but prevents all sorts of other abuse.
b)Path Mastery feats are nice but they are not a god-given right, I'm afraid. It was intentional that you don't automatically get feats for completing such paths (As said above, one feat should never get you 2+ feats).

Arcane Acknowledgement: To fix that problem, I shall add an either-or bit to the feat, preventing one's mysteries from counting as both for any one purpose. I'm also tweaking divine acknowledgement. New text below:
You may treat the mysteries you possess by virtue of the Shadowcaster class as either mysteries or arcane spells (even if they are cast as spell-like or supernatural abilities) for the purposes of meeting the prerequisites of prestige classes or feats, as well as for the purpose of caster levels granted by prestige classes.

Pierce the unreal and pierce the shroud are switched and midnight scream has a (hefty) damage cap.

I'll put in a line specifically stating that epic mysteries can harm incorporeal creatures. It sounds silly but I assumed that extraordinary abilities were in all ways better than supernatural abilities (:smallconfused:). I think I gave some other class the option to make their mysteries extraordinary through some feat or something but I don't remember where. Please help me find it.
Edit: Found it. I made that darn extraordinary mystery epic feat. consider it altered as well.
Edit: Found another one, the eventide magus' twilight revelation. Fixed that too.
Edit: The Midnight Seer as well. Wow, I did this alot.

peacenlove

2009-04-26, 10:36 AM

Ok i see your point about insightful shadowcaster. It is a powerful feat but not broken.

Check also the logical mystery alternate class ability

About the fell drain issue if we go with the raw you are correct. But many people homebrew their metamagic feats into their equilevant metashadow, the formula is easy to follow. Still the prestige class is fixed so no worries here.

I like the changes made, especially the new treacherous hoard.

namo

2009-04-26, 10:50 AM

Exactly: Insightful Shadowcaster is powerful, but Caster Level is not that important in the end. It wouldn't be unreasonable for a DM to cap it or to make it work only off of "unenhanced" Wisdom either, or to let it apply only to lower tier mysteries. I played with it at some point and decided to restrict myself to unenhanced Wisdom: it was still a very nice +3 bonus (I had rolled very well for my stats).

If I only had one feat at level 1, I'd choose Shadow Tome over it any time.

Nice to see this is still active !

Realms of Chaos

2009-04-27, 08:25 AM

Darn. I tried to update last night but my internet was fighting me the entire time. :smallmad:

I Fixed Logical Mystery and posted informaiton for elves.
Halflings will follow tonight.
EDIT: Halflings are up and the race post is done. I have even created a link to it in the table of contents. When I'm all done, I may want to add a couple more races (goblins, orcs, kobolds, aasimars, and tieflings with...perhaps... drow, illumians, and shadar-kai [but don't expect racial varients of these last three]) but don't count on it just yet.
Next up, interraction with the classes.
Edit: Put up information for the barbarian along with a new item, the cloak of shadow's rage. :smallbiggrin:
By the way, although I will bump this if it sinks into the depths, most of my additions will be mentioned as edits, not as new posts. Therefore, even if there aren't new posts, there may still be new additions. :smallsmile:0.
Edit: Put up bard information, including a new bardic music feat for them.

Realms of Chaos

2009-04-30, 08:57 AM

Cleric information is now up, including a new Domain feat.

I'm updating this thing daily now, for those who haven't noticed.

Edit: I found one last source of extraordinary mysteries, a class feature from that seven enigmas PrC. In this case, however, I think it's fine to leave it as is.
Edit: I added information about the druid, complete with a new item. I also made an alternate ability for the druid (located in the alternate ability post). A new link has been added, leading to a couple new master paths made by Peacenlove.
Edit: I added information about the fighter alonge with a new weapon property.
Oh, and hooray for 100 posts!

Scaboroth

2009-05-01, 02:21 PM

Great job, love your stuff, yer a Homebrewin' God, etc etc.

Had a question for you, and please don't laugh. You mentioned earlier putting this compilation into PDF format once it is all finished and polished off. Well, in your opinion, how close are you to being finished? Or is this one of those "I'll be lucky to finish in my lifetime" sorts of projects?

Realms of Chaos

2009-05-02, 12:19 AM

A fair enough question. I assure you that I did not laugh.

Here is a difinitive list of everything that I intend to add:

Ways in which Descent of Shadows interracts with monks, paladins, rangers, rogues, sorcerers, and wizards. A single piece of juicy crunch (generally a feat or magic item) will be included with each.
Ways in which Descent of Shadows interracts with religion and common political systems.
Ways in which Descent of Shadows may impact an entire campaign world or even the other planes. Perhaps a variant rule or two will be presented to help represent suggested alterations but this is unlikely.
The Blot PC race. Although I left myself myself space for a third race, I don't think I'll need it for the PDF.
A small smattering of general feats, class-specific feats, and racial feats (for the new races), all of which have thus-far been lacking. About half of these have already been written down.
It is my goal to make another 10 items, another 3 cursed items, and another artifact.
A new type of item that basically lets you weave shadow essence into the form of a soul, creating a temporary intelligent item. With further feats, such an affect could be applied to people or locations.
The apocryphist and master of mysteries PrCs. They will be written in the old format of PrC (like the disciple of dawn) rather than the newer, bulkier format (like the Initiate of the Seven Enigmas) so that making them takes less time.
If I happen to come up with something small, I'll post that as well. I won't delay the PDF for weeks so I can create a new class or series of monsters but if I think of an item, alternate ability, feat, spell, or even mystery path, I may post that as well. To keep things going, I won't allow such things to count as my daily post.

If anyone has advice on how to make a PDF (I have never done so before), I would appreciate it.
Likewise, submitted ideas for pictures saves me the trouble (and time) of searching through hundred of photobucket and deviantart search results.

I hope that my post has answered your question. I may be moving slowly (at least until my school ends in about a month) but there is definitely an end in sight.

Scaboroth

2009-05-05, 11:40 AM

A new type of item that basically lets you weave shadow essence into the form of a soul, creating a temporary intelligent item. With further feats, such an affect could be applied to people or locations.

This sounds absolutely fascinating. I'll try to wander through every now and again to comment on (and bump) this thread. However, my newborns do keep me pretty busy, and lack of sleep has turned my brain to swiss cheese. So we'll see the next time I remember to do anything...

Sethvir

2009-05-05, 01:10 PM

Hey Realms,

Nice thread and nice work. I stumbled across this a couple of months ago, looking for some ideas regarding my 20th level shadowcaster and how to take him epic.

Since there weren't any updates until recently, I had started to compile this information to share with my DM, including the Linked material and had put it together into a PDF. My method, which is not the greatest, is to use Word and then once I have it formatted, run it through PDF Creator, a free Open-Source PDF maker software.

If you have some sort of Desktop Publishing Software, that would probably make it easier as Word isn't really designed for this.

Sethvir

Realms of Chaos

2009-05-07, 11:17 PM

Hey There!

Haven't updated for a couple days as finals week looms in the near future.
Even so, I found myself free to do a night of small updates.

I changed some of the mystery descriptions that were less concise. Many of these were leftovers from when I was coming up with mystery concepts and only had those descriptions to keep the image in my head.

I also fixed up some of the coding with mysteries and placed them in spoiler boxes. I will do some more of this to other parts of the thread later on to make this more accessible.

Lastly, I put up information for the monk, along with a new feat.

RoC's picture hunt has begun (hopefully I have learned how to post images):

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z36/mortanbloodright/Magic/ShadowFigure.jpg
Possible replacement for the hollow?

http://fc04.deviantart.com/fs25/f/2008/161/0/2/02d12ce2a9effe7097e213f823e0064e.jpg
Shadow Necromancer?

http://th08.deviantart.com/fs41/300W/f/2009/021/8/2/Shadow_of_the_Serpent_Riders_by_synax444.png
Disastrous orbs mystery?

http://th00.deviantart.com/fs8/300W/i/2005/339/1/e/Shadow_Shadow_on_the_wall_____by_Mute_Banshee.jpg
I shall find a use for this one

http://th04.deviantart.com/fs37/300W/i/2008/250/f/5/Wizard_of_the_Republic_by_EveLWillow.jpg
Eventide Magus?

peacenlove

2009-05-08, 04:14 AM

Falling Sky mystery in the small mystery description text (in initiate mysteries,Boundless Void path) should be renamed Descending Sky (you list it as descending sky in the detailed mystery description)

Realms of Chaos

2009-05-08, 08:00 AM

*jaw drops*

Fantastic!

This is what I'm talking about.
by all means, e-mail me the pictures (I believe you have my e-mail address, peacenlove)

Realms of Chaos

2009-05-08, 08:43 AM

some more pictures

http://th02.deviantart.com/fs18/300W/f/2007/198/9/7/Dark_magic_by_restmlin.jpg
Abyssm?

http://th08.deviantart.com/images2/300W/i/2003/50/9/9/I_See_Hell_In_Your_Eyes.png
Drain Awareness?

http://www.deviantart.com/download/53848955/Magic_by_Vablo.jpg
Another candidate for Dust to Dust?

http://th02.deviantart.com/fs39/300W/f/2008/359/9/1/Dark_Magic_by_sweetcivic.jpg
Twisted Summons?

http://th09.deviantart.com/fs24/300W/i/2007/357/8/d/Dol_Guldur_by_LordofIZAN.jpg
Another ebon fortress candidate?

http://th04.deviantart.com/fs45/300W/f/2009/078/9/0/Through_the_Shadows_by_kokonut10.jpg
Ephemeral Watcher?

http://fc06.deviantart.com/fs41/f/2009/047/9/b/9b775d5de13d2f8757bf48b794f7d7e5.jpg
Dark Athenaeum?

Lappy9000

2009-05-08, 12:46 PM

How come I've never noticed this before...? :smallconfused:

Because it's pretty freakin' impressive! Although the overall feel is a bit too dark for my tastes, and there is a decided lack of fluff (I realize that it's intentional, and you pulled it off very well), you've done an amazing thing here, Realms of Chaos :smallbiggrin:

There are only two things I could ask for: pretty pictures (seems you're working on that) and straightening up the Index a little bit (like into different sub-categories so they're not all clumped together).

On a scale of 1-10, Descent of Shadows is totally awesome.

Realms of Chaos

2009-05-08, 06:59 PM

Paladin is up along with a new feat (a feat designed to give them more leeway without stomping on grey guard turf). 4 classes left!

I've been keeping the index (actually a table of contents) in order of post so far but I think I see the benefit of reorganizing it. I'll get to that soon.

Another One:

http://th08.deviantart.com/fs45/300W/i/2009/109/4/5/The_Figth_by_shaggy6963.jpg
I will find a use for this

peacenlove

2009-05-09, 01:37 AM

This image could depict the Dark Resilience mystery :smallsmile:

Unnatural Life
Fundamental
Level/School: 0/Necromancy
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous

...

You heal 1 health. This health is neither the result of positive nor negative energy, and heals you regardless of whether you are alive, undead, or neither.
...
Emphasis mine. More so a question rather than a comment but it was bugging me for some time. With unlimited fundamentals gained at 14th level, or by going into the Shadow Fundamentalist prestige class, you can begin each encounter at full health. Granted its personal and you need at least 6th level to pull this off (and i have no problem with out of combat unlimited hit point heal, thats why fast healing exists, also i understand that this is more of a cultist mystery) but was this intended for the shadowcaster?
Maybe put a restriction that you can heal up to half of your hit points until you are at least at caster level 11th or something (where strong healing magic becomes available). This fundamental is still a good option because it saves you from death at low levels.

peacenlove

2009-05-12, 03:40 AM

Ok now that i have the time for it let me put some epic comments :smalltongue: about your high level or epic options. Note that i have only created epic characters, not actually played any game above 21st level.

Improved Metashadow Mastery
Your ability to alter shadows is unparalleled.
Prerequisites: access to 18 different paths, Master Dabbler, Metashadow Mastery
Benefit: you may use any metashadow feats you possess at will.

With Shadow Tome i can take it at 12th level. But put an [Epic] tag on it and you are set to go (although i think its like around 7 improved metamagic feats for the price of one feat (i say seven because the highest spell level cost for a metamagic feat is +7, namely intensinfy spell), remember metashadow feats do not adjust spell level and would be VERY powerful if at will). I suggest making it an epic feat that gives 2 more uses of your metashadow feats and can be selected as many times as you want.

Another question would be why the Path Mastery feat is a bonus Shadowcaster feat while its subsequent feats aren't.

Counterspell Mastery [Epic]
You have a mastery at countering spells.
Prerequisites: Spellcraft 30 ranks
Benefit: You may counter a spell by giving up a daily use of any mystery of an equal or higher spell level.

Well seeing that the counterspell action is weak (unless you take Epic counterspell (from Players Guide to Faerun), which is feat intensive) and seeing that i can't counterspell spells of 10th level or higher, this feat is rather weak. I suggest rewording it so you abandon daily uses of mysteries that their sum of levels totals the level of the spell to be countered. If you feel it is too strong make it a second feat.

Efficient Metashadow [Epic]
You can utilize metashadow feats using less time.
Prerequisites: Any twelve metashadow feats
Benefit: Whenever you apply one or more metashadow feats that would extend casting time to a full-round action to any mystery, it is instead cast as a standard action. The quicken mystery metashadow feat may not be applied to such as mystery.

Spontaneous spellcasters gain a better version of the feat at 12th level in complete mage. Although it is wise to keep the restriction to quickened spells, i see no reason to restrict an inherently swift or immediate action mystery to a standard action one when you apply a metashadow feat at epic levels. The metashadowed spell should be casted at its normal casting time.

Dampening Aura [Epic]
You emanate an aura that warps normal magic.
Prerequisites: The ability to cast 9th-level mysteries
Benefit: All spells (but not mysteries) cast within 10 feet of yourself gain a –4 penalty to their caster level.

This feat (along with its successor) is a cool feat because it gives you an interesting special quality and not a +X bonus to something. Good work and keep it up! :smallsmile:

EDIT: ignore previous comment about greater line of shadows.

Improved Quicken Mystery [Epic]
You can utilize several mysteries in quick succession.
Prerequisites: Quicken Mystery
Benefit: When you cast a quickened mystery, it is cast as a free action instead of as a swift action, but you may only cast a number of quickened mysteries each round equal to your charisma modifier.

This feat along with improved metashadow mastery is unplayable (broken) because it practically gives a number of Multispell feats (ELH) equal to your charisma modifier.

I will post in a few days some supplemental epic feats for the shadowcaster (in a different thread as not to derail the current one). feel free to add them to your own as well as any shadowcaster themed creation of mine.

namo

2009-05-12, 09:18 AM

I agree with peacenlove, except perhaps regarding Dampening Aura: 10ft is way too little to be useful. Only meleers are likely to be within that range, and only if they don't use reach weapons+enlarging.
Plus, they can simply move away.

You could make it 100ft or you could change it to "any spellcaster targeted by one of your mysteries or damaged by one of your Area mysteries takes a -4 penalty to caster level until the end of your next round".
(Yes, I also play 4E these days.)

-4 CL is not even that big a deal in Epic.

I'll also note that the metashadow feats, like the Sudden X metamagics, are rather weak, so it makes sense to shore them up. But Improved Metashadow Mastery does go too far in that direction.
If you reduce it to 2 more uses only, I think it can remain non-epic.

After all, if you dabble in too many different paths you won't get bonus feats so you'll have few metashadow feats available. It mostly balances out, I think. You can always add a K: Arcana or Spellcraft prereq if you want to make it available, say, only at level 16+.

peacenlove

2009-05-12, 09:42 AM

After all, if you dabble in too many different paths you won't get bonus feats so you'll have few metashadow feats available. It mostly balances out, I think. You can always add a K: Arcana or Spellcraft prereq if you want to make it available, say, only at level 16+.

A Shadowcaster gains feats equal to half the total number of paths he has access to, rounded down. So the more paths he gains access to, the more metashadow feats he gets. And Improved Metashadow Mastery becomes that much scarier. That said i am perfectly ok with the option to make metashadow feats usable an additional 2 times per day (stackable with metashadow mastery) at the level it was intended to (18th +)

namo

2009-05-12, 05:31 PM

My bad, I was mixing up the DoS rules with the designer fix that shall not be named (that's what we used a year ago when I played a shadowcaster).

But with the ToM rules, you'd only know level 1 and 4 powers if you had 18 different paths at level 12: again, this is a big penalty in itself.

Still, level 18 is fine by me. :smallsmile:

Krimm_Blackleaf

2009-05-12, 06:52 PM

Might I provide this handy link (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84320) for you all?

Realms of Chaos

2009-05-15, 08:45 AM

Gah! Stupid Finals!
I will be in the midst of hell for the next week (until friday, when I am free at last).
Until then, I guess I can respond to what has been said.

Unnatural Life: Yeah, I think I will limit it to a maximum of 1/2 maximum health.

Improved Metashadow Mastery: I think that I will do away with this feat and simply allow normal metashadow mastery to be taken multiple times, up to a number of times equal to your intelligence modifier (perhaps).
With the abolisment of improved metashadow mastery, I will produce a new epic feat that allows you to choose a metashadow feat with uses per day and use it at will.

Counterspell Mastery: Yeah, I think I will go with that advice.

Efficient Metashadow: I honestly forgot about the couple of mysteries that can be cast as swift and immediate actions.

Dampening Aura: I think I will extend the base range to 30 feet (like most auras) and allow the feat to be taken multiple times, extending the range by 30 feet and bolstering the penalty by -1 each time.

Improved Quicken Mystery: I'll have improved quicken mystery function as the regular multispell feat, except that it can only be taken a number of times up to your charisma modifier (an epic shadowcaster can get feats every other level in addition to the feats from class levels and epic class levels, making it two dangerous to truly let them take it any number of times).

Krimm, thank you so much for the disciple of the void PrC. That is simply awesome and I will add it.

Another thing that I've been looking for (if anyone else could find it on these boards) was an older Shadow Magic base class on these boards who had power over omens and luck and who eventually could kill themselves to take away a god's auto-20 ability. I thought it was called the harbinger but the search function didn't find anything.

Alas, I won't be able to make any of these modifiications right at the moment (stupid finals). Starting next friday, I will go into overdrive with this thing.

PS: Peacenlove and Krimm, I would ask if it would be okay to include the links you have provided me in the finished PDF (giving you full credit, of course). I think that I'll use the other links as well (I'll credit the authors and wish that I could ask their permission but I somehow doubt that they still visit the forums where they first posted their work). Also, I request permission of Peacenlove to reverse engineer his material to 3.5 (I will likely make a pathfinder thing afterwards but I wanted to start with what I was truly familiar with).

PSS: I'm still waiting for the collection of pictures you said that you had laying around, Peacenlove. :smallsmile:. Perhaps you could put them on the forum, in spoiler boxes, over the course of a few (or a few dozen) posts.

EDIT: What I post here is under the assumption that not every metamagic feat in existance has a metashadow equivalent. This seems logical considering that not every metamagic feat has a sudden metamagic equivalent. Take note that I have not created fell drain mystery or intensify mystery. That is for a reason. Namely, in order to offer metashadow at will abilities to any degree (as found in the shadow fundamentalist), some metamagic feats have to be specifically ignored.
If you intend to use this homebrew and simultaneously homebrew every single metamagic feat as a metashadow feat, you may have to add some limiting factor to either this or to some of your newly created feat, as is appropriate.

peacenlove

2009-05-15, 05:53 PM

Peacenlove and Krimm, I would ask if it would be okay to include the links you have provided me in the finished PDF (giving you full credit, of course). I think that I'll use the other links as well (I'll credit the authors and wish that I could ask their permission but I somehow doubt that they still visit the forums where they first posted their work). Also, I request permission of Peacenlove to reverse engineer his material to 3.5 (I will likely make a pathfinder thing afterwards but I wanted to start with what I was truly familiar with).

You have full permission to use my material to your pdf since their original purpose was to supplement your material. Also now i am at vacation and away of my hard drive but when i return i will add some more mysteries and feats to the mix, to their relative thread. feel free to add them too. As for the images i have some trouble with my ISP. I will upload them via a rapidshare-like tool when i can but since rapidshare is sucky i will need to find an alternate source. Alternatively i will use the forums when i make an account at photobucket.

EDIT: What I post here is under the assumption that not every metamagic feat in existance has a metashadow equivalent. This seems logical considering that not every metamagic feat has a sudden metamagic equivalent. Take note that I have not created fell drain mystery or intensify mystery. That is for a reason. Namely, in order to offer metashadow at will abilities to any degree (as found in the shadow fundamentalist), some metamagic feats have to be specifically ignored.
If you intend to use this homebrew and simultaneously homebrew every single metamagic feat as a metashadow feat, you may have to add some limiting factor to either this or to some of your newly created feat, as is appropriate.

The problem with at will abilities is that they should be given with moderation. Metamagic feats do change the spell level of the spell used upon them for a reason (some are bad some are good and some are core :smallwink:). If you take away that, no matter the restriction, you ruin the balance. True, metashadow feats are weak (heck even their spell like counterparts, for example empower spell like ability are of moderate power, since you can get the same effect from a rod) but making them 3 times (or 4 in high powered campaigns) i thing its a good top benchmark for power, pre-epic of course (after epic at will metashadows balance as with Improved metamagic for magic users so no problems giving that ability there).
But i get your point, i will critique on your work by using only core and Tome of Magic material for comparison :smallsmile:
My 2 cents take as you will :smallsmile:

EDIT: Another question

Shadowy Stunt
...
Class: Rogue
Special Requirement: Knowledge (the planes) 5 ranks
Level: 10th,13th,16, or 19th
Replaces: This alternate class feature replaces the special ability gained at each level that it is taken.
Benefit: The Rogue selects any Fundamental of Shadow or Apprentice Mystery and can cast it as a shadowcaster with a caster level of 1/2 the rogue’s class level, so long as their intelligence score is at least 10+the mystery’s level. The save dc of the mystery is determined by the Rogues Charisma modifier.
How many times per day and at which grade (i.e. spell, spell like ability, supernatural ability) do they use the mystery?

Realms of Chaos

2009-05-16, 08:28 AM

For Metamagic feats, assume the following aren't being converted:
1. Any metamagic feat that could be applied to a generic area/target spell that had no effect and could win the battle anyways (fell drain was a mistake, ImO).
2. Any metamagic feat that with a modifier of greater than +4. Notice that there is no sudden persist spell feat. If there was, it would be the only sudden spell feat that was overpowered. Regardless of times per day, granting something like that would be crazy.

Then again, I might make a converted (and weakened) version of fell drain as a metashadow feat that isn't overpowered when used at will (either allowing saves to resist the negative level and render themselves immune for 24 hours or by limiting it to 1 [or a couple] negative levels per victim). In this way, people are less liable to form their own crazy version.

One thing that you may be right about, however, is only allowing metashadow mastery to be taken two or three times.

peacenlove

2009-05-16, 08:06 PM

2. Any metamagic feat that with a modifier of greater than +4. Notice that there is no sudden persist spell feat. If there was, it would be the only sudden spell feat that was overpowered. Regardless of times per day, granting something like that would be crazy.

Check your feats section then, it starts with a Persistent :smallbiggrin:
(Thats one of the reasons i was going all out on metamagic-metashadow comparison). But you do not have to remove it completely. I have seen a suggestion in the WotC forums (don't remember where, but the user was named veekie), that makes Persistent spell a +2 metamagic feat and increases the duration of the spell by one step (concentration -> 1 round/level -> 1 minute/level -> 10 minutes/level -> 1 hour/level -> 24 hours). One round duration spells are specifically out but it allowed some flexibility for the "strange" durations, like 1 minute and such. Give it another name and you are set to go!

Krimm_Blackleaf

2009-05-17, 12:32 AM

No problem, go ahead and use whatever of mine you please.:smallbiggrin:

Realms of Chaos

2009-05-17, 09:14 PM

Oh... I should check my own work before I comment on it. :smallredface: While you're right in that I could make it simply lengthen the duration, I think that I have another solution. I think that I'll change it so that it isn't a metashadow feat any longer but closely imitates the innate spell feat (choose a mystery you can use when you select the feat of the second-highest grade or lower and with a duration longer than 1 round. That mystery is automatically cast when you regain your mysteries but it's duration is 24 hours. Take multiple times [up to 3] to get more mysteries).

As for the pictures, more awesome images, I am glad to say. That picture whose purpose you couldn't quite define seems like an awesome introduction to the new magic item type I am formulating (weaving together a soul from shadowstuff). Soon I will search for a picture of a shadowy/haunted sword, room, and person to go along with it. :smallbiggrin:

Very many thanks to you, Krimm. As always, I must say that I found your class to be refined and yet simplistic, oozing in flavor with a satisfying crunchy center. Now I want to work more on the void a bit. (well, that can wait for v1.1 of the pdf...probably).

I'm sorry for keeping all of you guys hanging. 5 days of finals and then I will be free once more. Muwhahaha.

peacenlove

2009-05-18, 12:23 AM

Good idea with the innate-persistent combo! Well as an afterthought you need not waste time by converting all the metamagic feats in all obscure sources. Just add a "Behind the Scenes" stating that "look you can convert all metamagic to metashadow but (unless you want a cheesy campaign) a) add a save to those who add an effect b) do not add metamagic of greater than +4 value" and stating your reasoning there. That way readers will be warned and can adjust the power level of the feats accordingly.

Some of the extra work i promised to you

(planning to do also warlock invocations, 2 vestiges (Shadow King, Volumvax: both of faerunian origin), Some mysteries inspired by World of Warcraft and some other stuff i will brainstorm upon (mostly feats taken by WotC sources and retooled into shadowcaster but other stuff too)

FEATS

Dark Magic Scholar
Prerequisites: Shadow caster level 19th.
You continue to unravel the hidden secrets of the shadows.
Benefit: Your Master mysteries become Spell Like abilities, gaining extra uses per day and following all the normal rules for spell like abilities.

Dark Magic Master [Epic]
Your revelations over the powers of shadows grant you terrifying abilities.
Prerequisites: Dark Magic Scholar, Shadow caster level 25th.
Benefit: Your Initiate mysteries become Supernatural abilities, gaining extra uses per day and following all the normal rules for supernatural abilities.

Dark Magic Ascendant [Epic]
There are but a few secrets eluding your grasp.
Prerequisites: Dark Magic Master, Shadow caster level 31th.
Benefit: Your Master mysteries become Supernatural abilities, gaining extra uses per day and following all the normal rules for supernatural abilities.

Apprentice Void Mysteries [Epic]
You unlock a new type of mysteries, the Void mysteries, which draw directly through the connective forces that bind the material and the shadow plane.
Prerequisites: Dark Magic Ascendant, Epic Shadow Casting, Shadow caster level 37th
Benefit: You may choose to cast an apprentice mystery as an extraordinary ability, following all the normal rules for extraordinary abilities. This ability is usable at will.

Initiate Void Mysteries [Epic]
Your studies of the Void mysteries has paid off.
Prerequisites: Dark Magic Ascendant, Epic Shadow Casting, Apprentice Void Mysteries,
Shadow caster level 43th
Benefit: You may choose to cast an initiate mystery as an extraordinary ability, following all the normal rules for extraordinary abilities. This ability is usable at will.

Master Void Mysteries [Epic]
Your magic becomes as natural as the environment itself.
Prerequisites: Dark Magic Ascendant, Epic Shadow Casting, Apprentice Void Mysteries,
Initiate Void Mysteries, Shadow caster level 49th
Benefit: You may choose to cast a master mystery as an extraordinary ability, following all the normal rules for extraordinary abilities. This ability is usable at will.

Favored in Guild (Tenebrous Cabal)
You become a crucial high ranking member of the Tenebrous Cabal
Prerequisites: Tenebrous Cabal affiliation score 15 or greater
Benefit: Once per day you can use Shadow walk or Plane Shift to any plane Conterminous with the Plane of Shadows. You must use a special token granted by the organization and if the token is lost the benefits of this feat are also lost unless you spend 2.000 GP and 1 week time to acquire a new one. You can only affect yourself and anybody bearing this special token with the aforementioned spells.
In addition you gain a bonus to diplomacy checks equal to 1/3 your affiliation score when dealing with members of your affiliation.

Versatile Shadow caster (adapted from races of the dragon)
You can use two lower-level mysteries to cast a spell one level higher.
Prerequisite: Ability to cast mysteries.
Benefit: You can use two mysteries of the same level to cast a mystery you know that is one level higher. For example, a Shadow caster with this feat can expend two 2nd-level mysteries to cast any 3rd-level mystery he knows. You cannot use fundamentals to power up this feat.

Revitalizing Shadow [Epic]
You gain even more power and nourishment from your shadow.
Prerequisites: Greater Sustaining Shadow
Benefit: You gain fast healing 2 that stacks with any preexisting natural healing gained through feat, racial or class abilities.
In addition you need 1 hour less to reclaim your mysteries.
Special: The effects of this feat stack up to seven times.

TENEMBROUS CABAL ORGANIZATION

For Details see Tome of Magic page 170

Scale: 18 (Plane of Shadow)

Positive Criteria:

Every Character level : + ½ per level
Can cast Illusion (Shadow) spells or mystery user: + ½
Can cast Illusion (Shadow) spells or mystery user (3rd level or greater spells/mysteries): + ½
Can cast Illusion (Shadow) spells or mystery user (6th level or greater spells/mysteries): + 1
Has 5 ranks in Spell craft: + ½
Has 10 ranks in Spell craft: + ½
Completes a mission assigned by the affiliation: + ½
Recruits a new member in the affiliation (once per month): + ½
Defeats a violent enemy of the affiliation in combat (CR must be greater of the character's level): + 1/16 of the creature's CR (minimum ½ )
Razes a stronghold of one of the affiliation's enemies: +2
Negative Criteria:

Known to be friendly with opposing affiliation or/and misuses shadow magic openly:
-2 to -20
Lacks ability to cast fundamentals or Illusion (Shadow) spells: -10
Lacks ranks in Spell craft: -3
Has spent less than a month each year to fulfill duties in the Bleak Academy: -4
Fails a mission given by the affiliation: -1

Affiliation Score and Benefits:

0-3: Not affiliated
The affiliation blocks access to its facilities altogether and isn't even considering recruiting you.

4-9: Student
You are a junior member of the Tenebrous Cabal and can advance normally in the ranks.

10-15: Graduate of the Bleak Academy
You can use the extensive libraries of the Bleak Academy. You gain a +3 bonus on Knowledge (arcana) and (planes) while there.

16-21: Tutor of the Bleak Academy
You can share knowledge with other graduates. Once per month you may trade spell books with another member if a prepared caster or you can retrain a mystery or spell if a mystery caster or spontaneous caster.

22-29: Seeker of the Enigmas
You can use equipment in order to help you with your studies. While crafting any items in the Bleak academy, you do so with a 10% discount on cost and time.

30+: Member of the Parliament of Shadows
Once per month you can borrow a magic item of up to 30.000 GP in value for 5 days. The guild's capital is decreased by 1 for that time.

NEW MYSTERIES
Shadow Conjuration
Initiate, Dark Creation
Level/School: 4th/Illusion (Shadow)

As per the Shadow Conjuration spell (PHB) except as noted above, and it can mimic a Conjuration (creation) or (summoning) of up to 4th level.

Black Steed
Initiate, Dark Creation
Level/School: 5th/Conjuration (Creation)

As per the Phantom Steed spell (PHB) except as noted above and with the following changes:
1) The casting time is 1 standard action as normal for mysteries.
2) Double its hit points and carrying capacity.
3) Maximum speed is 300 feet.
4) The mount gains a bonus to its stealth checks equal to your caster level.
At Caster level 16 it gains the Shadow Blend and Fast Healing 2 qualities of a Shadow Creature (Lords of Madness)
At Caster level 20, the mount is immune to non magical attacks.

Greater Shadow Conjuration
Initiate, Dark Creation
Level/School: 6th/Illusion (Shadow)

As per the Greater Shadow Conjuration spell (PHB) except as noted above.

Path Mastery (Dark Creation) (Initiate)
Master of Shaping
You become expert at the craft of manipulating shadow essence to your desired ends, as well as distinguishing what is real and what is not.
Benefit: Mysteries with the [Shadow] descriptor are 10% more real and gain a +2 bonus on penetration rolls if applicable. Furthermore you do not need to interact with illusions to merit a saving throw to disbelieve, witnessing it is enough.

On Krimm's work

Actually his Void incantations are very cool and offer many options for expanding them especially in the epic levels. For example need a better dispel? Make a Void incantantion feat that needs Greater shadows fade nd upgrades it into reaving dispel. Need to flavor Consume essence with an evil touch? Make a Void incantantion feat that lets you keep the soul of the deceased creature for 1 hour granting you a benefit. Need some cool ability? Make it a Void feat. They could be their own category and when you take a Void feat you take a -1 cumulative penalty to wisdom checks and gain a +1 bonus to intelligence checks for example), and since the base abilities are loosely connected, the feats can be whatever you want.

Dark Mistress

2009-06-03, 12:40 PM

Just found out about this project. I have not read most of it yet but I slowly am. So far very good, just wanted to stop in a say that.

Dark Mistress

2009-06-03, 11:31 PM

Those where some very nice pictures peacenlove.

peacenlove

2009-06-04, 12:42 PM

Thank you :smallsmile: more will come soon
now lets look upon another mystery

Immortal Shadow
Master, Endless Void
Level/School: 9th/Transmutation
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 24 hours

Disregarding laws of time, you steal back that which has been lost

Within shadows, time has no meaning. A shadow that was is a shadow that is is a shadow that will be. All that changes is the shadow’s location. Drawing upon this principle, this mystery not only stops aging for the mystery’s duration but reverts the mystery user to the next youngest age category (changing physical ability scores but not mental ability scores). Multiple castings of this mystery results not in a stacking of age regression but an overlapping of duration.

I must say that this is a very flavorful mystery but as written it has some problems (and its incredibly weak or tremendously broken, i will explain below).

A) When you say "reverts the mystery user to the next youngest age category" what do you mean? start, middle or end? More important the last sentence implies that i can benefit from the age regression only once in my life? Or i shall age, regress back time, age again, rinse and repeat? I assume the first one (then again after my free +1 to all mental scores i wont benefit from this mystery again and i will retrain it, if i already didn't use a scroll with it) because the second one would leave us with infinite bonuses to mental scores.

B) What are the mechanical benefits of using this mystery? Only stopping aging (and presumably becoming immune to magical aging effects, which are almost nonexistent in 3.x edition)? Being 9th level and all it should give at least some bonuses vs forces that threaten your life force (just as mind blank ,excessively maybe, protects vs forces that affect your mind for 24 hours). I have some ideas to tweak it (maybe incorporate some traits from the deathless creature type in eberron but not losing your constitution modifier?)
Or if you take another route maybe this mystery in a sense "surrenders" your bodily functions to the shadows, and your willpower, not your body, is now a measure of how strong and healthy you are. That approach would mean that you use your charisma instead of your constitution for hit points, fortitude saves and/or concentration checks and maybe your strength and/or dexterity score becomes equal to your intelligence score.

Tell me what you think :smallsmile:

Realms of Chaos

2009-06-04, 11:06 PM

Immortal Shadows Works as follows:

Shadowcaster 1 is in old age. He casts immortal shadows and becomes middle age, getting +1 Str, Dex, and Con and he ceases to age for 24 hours.
After 24 hours, he reverts back to old age, losing those ability scores again (but not gaining a new set of bonuses, which he never lost in the first place).
If he casts immortal shadows a second time 6 hours into the casting, the remaining duration is reset to 24 hours but shadowcaster 1 doesn't regress another category

In short, this is just an immortality engine, something that is surprisingly hard to do through magic alone (AKA: without becoming undead or taking a PRC) and thus makes a fitting, if subpar, 9th level mystery.

Do I have to reword this mystery in any way?

peacenlove

2009-06-05, 06:06 AM

I guess not :smallbiggrin: Ok i had a different (and as it seems wrong) impression about the mystery. Given that explanation i believe it needs no tweaking.

peacenlove

2009-06-12, 05:15 AM

EDIT: Another question
Shadowy Stunt
...
Class: Rogue
Special Requirement: Knowledge (the planes) 5 ranks
Level: 10th,13th,16, or 19th
Replaces: This alternate class feature replaces the special ability gained at each level that it is taken.
Benefit: The Rogue selects any Fundamental of Shadow or Apprentice Mystery and can cast it as a shadowcaster with a caster level of 1/2 the rogue’s class level, so long as their intelligence score is at least 10+the mystery’s level. The save dc of the mystery is determined by the Rogues Charisma modifier.

How many times per day and at which grade (i.e. spell, spell like ability, supernatural ability) do they use the mystery?

Could you answer this question? :smallbiggrin:

namo

2009-06-12, 10:59 AM

I'd say they cast it as a shadowcaster of half their rogue level.

Nice pictures, again ! I'm going to save a few of them for later reuse. :smallbiggrin:

Realms of Chaos

2009-06-12, 12:59 PM

OK, I've officially been lured back.

I wrote up stuff for the Ranger (only Rogue, Sorcerer, and Wizard to go over there).

Also, I modified shadowy stunt to answer the questions. You get it twice per day (though I'm ameanable to thrice per day if anyone thinks it wise) and cast whatever you get as an arcane spell.

To prevent craziness, I reworded it a bit so you choose a 0- or 1st-level mystery (or fundamental).

This was my intention from the first place. Rogues don't need killing shadows.

peacenlove

2009-06-12, 01:32 PM

Flicker would be a more compelling choice :smallwink:
But a 1st level mystery is weaker than constant improved evasion, cripling strike or skill mastery, not to mention ToB maneuvers gained through feats. So yeah making it 3/day isn't dangerous and may i add the suggestion that it follows the shaowcaster path progression? (that means if the rogue spent 3 special abilities to gain 3 mysteries, one of them could be 2nd level). That puts some scaling to the ability.

Realms of Chaos

2009-06-12, 01:36 PM

I just took your suggestion.
Also, I put up more information, for the rogue this time (2 more to go).

Kellus

2009-06-12, 05:06 PM

Realms of Chaos

2009-06-12, 05:40 PM

I'm working my way through this; it's completely brilliant! I've been proofreading the new mysteries though, and I've got a few comments. I'm only about halfway through them right now, so more will follow.

Antimagic Burst: Why is the radius of the effect 20ft., but the radius of the activation 30ft.?

Beast Within: The claws are considered primary natural attacks, so does that mean that the bite is secondary? Do you still take the normal -5 penalty to attack rolls with the bite on a full attack or with the claw on a full attack with a weapon? Multiple natural weapon rules are very poorly misunderstood in general, so not a bad idea to specify exactly how it works for people that don’t know.

Black Pyre: It’s very unclear about the target for the different parts of the effect. Make sure you specify whether it’s you or the victim gaining the healing/harming effect, for instance. Just proofread it.

Blade Denied: Reverse Arrows isn’t a core spell, so you might be better off writing out the effect. For instance, I have no idea what it’s supposed to do since I don’t have a copy of SC at the moment.

Call to Twilight: Really not very good for a 4th level mystery. It’s all preoccupied talking about the downside to it. Spice it up a bit?

Conjure Codex: Really cool, but does it summon a book with arcane spells in it, or mysteries? It doesn’t say. Do you cast them like arcane spells, or like musteries as normal for you?

Contingent Shadow: “Given mystery”: does that mean any mystery you want, or do you specify the mystery affected by this effect when you activate the contingency?

Create Mystery Turret: No problems, just wanted to say it’s AWESOME.

Curse of Silence: Who specifies the command word? Does the target automatically know what it is? Do they know the consequences if they speak it?

Dark Transfiguration: The second difference listed between this and alter self isn’t clear. What does “the maximum HD of the intended form to reach 20 HD at 20th level” mean? Needs to be cleaned up.

Ebon Premonition: You should give guidelines to the DM for when he should give a result of “success” as opposed to “apparent success”, and “failure” as opposed to “apparent failure”.

Eclipse: The range on this spell should be 0ft., or it should simply have a target of personal.

Faceless Shadow: I think you should specify that it can only be cast on creatures with a face. As opposed to, say, an ooze. Or a beholder. Or a plant.

Freezing Rift: What if you open up the gate on an occupied square?

Ghostly Blade: The level should be 0, since it’s a fundamental. I think?

No time for a big reply as I'm going to work but I can do some small answers right now.

Antimagic Burst: I think this was just a mistake (though I don't remember which number was right). Although 20 feet seems more manageable, I'll go with 30 as mysteries tend to be a bit stronger than their counterparts.

Beast Within: You guessed my intentions but I have a hard time writing out all of that primary/secondary attack stuff. I'll revise the wording soon enough.

Black Pyre: The target suffers all effects. I'll make that more clear (when I have the time).

Blade Denied: The unfortunate problem is that if I quote the actual words of the spell, that would be revealing non-core material, possibly getting this entire thread closed by moderators.

Call to Twilight: I'll see what I can do to add some "spice".

Conjure Codex: It's supposed to be arcane spells. I'll specify this.

Contingent Mystery: Basically, once during the duration of this mystery, you can cast a mystery as an immediate action. I'll make this more clear.

Create Spell Turret: Thank you. :smalltongue:

Curse of Silence: I don't even remember how the mystery works right now so I'll adress this later (stupid memory)

Dark Transfiguration: The max HD of your chosen form caps at 20 HD when your caster level reaches 20. I will make this more clear.

Ebon Premonition: I'll make a behind the curtain for this mystery.

Eclipse: Once again, I'll check this later.

Faceless Shadow: You may have a point (but beholders have faces. In fact, there's not much else to them).

Freezing Rift: I'll give some thought to this.

Ghostly Blade: Some fundamentals are 1st level. Others are 0 level. Strange but true.

DCironlich

2009-06-23, 12:48 PM

I'm not sure if this topic has already been discussed, but when I reviewed Twilight Paranoia, I was left a bit confused. In the mystery's description, it addresses three negative effects: 1) affected creatures are considered flanked; 2) affected creatures have a -4 to saving throws versus fear effects; and 3) "you" are unable to benefit from aid another.

Was the third effect intentionally written to penalize the caster of the mystery? Somehow I doubt it. The third effect should be written in the third person (i.e., they) instead of the second person (you).

Twilight Paranoia
Initiate, Twilight Conspiracy
Level/School: 4th/Enchantment
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Area: 40-foot radius emanation
Duration: 10 minutes/level
Saving Throw None
Spell Resistance: Yes

As the energies of shadow play among your hands, so too do they play among the minds of your enemies, creating perceptions of unseen foes, perhaps in each other.

All creatures in the area of this mystery have their senses sharpened, gaining a bonus to spot and listen checks equal to 1/2 of your caster level.
However, this benefit has its price, as creatures in the area see potential for ambush, spies, and betrayal at each turn. First of all, all creatures in the area are considered flanked. Secondly, they take a –4 penalty on saving throws against fear affects. Lastly, you are unable to coordinate yourself with others in your group. No creature in the area can willingly use the aid another action or administer advantageous magic to another. Charms are not enough to force cooperation but compulsions are.

peacenlove

2009-07-30, 04:28 AM

I was reading through the feats section and i had a couple of questions.

Shadowy spellcaster: Constitution damage is a small price to pay especially with restoration/unveil/heal spells around. Make it a) constitution burn (unable to be healed magically, heals only naturally) or b) cant cast highest level spell or mystery with the use of this feat.

Protective Shadows: Its 2 SR per feat, and a normal character gains 7 feats until lvl 18. So i will have SR 14 at lvl 18? :smalltongue: Make it 3 or 4 SR per feat.
Sorry i must learn how to read :smallannoyed:

Wisps of Shadow: IMO the effect is too weak to warrant a standard action to cast (-10 ft darkvision, -2 Spot). I suggest lowering the cast time to move or even swift action.

Blast of Cold: What is the range of the effect?

Fading Arcanna: The +15 limit on the dispel check is IMO strange. Dispel Magic at 6th level gives +20. Either make it +20 or lower the required mystery to abandon to 5th level (where a +15 limit would be more appropriate).

Shadow's Freedom: Usually ability penalties last for a limited amount of time. You dont specify when the dexterity penalty will wear off.

EDIT: just checked the Twilight gap mystery. Shouldn't it have the [Death] descriptor?

EDIT 2: The conjure codex has a typo in the short description. It allows spells of up to 4th level to exist and be cast from the spell book not 3rd. Also you mention that the scribed spells are effectively mysteries (but they need verbal, somatic, material components). I can use metashadow feats on them, right?

EDIT 3: About the Shadowy Combatant feat. Even if i take this feat i wont wear light armor because i will have the normal spell failure chance from it. Why not give them the ability to cast without spell failure from light armor (like the battle caster feats). After all most shadow casters will take the still mystery feat and i don't think that it is that powerful even if you take battlecaster (medium armor) later.

EDIT 4:

Lastly, if Shadow Ore is exposed to even trace amounts of another type of metal during the forging process, the shadow ore gains that metal’s properties (with the exception of weight) for 1 after completion. Only one type of metal can be imitated at a time.

You forgot to mention for how long shadow ore imitates the metal's properties.

CaBaaL

2010-02-08, 03:26 PM

1st i have to say great work to all of you.

I allways played shadow-themed sorcerors (shadow adept, shadow crafter...) and i own the "tome of magic" and i amplaying shadowcaster ever since.
i play as DM and in a party as 20 lvl.
-shadow immertion+pertistent is not that much op even with 2*favorite mystey (so it is SU-ability and it is not dispellable) u can die with a single dijuction
-the shadow essence feat that gives +2SR/feat is good as it is. i should remind u that "boost SR" feat gives +2 SR and does not give anything else. also the shadow essence feat stucks with other sources of SR.
-most of the spells is ballanced exept:
lengthen shadows is good but remove the 1 month put it 24hr and put CR adjastements of the target.
Desires Manifest -2 penalty for 1 year is too much. think what u want for it, u want it 1/day? say that shadows remove the spell for 24hrs, put 10 mins casting so that the players do not do it in combact. but even so it is not OverPowered. i am used that my players do limited wish, wish and miracle atleast every emcounter. (with the super-broken thought bottle XP means nothing)
I do not remeber the name of the mystery (the one that makes ppl rerol dices) i play undead i am imune to the negative effects of the spell? (imune to negatice lvls) also i make it persistent and start spamming rerolls i can move around with +9999999999deflection? put the -lvls count to undeds too and have max uses ecual too your hd (not CL)

CaBaaL

2010-02-08, 03:51 PM

without a trace is too much for 3lvl mystery (it is better than supperior invisible) you do not mention if with regular senses u can track him, also there is allways persistent :P
with persisten shadow immertion i get unlimited uses of it so i presistent empower bloster, shadow skin, (dancing shadows it not that much atleast in our campaing)
i keep contigency for counter and i keep immediate action to ingore the backlash damage of shadow immertion if i get dijuctioned
i do not know it this was inteded but the only thing that was good with all this is the DR15/- from shadow skin (most enemies use epic weapons)
and the SR cause it is CL-based
i can suggest shadow immertion stays as it is but with cl/based
cause a shadow caster can get a 9lvl mystery at 16lvl and there it is unbalanced.
if u want to stop this kind of abuse juast say that persistent is usable on only 1 mystery (if u want it for 2nd u have to retake it and by this means that u only have to get meatshadow feats)
finally i have to say that in epic lvls insightfull shadowcaster gaved me +8cl put the bonus as enchament bonus so it does not stuck with items.

PS: do not give the shadowcaster abilities like mettle the constant cha on saves is too much (make it a resistance bonus or luck so it does not stuck with everything)

have u thought to add piersing cold metashadow?
friging orbs does not have max-cl i have at that moment 38cl (items+wis+path focus+shadow focus and i interupted a 6lvl spell (i am a nocturalmancer)) all this at 20 lvl i quicken cast a flood of shadows and max-empower(*2 with flood) frigit orbs i do the maths and it is for 912 damage, he uses deathward from his shield and he had 20 cold resistance. no damage at all

peacenlove

2010-02-09, 03:35 AM

While waiting for comments by the creator, i will try to answer some of your comments

-shadow immertion+pertistent is not that much op even with 2*favorite mystey (so it is SU-ability and it is not dispellable) u can die with a single dijuction

Disjunction does not affect supernatural abilities, only spell and spell like.

-the shadow essence feat that gives +2SR/feat is good as it is. i should remind u that "boost SR" feat gives +2 SR and does not give anything else. also the shadow essence feat stucks with other sources of SR.
True.

-most of the spells is ballanced exept:
lengthen shadows is good but remove the 1 month put it 24hr and put CR adjastements of the target.
Also a logical fix to the mystery since you will be many times facing flat footed opponents.

Desires Manifest -2 penalty for 1 year is too much. think what u want for it, u want it 1/day? say that shadows remove the spell for 24hrs, put 10 mins casting so that the players do not do it in combact. but even so it is not OverPowered. i am used that my players do limited wish, wish and miracle atleast every emcounter. (with the super-broken thought bottle XP means nothing)
Dunno about your fix but there is a good reason why thought bottle is banned in many games. Balancing a mystery to a game breaking item sounds like a bad idea to me.

I do not remeber the name of the mystery (the one that makes ppl rerol dices) i play undead i am imune to the negative effects of the spell? (imune to negatice lvls) also i make it persistent and start spamming rerolls i can move around with +9999999999deflection? put the -lvls count to undeds too and have max uses ecual too your hd (not CL)

Just state that no matter your immunities you must accept the penalty in order to receive the benefits of the mystery (just as hellfire warlock states)

without a trace is too much for 3lvl mystery (it is better than supperior invisible) you do not mention if with regular senses u can track him, also there is allways persistent :P
All that without a trace does (just like regular invisibility) is giving you bonuses to hide. You can spot him via normal means (and the glitterdust spell), and the concentration duration is a severe factor against the mystery (you need a feat to partialy offset it as well as buttloads of the concentration skill). Persistent mystery is actually useless to that mystery because you could concentrate for the whole day to be invisible. However he could remove the 1d4 rounds of free invisibility at the end (these make the mystery somewhat strong).

with persisten shadow immertion i get unlimited uses of it so i presistent empower bloster, shadow skin, (dancing shadows it not that much atleast in our campaing)
i keep contigency for counter and i keep immediate action to ingore the backlash damage of shadow immertion if i get dijuctioned
How can you empower bolster since it has no variable numeric effects? Also what immediate action allows you to ignore that much damage except for that one path mastery?

i do not know it this was inteded but the only thing that was good with all this is the DR15/- from shadow skin (most enemies use epic weapons)
and the SR cause it is CL-based
Try persistent Umbral immunity. with favored mystery. Yeah you got it, undispelable immunity to most negative conditions ALL day. :smallamused: Also many other mysteries presented here coupled with persistent mysteries made my DM cringe.

i can suggest shadow immertion stays as it is but with cl/based
cause a shadow caster can get a 9lvl mystery at 16lvl and there it is unbalanced.
Just asking, how a shadowcaster can get a 9th level mystery at 16th level?:smallconfused:

friging orbs does not have max-cl i have at that moment 38cl (items+wis+path focus+shadow focus and i interupted a 6lvl spell (i am a nocturalmancer)) all this at 20 lvl i quicken cast a flood of shadows and max-empower(*2 with flood) frigit orbs i do the maths and it is for 912 damage, he uses deathward from his shield and he had 20 cold resistance. no damage at all

You raise a good point and while this is close to the damage of a good optimized sorcerer with metamagic abuse, i didn't realize until now that unlike their metamagic counterparts, empower and maximize metashadow do stack properly. :smallamused:

CaBaaL

2010-02-09, 05:18 AM

1st my bad, shadowcaster gets 9lvl spell at 17lvl

btw i was reading the epic feats with multispell i cast +1 quicken with the shadow-one (missed the name) i cast cha-modifier? or i can take it cha modifier-times?

Realms of Chaos

2010-02-09, 06:30 AM

Thanks for fielding those questions, P&L. And now it is time to take a look a them myself. :smallamused:

1st i have to say great work to all of you.

First of all, thank you. :smalltongue:

-shadow immertion+pertistent is not that much op even with 2*favorite mystey (so it is SU-ability and it is not dispellable) u can die with a single dijuction

As pointed out, disjunction does not work on supernatural abilities. Also, I finally went ahead and hit Persistent Mystery with the nerf bat. To better imitate the effects of innate-spell rather than persistent spell, it never affects anything higher than a 3rd level mystery, which should take care of some problems.

-most of the spells is ballanced exept:
lengthen shadows is good but remove the 1 month put it 24hr and put CR adjastements of the target.

The first part is a good point. I don't really know what I was thinking when I made that (probably as I made that particular mystery years ago). :smallsigh:
as for the CR adjustments... I honestly have no clue what you're talking about. Are you telling me to give the player a level adjustment or something?

Desires Manifest -2 penalty for 1 year is too much. think what u want for it, u want it 1/day? say that shadows remove the spell for 24hrs, put 10 mins casting so that the players do not do it in combact. but even so it is not OverPowered. i am used that my players do limited wish, wish and miracle atleast every emcounter. (with the super-broken thought bottle XP means nothing)

Hmm... I admit that with thought bottles, XP costs really don't mean anything. However, as stated above, most campaigns outlaw thought bottles (at least when they're being used in such a way). Also, I am a bit reluctant to increase the casting time that there are no mysteries with a casting time longer than a single standard action so far. This isn't meant to be a 1/day ability, to be quite honest. Much like Shadow Immersion, it was meant to be either a last-ditch effort or a goal in and of itself (people dream of gaining immortality or having their wishes fulfilled. Some shadowcasters train themselves to fulfill these desires).

I do not remeber the name of the mystery (the one that makes ppl rerol dices) i play undead i am imune to the negative effects of the spell? (imune to negatice lvls) also i make it persistent and start spamming rerolls i can move around with +9999999999deflection? put the -lvls count to undeds too and have max uses ecual too your hd (not CL)

Ah, yes. this is a bit of a pickle. Now that I've fixed the persistent mystery feat, the bonus will never exceed your caster level +10 (if you extend the duration) so a limit isn't quite necessary.
However, I'm afraid that there is another problem. Although Peacenlove's idea is a good one, there is an unfortunate flaw. If we use his version, where creatures immune to negative levels simply can't benefit from the mystery, a last-minute deathward would stop the mystery a round early but still stop all negative levels, a problem that also exists right now.
Until a miracle cure is concocted for this poor mystery (either in my head or someone else's), I'll leave this thing as the shadow magic equivalent of celerity + daze immunity.

without a trace is too much for 3lvl mystery (it is better than supperior invisible) you do not mention if with regular senses u can track him, also there is allways persistent :P

Well, you seem to forget that without a trace normally requires an action on your part each round just to keep it going, a disadvantage when compared to invisiblity and improved invisibility. Also, unlike with superior invisibility, senses such as blindsense can still track you (not to mention that high spot checks can see you without magical aid)
As for not stating if senses can track you, I say quite specifically that you turn invisible. You aren't automatically silent and you still have a scent and everything so.. yeah.
In regards to what Peacenlove has stated about this mystery, I'm afraid that I have to disagree. As written, Persistent Mystery is pretty broken when paired with this mystery. Don't forget that changing the duration to 24 hours foregoes the need to concentrate. As such, I have changes Without a Trace so that It's range is now touch (but targetting others is somewhat impractical), meaning that it can't be persisted.
Also, I personally don't think that the extra 1d4 rounds is overpowered. This mystery lasts 1d4 rounds longer than Improved Invisibility at most (note the maximum duration of concentration) but doesn't let you really participate in combat for anythign other than those 1d4 rounds. Not too bad, I think.

with persisten shadow immertion i get unlimited uses of it so i presistent empower bloster, shadow skin, (dancing shadows it not that much atleast in our campaing)

Well, persisted bolster is no longer possible (same with umbral immunity). Shadowskin is a bit more troublesome but isn't the absolute worst thing ever. I'd tack on a minimum duration for persisted mysteries but I don't know if it's really necessary.

i keep contigency for counter and i keep immediate action to ingore the backlash damage of shadow immertion if i get dijuctioned
i do not know it this was inteded but the only thing that was good with all this is the DR15/- from shadow skin (most enemies use epic weapons)
and the SR cause it is CL-based
i can suggest shadow immertion stays as it is but with cl/based
cause a shadow caster can get a 9lvl mystery at 16lvl and there it is unbalanced.

As Peacenlove says, you'd have to show me what crazy loophole lets you get 9th level mysteries at lvl 16. I don't doubt that there is one but I don't see where.
I don't really see what you want to scale with level? SR already does. Immunity to Death really can't (same with energy immunities and metashadow benefits). If the current benefits from DR, Fast Healing, and Duration (the only three things that could be scaled) aren't broken as they are at 17th level, I can't imagine how scaling them back one level would make a difference for a level 16 character. :smallconfused:

if u want to stop this kind of abuse juast say that persistent is usable on only 1 mystery (if u want it for 2nd u have to retake it and by this means that u only have to get meatshadow feats)
finally i have to say that in epic lvls insightfull shadowcaster gaved me +8cl put the bonus as enchament bonus so it does not stuck with items.

Again, I just fixed persistent mystery. :smallsmile:
In total, it could only ever be taken 3 times (although the new design stops abilities that grant extra metashadow uses per day).
Good call with the insightful shadowcaster fix. I have just made it.

PS: do not give the shadowcaster abilities like mettle the constant cha on saves is too much (make it a resistance bonus or luck so it does not stuck with everything)

I fixed the saving throw bonus but where did I give the shadowcaster mettle? I vaguely remember doing so but I can't find it anywhere. *scratches head*
Anyhow, given what I have heard from your playing group so far, hearing that giving out mettle is overpowered is a bit odd. If I'm right, though, I know where you're coming from.
When a campaign gets into high epic levels, many abilities stop being "save-or-die" and start becoming "die-either-way-but-make-a-save-for-the-fun-of-it". With the mettle ability, everything that tries to downright kill or dominate you (everything that epic-level characters deal with daily) becomes less of a a threat.
The thing is, Mettle would be just as dangerous if it were the class feature of a PrC that didn't make you lose caster levels. Consdering 1) that the problem only comes up at very high levels and that 2) you could get the same effect with 3 levels in hexblade (the loss in CL is made up for by insightful shadowcaster easily), I'm going to say that I see no real problem here.
Or is there something that I'm missing?

have u thought to add piersing cold metashadow?friging orbs does not have max-cl i have at that moment 38cl (items+wis+path focus+shadow focus and i interupted a 6lvl spell (i am a nocturalmancer)) all this at 20 lvl i quicken cast a flood of shadows and max-empower(*2 with flood) frigit orbs i do the maths and it is for 912 damage, he uses deathward from his shield and he had 20 cold resistance. no damage at all

I made subduing mystery but that probably isn't what you're looking for (I'm guessing that over 70% of what you fight has regeneration). Perhaps I'll make a metashadow feat to let half of all damage dealt by a mystery become untyped, coming from raw shadowstuff. How does that sound?

I put caps on the number of orbs that the frigid orbs and disastrous orbs mysteries could produce, something that I've been meaning to do. Also, it isn't really a bit deal that the damage is easily dodged. Meteor swarm has the same problem, to a lesser extent. One big selling point of frigid/disastrous orbs (at least in my head) is that you could send it flying over an army of allied skeletons, either targetting your army to heal them or your enemy to harm them (Uttercold assault, I believe the tactic is called).

Once again, thank you CaBaal for stress-testing my material, for putting it into a high-powered arena and seeing what breaks. :smallbiggrin:

Realms of Chaos

2010-02-09, 07:28 AM

Sorry for the double-post but I am really sleepy right now and just quoting people seems so much simpler now (but maybe that's just sleep-logic talking).

Shadowy spellcaster: Constitution damage is a small price to pay especially with restoration/unveil/heal spells around. Make it a) constitution burn (unable to be healed magically, heals only naturally) or b) cant cast highest level spell or mystery with the use of this feat.

The damage can no longer be healed naturally.

Wisps of Shadow: IMO the effect is too weak to warrant a standard action to cast (-10 ft darkvision, -2 Spot). I suggest lowering the cast time to move or even swift action.

Wait, what? Wisps of Shadow immobilizes people. What feat are you looking at? Oh, wait, found it. You were looking as slipping gaze. instead of reducing the activation, i spruced it up a bit (-5 spot, halve darkvision range, and miss chance against all creatures in shadowy illumination and darkness).

Blast of Cold: What is the range of the effect?

close range, as I just added to the feat. :smalltongue:

Fading Arcanna: The +15 limit on the dispel check is IMO strange. Dispel Magic at 6th level gives +20. Either make it +20 or lower the required mystery to abandon to 5th level (where a +15 limit would be more appropriate).

As I believe I have said quite recently, Dark Store feats are intentionally weaker than normal mysteries/spells. Keep in mind that unless that extra +5 bonus is the only thing keeping you from dispelling a spell, you can effectively take 20 on your dispel check (using the ability over and over).

Shadow's Freedom: Usually ability penalties last for a limited amount of time. You dont specify when the dexterity penalty will wear off.

I'm not saying where you are getting confused. The feat specifically states that you take a penalty for each creature affected at a given time. Ergo, when the effect wears off, you have fewer creatures affected and the penalty lessens automatically.

EDIT: just checked the Twilight gap mystery. Shouldn't it have the [Death] descriptor?

Contrary to popular belief, not every save-or-die has the death descriptor. As my evidence, look at implosion. This this literally rips through through space in an incredibly rough way, causing death. It isn't actively trying to crush your life-force and it would make no sense for a character affected by deathward to be unable to use it in a way that doesn't cause death (non-planar travel).

EDIT 2: The conjure codex has a typo in the short description. It allows spells of up to 4th level to exist and be cast from the spell book not 3rd. Also you mention that the scribed spells are effectively mysteries (but they need verbal, somatic, material components). I can use metashadow feats on them, right?

I fixed the description right up.
Actually, I did not state that the scribed spells are effectively mysteries. What I did was make a typo and print the phrase "Each mystery within may only be cast once before fading from the codex" when I meant to print the word "spell". As such, there are no metashadow feats to be had, alas.

EDIT 3: About the Shadowy Combatant feat. Even if i take this feat i wont wear light armor because i will have the normal spell failure chance from it. Why not give them the ability to cast without spell failure from light armor (like the battle caster feats). After all most shadow casters will take the still mystery feat and i don't think that it is that powerful even if you take battlecaster (medium armor) later.

An interesting point to be sure. Very well, the shadowcasters may cast mysteries in their armor.

EDIT 4:

You forgot to mention for how long shadow ore imitates the metal's properties.

I just added it in. I'd say that 1 month is long enough that it doesn't seem utterly worthless but just short enough that a player might have the effect wear off on their weapon before it is replaced.
I would go with one week but that just seems too short for anyone to be interested in buying it.

Edit: I just did one more thing that I think might really help. I got rid of improved metashadow mastery and allowed metashadow mastery to be taken multiple times.
With the new change, the "shadow magic multispell" is now safe. The feat in question does give you a number of quickened mysteries equal to your Cha modifier but now that it is nigh impossible to get an infinite number of quickened mysteries per round, you are going to end up using your full supply very quickly if you decide to go nova.
In short, instead of selecting quicken spell once and multispell multiple times, you select quicken mystery once, "multispell" once, and metashadow mastery multiple times. I feel that it really brings out the tendancy of the shadowcaster to just go nova in the face of danger.

CaBaaL

2010-02-09, 07:36 AM

i am using peacenlove's matterial too btw and test them all.
yesturday i was a dm and brought on my PCs a shadowcasters as enemies. tomorow i play as player and i will use shadowcaster19/monk1/noctoromancer (monk is for the ascetic mage to get cha on AC) i am a human so i get insigthfull shadow caster and Arcane Acknowledgement go get the preqs (i know that i can not stuck 2cl/lvl so i will have in the end:
19+wis+feats/items for shadowcaster CL and
10 for sorceror CL

for leghten shadows i ment to add some kind of CR of the target so u can not use it on commoners and get the buff

CaBaaL

2010-02-09, 03:07 PM

-Black Resistance: the bonus should be resistance/insight or my suggestion luck (so it will not stuck with ruin's delver's fortune)
-Dark Puppeteer: make it diplomancy check against one attack/round to either attack an other target in reach or stop the attack. (cha-check is too weak in high lvl)
-Ephemeral Curse: fullround is a bit too much imo if u dissagree consider make it 1r/lvl
-Escaping Shade: make it lethal if u r undead or imune to nonlethal
-Roughen Ground: does this stuck with other effects of dificult terain?
-Scholarly Shadowcaster: this feat counts only my lvls in shadowcaster? (not prestice-classes or multiclass-lvls)
-Subtle Voice: why only 5ft?
the rest feats are playtested and cool by me :smalltongue:

PS: i do not want to make this post huge by telling u examples, cause i am going to make a char with all mysteries to playtest, but u have some imba feats that are very cool, have synergy, do not lack the flavor of the official shadowcaster and are balanced with other casters' feats/abilities
GG :smallcool:

Realms of Chaos

2010-02-09, 04:26 PM

-Black Resistance: the bonus should be resistance/insight or my suggestion luck (so it will not stuck with ruin's delver's fortune)

Actually, I think that I'll make it an insight bonus so that it doesn't stack with Embrace of Shadows, an effect that lasts longer than ruin delver's fortune and that imo is more likely to be used alongside it otherwise.

-Dark Puppeteer: make it diplomancy check against one attack/round to either attack an other target in reach or stop the attack. (cha-check is too weak in high lvl)

The problem with that is the diplomacy is cross-class for several of the shadow-magic users. I went ahead and allowed bluff/diplomacy/intimidate checks to use the ability. Hopefully is it still balanced.

-Ephemeral Curse: fullround is a bit too much imo if u dissagree consider make it 1r/lvl

I'm on the fence with this idea so I'll take your idea, reducing activation to a standard action and the duration as well.

-Escaping Shade: make it lethal if u r undead or imune to nonlethal

Nice catch. Fix.

-Roughen Ground: does this stuck with other effects of dificult terain?

To my knowledge, difficult terrain never stacks with itself. A square filled with heavy undergrowth, rubble, and a bog is just as easy to travel through as a square filled with bog.
If the rules do not actually work like this, I will make revisions.

-Scholarly Shadowcaster: this feat counts only my lvls in shadowcaster? (not prestice-classes or multiclass-lvls)

I have actually forgotten why I even put on a limit per day, seeing as its counterpart (forceful shadowcaster) lacks such a limit. I think it happened with someone misread the feat to think you added your full Intelligence score to your Charisma score (rather than just the modifier) and posted that it was overpowered but my memory is vague.

-Subtle Voice: why only 5ft?

Interesting Point. The telepathy was meant to be kind of weak but that was going too far. I have increased the range to 30 feet.

the rest feats are playtested and cool by me :smalltongue:

Wow. You playtested all of them? You must have been playing using this material for awhile, then.

PS: i do not want to make this post huge by telling u examples, cause i am going to make a char with all mysteries to playtest, but u have some imba feats that are very cool, have synergy, do not lack the flavor of the official shadowcaster and are balanced with other casters' feats/abilities
GG :smallcool:

Don't worry about a huge post. you can always put it in spoilers if necessary.

A single shadowcaster with all mysteries? Even with shadow tome, that requires a very high epic level, so high that most mysteries don't scale enough to remain useful. I'm interested to hear how you intend to appraise apprentice mysteries when you are already over level 50.

CaBaaL

2010-02-09, 05:09 PM

CaBaaL

2010-02-09, 05:17 PM

i am playing shadowcaster more than 1 year and i play with your material some weeks now i recently added peacenlove's material too.
i playtested till now mostly as DM tomorow its time for PC version i will get leadership to have a controler shadowcaster and a blaster one (maybe i will add a simulacrum with spellsharing bracers to give me free actions)

Realms of Chaos

2010-02-10, 03:01 AM

-Absolute Truth: when i told to my DM what this mystery does undeads and constructs seems to fail their 1st fort and go imune to the effect. even with restriction to living targets it is a cool mystery.

Thank you.

-Arcane Fumes: no spell/ability i have ever read needs 3 saves of the same kind (1 for the item, 1 for blind and last for deaf)

I am well aware. Arcane Fumes is meant, quite bluntly, to fight against wizards. They need a spellbook? Let's kill that. They need actions to cast spells? Nauseated. They need to see their targets? Blindness. Low Fort save? Muwahahahaha.
In all honesty, however, most wizards (or at least most wizards in your campaigns, if I'm guessing correctly) would respond with a celerity spell to cast dimension door (or teleport) and move out of range, making the ability moot (unless you are benefitting from a flicker effect yourself, letting you follow the enemy and still nail them... I think). Still, the mystery is good for making low-level wizards cry.

-Black Pyre: the cold damage does not have max per CL

I just put a maximum cap on it, albeit one of the highest ones that I have ever made.

-Call Nightwing: nightwing stats are at mm1 p.197 (for more official look :smallwink:)

Technically, I don't really know of many other spells that give specific page references for what they summon but I admit that they do exist. The mention has been added.

-Conjure Codex: make it more clear that the codex has mysteries written on

Nope. The codex has normal arcane spells (as can be found on the bard and wizard spell lists). I added a couple clarifying statements to make that clear. To make it clear, conjure codex isn't a bad mystery.

-Cursed Flame: fire damage/ CLASS lvl was intented? or it is a typo? put max cl/damage or reff negate EDIT: nwm 20d4 at 40 lvl is not that much to bother

Not quite a typo but not my intention either. That was the very first mystery that I ever printed, before I planned out other base classes. I never considered anything other than a full shadowcaster using it (in retrospect however, I should've considered PrCs).
In any case, the problem has been fixed.

-Dark Revival: does this count to undead/constracts? to mindless/animal -inteligent? to plants/elementals/ozzes?

I understand why you ask if it affects undead/constructs (I just fixed the mystery so it doesn't) but animals? Returning something to life does not depend on intelligence. I have, however, stated that it can revive any living thing (which means yes to outsiders).

-Deathless One: can i use it offensively, to make someone unhealable?

Yup. Doesn't fully stop regeneration but at least it lets you knock such foes unconscious.

-Desires Manifest: i have some ideas i will make new post only for this when i complite them.

I await with great interest.

-Dust to Dust: does not have max CL

Added one. A bit lower than some of my others but blasting the creatures away deals extra damage to make up the difference.

-Invisible Pyre: if the max damage for this is more than 10d6 it is better than fireball

Yes, this is very intentional. Because you get access to fewer mysteries than a spellcaster gets spells (at least with most spellcasters), mysteries are generally allowed to be more powerful. Also, this is the top mystery of a path, meaning that a small power boost on top of that is permissable to reward the player for going through the entire path.

-Lengthened Shade: state that u can not use it on someone with less than your CR-2 (so ppl can not use it on commoners or rats in the beggining of the day)

Actually, I can picture some huge "archmage" shadowcaster keeping a "human farm" to use this ability and keep up defenses. That was part of my thought process when I made the ability.
As a compromise, however, I changed it so that the immunities last for 1 hour/4 HD of the target (creatures with under 4 HD grant no benefits).

-Stuff of Nightmares: the psedonatural template from complete arcane p.160 i guess and not the epic one :smalltongue:

I was actually torn between referencing Complete Arcane, Manual of the Planes, and Lords of Madness (all of which have that template) but I ended up using complete arcane as suggested. :smalltongue:

-Truth Beyond Truth: u may have imune to the side-effects of this one and forcing everone to reroll slow things down, make it count as action on your part (immed. action) or usable 1/round

Good point about dragging combat down. I chose the 1/round option to let the caster keep their immediate action.

Things to add:
add to mysteries shadow illumination/darkness for more flavor
missing untimagic ray/field

As for shadowy illumination and darkness, I'll have to look and see what mysteries it would make sense to add it to.

As for the missing antimagic ray/field, lovenpeace's Magic Denial mystery is antimagic ray and my antimagic burst is probably the closes that I'll come to remaking the actual antimagic field (duration lowered to one round but it comes with a contingent trigger, doesn't target you, and it comes with an area dispel effect [which again doesn't target you]).

peacenlove

2010-02-10, 03:31 AM

While i have provided a link to you via mail with corrections to the path masteries proposed by cieyrin, I need to second the need for a revision to the subtle voice path mastery. I propose instead of telepathy, it allows the caster to eavesdrop on telepathic communication, detecting creatures that currently communicate with telepathy and what are they saying in a 30 ft radius. (not unlike the telepathy tap sanctified spell in BoED)

Realms of Chaos

2010-02-10, 04:11 AM

I did you one better. As listening to what people is saying is hardly an overpowered ability, all telepathic and magical messages within 100 feet are picked up. Also, you gain a hefty bonus to sense motive checks made to detect secret messages.

Moving on, I'd like to take this opportunity to talk about a very rare instance of 20/20 foresight on my part. I realized just yesterday that most of the links on the front page don't go anywhere, that the threads have been deleted.
My initial thoughts cannot be posted here as they'd just get censored anyways. :smallsmile:
When I calmed down, I got a second idea. Maybe I had already copied and pasted them earlier; anticipating the danger, perhaps. :smallconfused:
After a quick search, I found what I was looking for. In fact, I was apparently so forward thinking that I decided to quote the material rather than just copying and pasting, meaning that the creators still get credit and that much of the coding is still there. I'd like to take a moment to thank the me of two years prior for his amazing foresight and to give you guys a brief warning:
Although I intend to repost everything in the next couple of posts and will take care of any coding issues, I have not reread through everything prior to this reposting and their stuff will go up unedited (reading through the mess of code would make my eyes bleed). I linked to pretty much all shadow magic material that I could find at the time (which wasn't much, sadly) and though I remember thinking most of it was balanced, it is quite possible that I was blinded by raw fandom and didn't give it a critical look.
That said, I have no intention of violating the creator's creative rights by drastically altering (or fixing) their creations and calling it theirs (is there a word for reverse-plaigerism?). What I will do, however, is add my personal commentary and a few suggestions for easier use (if needed) at the end of each homebrew. I will also take responsibility for completing the Wildhaunt mystery list once the rest of this project is complete.
With all of that out of the way, let's start with the 100+ pages of material produced by other fans.

Realms of Chaos

2010-02-10, 04:14 AM

Shadowcaster recharge magic, written by Xylem

Recharge Magic for Shadowcasters

It is widely acknowledged that Shadowcasters are a weak class. Their mysteries (spells) are generally fairly good, but they get too few mysteries, and can use them too infrequently, and the way they get them is too difficult. But what if they could use their mysteries more frequently?

Enter Recharge Magic (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/magic/rechargeMagic.htm), an alternate magic system from Unearthed Arcana. To quote the section on www.d20srd.org (http://www.d20srd.org):

Some spells have a fixed recharge time. Most depend on the level of the highest level spell you can cast. The table below gives the general recharge time for those spells:

Spell Level Bard,Sorcerer Other
================================================== ==============
Highest possible 1d4+1 rounds 1d6+1 rounds
Second highest possible 1d4+1 rounds 1d6+1 rounds
Third highest possible 1d4 rounds 1d4+1 rounds
Fourth highest possible 1d4 rounds 1d4+1 rounds
Fifth highest possible 1d3 rounds 1d4 rounds
Sixth highest possible 1d3 rounds 1d4 rounds
Seventh highest possible 1 round 1d3 rounds
Eighth highest possible 1 round 1d3 rounds
Ninth highest possible 0 1 round
Tenth highest possible 0 1 round

"Recharging doesn’t require any actions and doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity. As long as a spellcaster is alive, he naturally recharges his energy." For more details, see the entire entry at Recharge Magic (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/magic/rechargeMagic.htm).

Shadowcasters would use the Bard/Sorcerer column for recharge times. This system would replace the 3/day uses for supernatural powers, 2/day for spell-like powers and 1/day for spells of the current system. It would naturally cause fundamentals to become unlimited use without a special rule (although not until they could cast a 8th level mystery). You would calculate the highest possible "spell level" for a shadowcaster by maximum level mystery they could cast if they always selected the highest level mystery they could -- they would not be required to actually select mysteries in such a manner in order to get quicker recharge times.

The Favored Mystery feat makes a mystery cast as a spell into a spell-like ability, a mystery used as a spell-like ability into a supernatural ability, and a gives a mystery used as a supernatural ability an extra use per day. The change in type works the same in this system, but the additional time per day for mysteries used as supernatural abilites instead makes such mysteries using general recharge time determine their recharge time as if they were two levels lower (that is, uses a column two steps further down the table), to a minimum recharge time of 0 rounds.

Recharge Magic makes spellcasters more powerful, which is why you don't see people generally using it for normal D&D spellcasting classes. But in the case of the Shadowcaster, it would simply raise the class to the level of power of other arcane spellcasters, as well as keeping their flavor as being different than other casters intact.

Recharge Times for Shadowcaster Mysteries

Afraid of the Dark: General
Army of Shadow: 10 minutes
Arrow of Dusk: General
Aura of Shade: General

Bend Perspective: General
Black Candle: General
Black Fire: General
Black Labyrinth: 24 hours *
Bolster: 1 hour

Carpet of Shadow: 5 minutes
Caul of Shadows: 5 minutes
Clinging Darkness: 5 minutes
Congress of Shadows: General
Consume Essence: General
Curtain of Shadows: General

Dancing Shadows: General
Dark Air or Water: 2 hours
Dark Soul: General
Deadly Shade: General *
Dusk and Dawn: 1 hour

Echo Spell: General
Ephemeral Image: General
Ephemeral Storm: General

Far Sight: 6 hours
Fearful Gloom: General *
Feign Life: General
Flesh Fails: General
Flesh Fails, Greater: General
Flicker: General
Flood of Shadows: General

Grasping Shadows: General *

Killing Shadows: General

Languor: General
Life Fades: General
Life Fades, Greater: General
Liquid Night: 30 minutes

Menagerie of Darkness: 1 hour *
Mesmerizing Shade: General
Mystic Reflections: General

Pass into Shadow: General
Piercing Sight: 30 minutes
Prison of Night: General

Quicker than the Eye: 5 minutes *

Reflections of Things to Come: 1 hour

Shadow Evocation: General
Shadow Evocation, Greater: General
Shadow Hood: General
Shadow Investiture: General
Shadow Plague: General
Shadow Skin: General
Shadow Storm: General
Shadow Surge: General
Shadow Time: 4 hours
Shadow Vision: General
Shadows Fade: General
Shadows Fade, Greater: General
Sharp Shadows: 5 minutes
Sickening Shadow: General *
Sight Eclipsed: General
Sight Obscured: General
Steel Shadows: 30 minutes
Soul Puppet: 12 hours
Step into Shadow: General
Summon Umbral Servant: General

Thoughts of Shadow: 5 minutes
Tomb of Night: General
Trail of Haze: 30 minutes *
Truth Revealed: General

Umbral Body: General
Umbral Fist: General *
Umbral Hand: General
Umbral Touch: General
Unravel Dweomer: General
Unveil: General

Voice of Shadow: General
Voyage into Shadow: 24 hours

Warp Spell: General
Widened Eyes: General

* = Mystery from the Cityscape web enhancement (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070307a).

Commentary and Recommendations:
As much as I have strived to prove that shadowcasters don't need "fixing", I do admit that this is probably the simplest fix that I have ever seen and the one that I'd be most likely to use.
It makes shadowcasting different and more powerful. The only hard part about using it in combination with Descent of Shadows would be creating recharge times for each mystery, a task that I'd rather not undertake myself. *shudders*

Tainted Shadowcaster alternate class feature, written by LordArchaon

Here is a revised version of my attempt at fixing the shadowcaster without really adding something to it.
Someone noted that this brings evil flavor to the class, but I don't agree. I think it adds a creepy and "cursed" flavor, instead!

Expanded Shadowcaster

http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/7679/shadowboltsnc2.png

- Cednouss Rifdalh, a tainted shadowcaster, casting a debilitating Umbral Hand.

Not all shadowcasters rely on the same powers.
The nature of shadows is a dangerously diverse one.
Some shadowcasters choose to unlock more power from their connection to the Plane of Shadows at the cost of their own sanity, since the thicker shadows that grow in their minds are just too alien and negative for these shadowcasters to use them without risk.

Tainted Shadowcaster
You know how to use your mysteries beyond normal limits at the cost of allowing the shadows to taint your mind.
Besides, the difficulty of this approach to mysteries makes you less focused on learning ways to improve them.
Level: 2nd.
Replaces: Bonus feats.
Benefit: You can cast any mystery beyond the normal per-day limits at the cost of gaining a depravity (only depravity) taint score of 3 per spell-level of the mystery.
You suffer the random depravity effects described in the Table 4-1 of Heroes of Horror as normal, depending on your Wisdom score.
Reaching moderate and severe depravity grants feats as normal, but these can't be chosen and are the following:
Moderate Depravity: Surge of Malevolence. Severe Depravity: Debilitating Spell
If the depravity score exceeds the severe taint threshold, the rules presented in Heroes of Horror apply normally (permanent insanity, the player looses control of the character).
Cleansing the taint requires an entire night of meditation (which could eventually leave you fatigued, since you can't sleep) during which you must have casted all your available mysteries. After this period you will also regain your used mysteries.
No other conventional cleansing will work, since only you know the obscure links to the Plane of Shadow that you have made to channel such a deadly amount of shadow, and only you can undo the process.
You can always choose to rest as normal in order not to pass the night without mysteries available, but the taint will not be cleansed.
When the taint goes away, the feats you eventually gained disappear as well.
Changes of alignment due to any evil act you may have performed under the effect of depravity remain, but you don't automatically become evil by reaching severe depravity.

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

I think the wording is ok...
The bad thing is that only who actually has access to Heroes of Horror can give some feedback!

But come on, this could be a really balanced and not-so-house-ruling way to "retool" the shadowcaster!

Keep in mind that a shadowcaster already needs high Intelligence and Charisma and to use this variant class feature effectively, she needs a decent Wisdom score too.

Adjustments to official taint rules:

Taint can be cleansed by the means of pure meditation (and, in this case, by nothing else).
The feats gained with moderate and severe depravity are restricted to specific taint feats.
You don't automatically become evil by reaching severe depravity.

"Pros" of this variant class ability:

A dynamic amount of extra mystery uses per day, which can result in many extra uses for low level mysteries or really few extra uses for high level mysteries.
The two tainted feats gained and in particular the second one, Debilitating Spell, are flavorful and handy.

"Cons" of this variant class ability:
From one to three random ill effects, which are increasingly baneful depending on how much you want to use the ability.
A strong need of Wisdom if you want to get the most out of the ability.
The loss of the Bonus Feats class ability.
The risk of permanently loosing control of your character to the DM.
The need of an entire night of meditation while not having any mysteries available to cast (leaving you very vulnerable) in order to re-use the ability.
Good luck if you get a phobia about darkness..! :D

Commentary and Recommendations:
Reminiscing: Ahh, LordArchaon. Back when I was working on the wizards boards, LordArchaon and I were the most proactive producers of shadow magic materia and I really respected his work. Good times, good times.
This ability is a nice one, putting a darker spin on the shadowcaster (or perhaps only some of them, as this is an alternate class feature). It's pretty balanced as more powerful mysteries make you go crazy faster. At first glance, I was tempted to say that recovering all of your taint in one night was too powerful. Then I realized what this ability is really doing and I was enlightened. This ability provides shadowcasters with the bonus mysteries per day for a high ability score that they've always wanted. That this ability gives you more MAD, steals a couple potential metashadow feats, and makes you crazy may actually make this ability a bit underpowered.
Still, I think that it is perfectly playable as is, although only playtesting will tell.

Realms of Chaos

2010-02-10, 04:36 AM

The Shadow Nefarite PrC by Lord Archaon
SHADOW NEFARITE

http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/146/shadownefarite2bw4.png

"We are students of ancient and noble arts. Sightings of demons and scary shadows don't bother us and we don't know anything about these shadow nefarites. Go away and leave us alone."

- Kyaus Nakane "Smoking Glare", shadow nefarite of the Hidden Moon sect.

Shadow nefarites may be very different from each other and may come from very different backgrounds.
What they have in common is that they are mysteriously touched by demonic energies (or have become so during their advancement), they study the gloomy ways of Shadow Magic and they are capable stalkers, spies, assassins or generally speaking "rogues", who take advantage from their supernatural powers to accomplish their secretive deeds.
They nearly always work alone and are very individualistic, but nevertheless belong to sects or "dojos" (if you play in an oriental-style setting, from which the original version of this converted and modified PrC is, see the "Way of the Ninja" book and look for the "Shosuro Tejina" PrC).
These sects may have dark and evil purposes or maybe even constitute a rare group of secret vigilantes that use their dark powers for good causes. In general, the first purpose of every sect is to teach the ways of Shadow Magic and the various secrets of the shadow nefarites to the most promising and willing adepts.
All in all, shadow nefarites are scary and even if sometimes they may even be heroes, they more often act like the dark demons that inhabit their souls.

BECOMING A SHADOW NEFARITE
BECOMING A SHADOW NEFARITE
Shadow nefarites are a diversified lot. Their chaotic nature makes them receive different benefits depending on what they were before becoming shadow nefarites.
In particular, there are four known "ways" that the shadow nefarite's powers offer and they are the Stalker's Way that is accessible if the shadow nefarite had level in the ninja class, the Ascetic Way available to the ones who had levels in the monk class, the Rogue's Way available to anyone who had enough rogue levels or has the ability to deal considerable damage with a sneak attack and finally the Warrior's Way which is exclusive to martial characters who had some experience with the Shadow Hand discipline, which is remarkably tied to shadow magic.
Another peculiarity of the shadow nefarite's powers is the way they learn shadow magic. If they didn't have experience in shadowcasting before entering the prestige class, they still learn shadow magic, but will rely upon different abilities to cast their mysteries and while they will never learn the most powerful mysteries (shadow magic spells), they will be eventually able to cast them more times. On the other hand, if the shadow nefarite previously had some shadowcasting experience, which means levels in the shadowcaster or shadow warrior (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=799350) classes, she will be able to learn the most powerful mysteries available to shadow nefarites.
It is important to note that most shadow nefarites that didn't have shadowcasting experience still had some eldritch ties to magic by the means of the Abyssal Heritor feat named Keeper of Forbidden Knowledge. This strange feat could represent an inborn peculiarity of the character or the touch of demonic knowledge acquired while studying the ancient tomes that describe the ways of shadow nefarites.
Monks who become shadow nefarites often take the Ordered Chaos feat in order to stay of lawful alignment in spite of the chaotic influences of the abyssal heritor feats gained during the advancement in the shadow nefarite prestige class. These individuals often have levels of shadowcaster and usually become the grand masters of the sects, due to their lawful alignment and their superior focus and motivation.
In conclusion, shadow nefarites may be ninjas, monks, rogues or even swordsages with the Keeper of Forbidden Knowledge feat, or some levels of shadowcaster or simply be shadow warriors (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=799350), which is the most simple and balanced way to become shadow nefarites. Less common background include some levels in the lurk or spellthief classes or even stranger combinations. Consider that having levels in more than one class that give access to different shadow nefarite's ways may slow the advancement, but could also make for a very flexible and unique character, since it is possible to take different shadow nefarite's ways during the advancement.

Entry Requirements:

Alignment: Not Lawful Good, not Neutral Good.
Base Attack Bonus: +4.
Skills: Hide 9 ranks, Move Silently 9 ranks.
Feats: any Abyssal Heritor feat. (Keeper of Forbidden Lore may help satisfy other requirements).

The two different choices below may lead to different spellcasting progressions and caster level acquirement or advancement.
Shadowcasting: Ability to cast 1st level mysteries, OR
Skills: Knowledge(the planes) 6 ranks, Spellcraft 6 ranks.

Depending on which or how many of the following requirements are fulfilled, you may choose different class features.
STALKER'S WAY - Special: Ghost Step class feature, AND/OR
ASCETIC WAY - Feats: Ordered Chaos and Stunning Fist, AND/OR
ROGUE WAY - Special: +3d6 Sneak Attack, AND/OR
ARTIST'S WAY- Feats: Chord of Distraction and Subsonics, AND/OR
LURK'S WAY - Special: Lurk Augment (Deceptive Strike), AND/OR
MARTIAL WAY - Martial Maneuvers: Must know the Assassin's Stance and two Shadow Hand maneuvers of at least 2nd level, AND/OR...
Optional: entry requirement for custom classesSAMURAI'S WAY - Special: Path of the Samurai (Wind) (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=722563) class feature, AND/OR
ASSASSIN'S WAY - Special: Throw Dagger (Standard) (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=12148554&postcount=4) class feature, AND/OR
ENGETSU WAY - Special: Lunar Strike +2d6 (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=670865) class feature.

CLASS FEATURES
The class may give different class features depending on your previous classes, eventually leading to choices among different features. It also give random feats that at some point may change the alignment of the character, making it chaotic. Read carefully.

Table 1: The Shadow Nefarite Hit Die: 1d6

Lv BAB Fort. Ref. Will Special
1st +0 +0 +2 +2 Abyssal Ways (Twilight), SA/SS +1d6
2nd +1 +0 +3 +3 Black Code
3rd +2 +1 +3 +3 Shadow Demon Skin 1/day
4th +3 +1 +4 +4 SA/SS +2d6
5th +3 +1 +4 +4 Chaotic Spell Recall, Abyssal Ways (Darkness)
6th +4 +2 +5 +5 Shadows and Air
7th +5 +2 +5 +5 SA/SS +3d6
8th +6 +2 +6 +6 Shadow Demon Skin 3/day
9th +6 +3 +6 +6 Abyssal Heritor feat
10th +7 +3 +7 +7 SA/SS +4d6, Abyssal Ways (Shadow)

Table 2: Mysteries known.

Lv Mysteries known and type of casting
1st 3 Fundamentals
2nd +1 level of shadowcaster
3rd +1 level of shadowcaster
4th +1 level of shadowcaster
5th +1 level of shadowcaster
6th +1 level of shadowcaster
7th +1 level of shadowcaster
8th +1 level of shadowcaster
9th +1 level of shadowcaster
10th +1 level of shadowcaster

Class Skills (4+int modifier per level): Balance, Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Disable Device, Disguise, Escape Artist, Gather Information, Hide, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Open Lock, Perform (Kuji-Kiri), Profession, Search, Spellcraft, Spot, Tumble, Use Rope.

Weapons and Armor Proficiencies: You gain no new weapon, armor or shield proficencies.

Mysteries and Paths: You do not cast spells as other classes do, but instead invoke mystical secrets called mysteries.
If you didn't have levels in other mystery-using (shadowcasting) classes before, you gain access to the shadow nefarite list (table 3, below), each class level counts as caster level, and you learn mysteries and fundamentals at the same rate a shadowcaster does (excluding the first 3 Fundamentals, that you gain separately at first level), but may choose them only from the shadow nefarite list.
Instead, if you had levels in other shadowcasting classes, the first level of shadow neafrite doesn't count as caster level; you maintain access to the mysteries of those classes, but will have to follow the rules described in the Black Code (see above).
For the reasons explained in the Tome of Magic book, if you haven't access to other mystery lists, at 9th and 10th level you will only be able to re-learn other mysteries, gaining more uses, because you will not have enough 4th level mysteries to learn one of the next level and so on.

In order to cast a mystery from the Shadow Nefarite's list you must have a Wisdom (or Intelligence if you had levels in the shadowcaster class) score of 10+the mystery's level. The save DC for your mysteries equals 10+the mystery's level+your Cha modifier.

Table 3: The Shadow Nefarite's mysteries and pathsTable 3: The Shadow Nefarite's mysteries and paths

Full List (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=11250244&postcount=1)
FUNDAMENTAL MYSTERIES:

Dark Sleep: A limited Sleep with potentially bad drawbacks for the caster.Dark Sleep
Transmutation (Shadow)
SAVE: Fortitude. (Just to make it different... And less powerful against warrior-types)
RANGE: Close
TARGET: One creature (creatures immune to magical sleep are not immune to Dark Sleep)
DURATION: 1 round/level

Shadows infiltrate the creature's brain, making them sleep briefly or for a longer time, depending on their strength.

As Sleep with the above and following exceptions:
Affected creature HDs are 1 per caster level (up to 10).
A successful save makes the creature "sleep awake" for 1 round: the creature will attack you with the best attack options available (spell-users may try to blast you with attack spells), pinpointing you even if you were hidden, since its hyper-conscious level lets it locate the origin of the strange power that affected its mind. After that round the creature will act normally and will have a chance to learn your position with a +5 bonus to the related skill check.
A failed save makes the creature sleep as normal for the spell, with the exception of the limited duration of the effect.
Note that creatures with more HDs than the limit are completely unaffected, they don't even "sleep awake" for 1 round if they succeed or fail the save.

Kuji-Kiri: A difficult but efficient magical hypnosis technique.
Kuji-Kiri
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-affecting]
CASTING TIME: 1 swift action
DURATION: Concentration + 1 round/half caster levels (see text)
RANGE: Close
TARGET: One humanoid or animal.
SAVE: Will
SR: No

Your glare and movements feed a hypnotic shadow in your target's mind so that it could spend hours just looking at you.

You must concentrate on this fundamental with a full-round action, using a special Perform (Kuji-Kiri) check instead of the Concentration check. During this performance you are only able to make a 5 ft. (1,5 m) step each round, as normal.
Note that the magical art of Kuji-Kiri is very difficult and just to keep active the "concentration", you must succeed a DC 20 Perform (Kuji-Kiri) check. Every concentration-related check to mantain concentration in adverse conditions has its DC higher by 5 points.
If the target fails the save against this fundamental, it can't perform any action for the duration, and it doesn't have a second chance of saving against the effect untill some loud noise disturbs the area, in which case the target is allowed a second saving throw. If someone breaks up the caster's concentration, the caster goes out of range, or the target gets any damage, the effect ends immediately.
Note that after you end your concentration, the creature you had targeted will be able to act normally, but will not remember anything of what happenned for a number of rounds equal to half your caster level.

Reflection of Memory: A limited Disguise Self affecting only one target.Reflection of Memory
Illusion (Glamer)
DURATION: 10 minutes
RANGE: Personal
TARGET: You

You may let someone perceive you as another person, as your connection to shadows makes you appear different.

As Disguise Self, but affects only one target at a time.

Silent Soul: You make another mystery more powerful against flat-footed enemies.
Silent Soul
Transmutation
CASTING TIME: 1 swift action
DURATION: 1 round
RANGE: Personal
SAVE: Will (harmless)
SR: Yes (harmless)

A chaotic conduit between you and the shadows comes into being into your soul, making your mysteries more deadly when you cast them to opponents that you could easily back-stab.

You cast this fundamental with a swift action. The next mystery you cast in that round has its DC raised by 1 plus 1 every 5 caster levels (maximum of 3 at caster level 10) if the target is flat-footed or unaware that it is the target of the mystery.
Silent Soul can only enhance mysteries of one spell level (beginning from level 0) for every two caster levels, up to a maximum of seventh level mysteries at caster level 15.

Silent Sound: The touched object becomes completely silent.
Silent Sound
Transmutation (Shadow)
DURATION: 10 minutes/level
RANGE: Touch
SAVE: Fortitude (object, harmless)
SR: Yes (harmless)

You cover the object in a thin layer of shadows, making it completely noiseless.

The touched objects will emit no sound for the duration of the mystery (spell). Not even if it collides with other non-enchanted objects.
If you cast this fundamental on your boots, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus on move silently.

APPRENTICE PATH MYSTERIES:

Rushing Eclipse

1 - Whispers of Nothingness: Easily hide and move silently even while moving.
Whispers of Nothingness
Illusion (Glamer)
DURATION: 1 minute/level
RANGE: Personal

When you move, the shadows around you seem to flow following your movements, allowing you to become even less noticeable.

You can move up to normal speed with no penalties to Hide and Move Silently checks. You can run or charge with only a -10 penalty to Hide and Move Silently checks, instead of -20.
In addition, this mystery increases your base land speed by 10 ft. (treated as an enhancement bonus).

2 - Jealous Fury of Ededei: Dazzle with flash, then blind with darkness.
Jealous Fury of Ededei (Blinding Darkness)
Evocation [Light, Darkness] (Shadow)
DURATION: 1 round/level (up to 10)
RANGE: Medium
AREA: 9m(30ft) radius emanation
SAVE: Reflexes, see text

You control the light and shadows of the area making it very bright for an instant and very dark an instant later

A bright flash makes all creatures in the area Dazzled for 1 round. Then the area is obscured, reducing any vision by 75%. Creatures that fail the save are treated as Blinded for the duration of the effect, excluding the first round in which they were Dazzled.
The mystery doesn't function if a light spell of 2nd level or higher is active in the area.

3 - Shadow Twin: Create an illusory twin to confuse opponents.
Shadow Twin
Illusion (Phantasm)
DURATION: 1 minute/level
RANGE: 1,5m(5ft)
EFFECT: One shadow double

You create a perfect double of yourself with shadows. While it's only an image, your opponents cannot know who of the two is the real one.

Your first attack each round gains a circumstance bonus equal to 1 + 1 every 5 caster levels (up to 3 without Shadowcaster levels or 5 at 20th level, with Shadowcaster levels and Practiced Spellcaster) as your opponents try to defend themselves from both you and your double.
All attacks directed on you the round you cast the mystery are made as if you had total concealment (50% miss chance). The round after, your opponents know which of the two is the real one and can attack you without penalties.
You can swap your position with that of the Shadow Twin once per caster level with an immediate action. This allows you to to do an additional 1,5m step even out of your turn (since you and the Shadow Twin are always at that distance one from the other) and also reactivates total concealment for that round. Additionaly, if engaged in melee combat, the 1,5m step may take you out of range and effectively negate all the attacks.
When you swapped position with your Shadow Twin all the available times, the mystery ends.

Dim Edges

1 - Darken The Veil of Sleep: Infuse a deeper state of sleeping.
Darken The Veil of Sleep
Transmutation (Shadow)
DURATION: 10 minutes/level (originally 1 hour)
RANGE: Touch
SAVE: Fortitude, see text
SR: Yes

By evoking a small portion of shadow inside the brain of a sleeping creature, you make its sleep nearly-comatose for some time.

If the touched creature failed the saving throw, it's not going to wake up, regardless of noise for the duration of the mystery (spell). Any damage will wake up the creature.
Note that the mystery also affects creatures that are "sleeping awake" because of a Dark Sleep effect.
A successful saving throw makes the creature wake up the next round, regardless of any previous sleep effect, or before if the previous sleep effect had already finished.

2 - Fierce Shuriken: Greatly enhance a few projectile or thrown weapons.
Fierce Shuriken
Transmutation (Shadow)
DURATION: 1 minute/level
TARGET: Up to 1 thrown or proyectile weapon per 2 caster levels (minimum of 1)

You infuse your shurikens or similar weapons with the power of Shadow.

The affected thrown weapons are treated as being made of Shadowstriking metal (they automatically pass any damage reduction) for the duration of the spell. Additionally, sneak attacks or any other precision damage inflicted with these weapons, applies even beyond 9 meters (30 feet).

3 - Edge of Nothing: Make a weapon supernaturally sharp.
Edge of Nothing (or Edge of Pure Shadow)
Transmutation (Shadow)
DURATION: 1 round/half caster level (minimum of 1)
TARGET: A weapon

You perfect your weapon, by converting all the flawed parts of it to pure shadows, rendering its edges incredibly sharp.

The critical range of the weapon is increased by 1 point + 1 every 10 caster levels (up to 2 with no Shadowcaster levels or 3 at 20th level, with Shadowcaster levels and Practiced Spellcaster). This effects stacks with any other feat or magical weapon that increases critical range.
Additionally, if rolling to confirm a critical hit you roll another critical, your critical multiplier is increased by one.

INITIATE PATH MYSTERIES:

Shadow Dragon

4 - Shadow Brother: Create a quasi-real double of yourself.
Shadow Brother
Conjuration (Shadow)
DURATION: 1 round/level
RANGE: Up to 15m (50ft)

You conjure a real double of yourself: a true brother of shadows.

As Shadow Twin with the above and following exceptions:
Your double is now more than an image and has half your hit points, half your skill ranks, your AC, your BAB with a -5 penalty, but cannot cast any spells, powers or mysteries you know. Its equipment is the same of yours, but magical weapons loose any enhancement (although are still considered magical in order to bypass any damage reduction) and magical objects that produce any spell effect, (such as scrolls, wands, rings and others) can't be used by the Shadow Brother at all.
You can control it with a free action for as long as it remains within range.

5 - Goju's Embrace: Empower your ties to the abyss and receive new abilities.
Goju's Embrace
Conjuration
DURATION: 1 minute/level
RANGE: Personal

You create a shadowy conduit between you and the powers of dark creatures of the abyss.

The bonuses granted by your Abyssal Heritor feats, and every class feature that depends on the number of Abyssal Heritor feats you have, are calculated as if you had an additional number of them equal to half your caster level.
Note that in the case of the Chaotic Spell Recall feat, to avoid loopholes, the extra spell recalls gained by the menas of Goju's Embrace can't be used to cast Goju's Embrace again.
Additionally, you gain Fast Healing 1 in shadowy areas, and your Darkvision (if you have it) can now pierce magical darkness.

6 - Shroud of The Shadow Dragon: Unleash the ultimate power of shadow.
Shroud of The Shadow Dragon
Transmutation (Shadow)
DURATION: Permanent
RANGE: Touch or Personal
TARGET: One creature touched or You
SAVE: Will negates, See text

You can unleash the power of the mythical Shadow Dragon. You can use it to condemn your foes to live in a form of shadow or to disappear completely when the secrets you carry or your own life are in extreme danger.

If the touched creature fails the save it permanently becomes a Shadow Elemental of its size and will never harm (nor help) the caster. Only Wish, Miracle or Shroud of the Shadow Dragon casted again by the same caster can restore it to its original form.
If the character uses this mystery on itself it has a special effect. He temporary stops to exist by "de-materializing" and becoming an indistinct part of the Shadow Plane. In this case, a Will save allows the effect, and the character fades to an indistinct shadow and then to nothing, reappearing in the same place after a chosen amount of time, from a minimum of 1 hour up to a number of days equal to her caster level. If the character fails the save, he will be permanently polymorphed (see the polymorph subschool description) into a Shadow Elemental of its size. In this case, only Wish, Miracle or Shroud of the Shadow Dragon casted by another Shadow Demon may restore the caster's original form.

The Black Code: Those who enter the order of the Shadow Nefarites already knowing the ways of shadow magic must learn at least one mystery every two levels from the Shadow Nefarite list below (table 3, above).
Those who don't respect this rule instantly become Ex Shadow Nefarites (see below).

Abyssal Ways: Shadow nefarites develop a strong link with the abyssal plane and mysterious shadow entities that dwell there. This link gifts the character with different powers depending on what previous training or trainings he/she had.
If the character qualifies for more than one Abyssal Way, he must choose which way to follow at first (to determine if he/she gets Sneak Attack, Sudden Strike or other class features in place of them) but may choose a different benefit at 5th and 10th level (a benefit from a different "way").

STALKER'S WAY
Very defensive, with empowered Ki dodge, and extra spellcasting.
Twilight: Your levels in shadow nefarite stack with your ninja levels for the purpose of calculating your total amount of level-based Ki points, and the level you get new usages for your Ghost Step class feature.
From now on you get Sudden Strike.
Darkness: You gain the Ki Dodge class feature as a ninja of 6th level, but the amount of miss chance is equal to 10% for every Abyssal Heritor feat you have.
Shadow: You can now use your Ki points to gain extra uses of mysteries, expending 1 Ki point for every level of the mystery you want to use beyond daily limits. For example, you could spend 3 Ki points to gain 3 new uses for a 1st level mystery or 1 new use for a 3rd level mystery. Note that you can use this technique only to recover mysteries exclusive to this class, not mysteries from other shadowcaster's paths, for example.
The number of Ki points you can expend, and so the maximum level mystery you can reuse is equal to your Charisma modifier.

ASCETIC WAY
Focus on special attacks, with empowered Quivering Palm as final ability.
Twilight: Your levels in shadow nefarite stack with your monk levels for the purpose of determining your unarmored speed bonus, Ki Strike class feature, and the number of daily attempts of your Stunning Fist feat. Note that instead of eventually gaining Ki Strike (lawful), at the appropriate level you gain a special Ki Strike (chaotic) feature.
From now on you get Sudden Strike.
Darkness: You gain the Slow Fall class feature, but the distance you can fall without taking damage is equal to 20 ft. for every Abyssal Heritor feat you have. You also add ½ the number of Abyssal Heritor feats you have as a profane bonus to your Stunning Fist DC.
Shadow: You gain the Quivering Palm class feature as a monk of 15th level, with the exception that you use your Charisma modifier, may use it a number of times per week equal to your Charisma modifier, and your shadow nefarite levels stack with the monk ones in order to calculate the DC. You also add ½ the number of Abyssal Heritor feats you have as a profane bonus to your Quivering Palm DC.

ROGUE WAY
Focus on Skill Tricks, progression of Uncanny Dodge, and extra goodies for true rogues.
Twilight: Your levels in shadow nefarite count as rogue levels for the purpose of gaining or advancing the benefits of the Uncanny Dodge class feature.
From now on you get Sneak Attack.
Darkness: You acquire a number of Skill Tricks equal to ½ the number of Abyssal Heritor feats you have, and each day you can select different ones, but you must always meet the requirements of every Skill Trick you learn. You also gain an extra +1d6 of Sneak Attack or, optionally, a rogue's Special Ability if you have rogue levels.
Shadow: You gain extra usages per encounter for your skill tricks equal to your Charisma modifier. You can use all your extra usages on one trick or distribute them between more tricks freely. You also gain an extra +1d6 of Sneak Attack or, optionally, a rogue's Special Ability if you have rogue levels.

MARTIAL WAY
Mixes swordsage and warblade features and allows multiple stances as a peak ability.
Twilight: Your add your full shadow nefarite level to your initiator level to determine your total initiator level and your highest-level maneuvers known.
Instead of Sneak Attack or Sudden Strike you gain one extra maneuver readied, and two new maneuvers known or one new stance known, alternatively (look at Table 4 below for sample progession).
Darkness: You gain both the Insightful Strike and Battle Ardor class features but instead of adding Wisdom or Intelligence modifier, you add the number of Abyssal Heritor feats you have.
Shadow: You can benefit from multiple Shadow Hand stances at the same time for a limited number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier, and for a fixed number of rounds each time equal to ½ the number of Abyssal Heritor feats you have. The number of simultaneous stances is equal to ½ the number of Abyssal Heritor feats you have.

LURK'S WAY
Mixes psionics with shadowcasting, and reaches high prowess in the end.
Twilight: Your shadow nefarite levels stack with your lurk levels for the purpose of determining Lurk Augment usage and selection.
Instead of Sneak Attack or Sudden Strike, you gain Psionic Talent as a bonus feat.
Darkness: You can cast your mysteries beyond their daily limits by expending a number of power points equal to the standard cost of a psionic power of a level one higher than the mystery's level. Mysteries casted in this fashion always count as supernatural abilities.
Shadow: A number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier, you can use a number of Augments at once equal to ½ the number of Abyssal Heritor feats you have.

ARTIST'S WAY
Transforms previous spellcasting and specializes in distracting enemies and general versatility.
Twilight: Your shadow nefarite levels stack with your bard levels for the purpose of determining your bardic music daily attempts.
Instead of Sneak Attack or Sudden Strike, you gain an additional +1 level of shadowcaster by sacrificing two levels of arcane spellcasting given by the bard class.
You are also able to select shadowcaster mysteries in lieu of shadow nefarite mysteries, and you cast all mysteries as a shadowcaster (using Intelligence instead of Wisdom), but must follow the rules of the Black Code while doing so.
If at one moment you gain this feature but don't have two bard spellcasting levels left, you don't gain the benefit until you gain a sufficient bard level.
Darkness: You can use Chord of Distraction for for free a number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier. Additionally, you can designate yourself in place of an ally as the beneficiary of the effect, the target will remain flat-footed for a number of rounds equal to ½ the number of Abyssal Heritor feats you have, and you gain a profane bonus to your Perform check equal to the number of Abyssal Heritor feats you have.
You also gain a free bonus feat.
Shadow: You become a master of the Kuji-Kiri fundamental. You concentrate on it with a move action, you gain a profane bonus on its save DC equal to the number of Abyssal Heritor feats you have, you can target a number of enemies equal to the number of Abyssal Heritor feats you have, and you can use it as a sonic effect, not depending on line of sight, and usable in conjunction with the Subsonics feat.
You also gain a free bonus feat.
ABYSSAL WAYS FOR CUSTOM CLASSES

SAMURAI'S WAY (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=722563)
Focus on damage, tracking of prey and extra spellcasting on slaying.
Twilight: Instead of Sneak Attack or Sudden Strike, you gain an additional +1d6 to your Mark (Cut Once) class feature.
Darkness: You gain the Greater Path of the Samurai (Wind) class feature with the exception that you gain blindsense equal to 10 ft. for every Abyssal Heritor feat you have. You also gain Track as a bonus feat.
Shadow: You gain the Mark (Pass Through) class feature with the difference that the immediate movement is equal to 5 ft. for every Abyssal Heritor feat you have.
A number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier, during the immediate movement, you can also cast a mystery during the same action and beyond daily limits, but the mystery's level must not be greater than ½ the number of Abyssal Heritor feats you have.

ASSASSIN'S WAY (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=12148554&postcount=4)
Complete focus on ranged attacks. Empowered cloaking/camouflage as capstone.
Twilight: Your levels in shadow nefarite count as rogue levels for the purpose of gaining or advancing the benefits of the Uncanny Dodge class feature.
Instead of Sneak Attack or Sudden Strike, you gain an additional +1 dodge bonus to your AC.
Darkness: You gain Improved Combat Style (critical hits) and Shadow Mastery, both with the exception of being applicable to all light weapons with range increment, but only to them. This overrides the restriction to Shadow Hand weapons of the Shadow Mastery class feature.
Plus, instead of adding +1d6 damage with your Shadow Mastery, you add damage equal to the number of Abyssal Heritor feats you have.
Note that your shadow nefarite levels count as initiator levels for the purpose of learning the new Shadow Hand stance given by the Combat Style class feature.
Shadow: You gain the Throw Dagger (Swift) class feature. A number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier, you can also cast a mystery during the same action, and imbue the throwing weapon with it, but the mystery's level must not be greater than ½ the number of Abyssal Heritor feats you have.
You also improve your Cloaking class feature, gaining camouflage in every area and with a distance from features equal to 5ft. for every two Abyssal Heritor feats you have.

ENGETSU WAY (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=670865)
Transforms previous spellcasting and gain empowered vision or SR. Surprise capstone.
Twilight: If you have the Implement Focus or Implement Extension feats, you can use them as Metashadow feats, once per day, on your mysteries.
Instead of Sneak Attack or Sudden Strike, you gain an additional +1 level of shadowcaster by sacrificing two levels of arcane spellcasting given by the Engetsu shinobi class.
You are also able to select shadowcaster mysteries in lieu of shadow nefarite mysteries, and you cast all mysteries as a shadowcaster (using Intelligence instead of Wisdom), but must follow the rules of the Black Code while doing so.
If at one moment you gain this feature but don't have two Engetsu shinobi spellcasting levels left, you don't gain the benefit until you gain a sufficient Engetsu Shinobi level.
Darkness: You gain the Lunar Vision feat with the exception of having darkvision equal to 10 ft. + 10 ft. for every Abyssal Heritor feats you have, or you gain the Lunar Mantle feat with the exception of having your shadow nefarite levels stack with Engetsu shinobi levels, and an extra profane bonus to the resulting SR equal to the number of Abyssal Heritor feats you have.
Shadow: You gain the Lunar Sight feat with the exception of having blindsight (instead of blindsense) equal to 5 ft. for every Abyssal Heritor feats you have, or you gain the Lunar Mantle, Penultimate feat with the exception of having your shadow nefarite levels stack with Engetsu shinobi levels, using your Charisma modifier instead of Intelligence modifier, and an extra profane bonus to the resulting SR equal to the number of Abyssal Heritor feats you have.
You also gain the Ki Clout feat as a bonus feat and may treat your unarmed strikes as made of Shadowstriking metal for a limited number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier, and for a fixed number of rounds each time equal to ½ the number of Abyssal Heritor feats you have.

Table 4: Martial Way: example of typical maneuvers progression.

lv Maneuvers Known Maneuvers Readied Stances Known
1st 2 1 0
2nd 0 0 0
3rd 0 0 0
4th 1 1 1
5th 0 0 0
6th 0 0 0
7th 2 1 0
8th 0 0 0
9th 0 0 0
10th 1 1 1

Shadow Demon Skin (Su): The Shadow Demon Skin is identical to the Shadow Skin mystery but is cast with a bonus on your caster level equal to the number of Abyssal Heritor feats you have and replaces Silver with Cold Iron, since the nature of this power is tied to the Abyss. The shadow nefarite can use it as a supernatural ability 1 time per day, expending the use of one Apprentice mystery.
At 8th level the Shadow Demon may use it 3 times per day, always expending the use of any one Apprentice mystery each time.
Starting from 5th level, this ability can be recovered by the means of the Chaotic Spell Recall feat, as all the other mysteries from the shadow nefarite list.
Additionally, a shadow nefarite who reaches the Stalker's Way to Shadow is able to get an extra use for this mystery expending 2 Ki points, and a shadow nefarite who reaches the Lurk's Way to Darkness is able to get an extra use for it expending 5 power points.

Chaotic Spell Recall: At 5th level, all your mysteries and fundamentals from the shadow nefarite list gain the Chaotic descriptor and are recoverable by the means of the Chaotic Spell Recall feat (see Fiendish Codex I) that you gain even if you don't meet the prerequisites.

Shadows and Air (Su): The ever-growing chaotic and shadowy presence in your soul has now extended to your body. Your movements become supernaturally fluid and unpredictable, and you almost seem to flicker just a moment before being hit, dodging even apparently sure hits.
From now on, you always add your Charisma modifier as a bonus to your AC.
Being this a supernatural effect, it doesn't function in areas where magic is not possible such as an antimagic field.

Abyssal Heritor Feat: You gain an Abyssal Heritor feat (see "Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss") that can be randomly determined to add some chaotic flavor to the character or optionally chosen normally.

EX Shadow Nefarites
A shadow nefarite who breaks the Black Code, becomes of prohibited alignment or breaks whatever extra rule his sect might have (maybe just by failing a mission given by the grand master of the sect) cannot take any other level in the prestige class and looses all the benefits derived from Silent Soul, Shadows and Air and the use of the Shadow Demon Skin mystery/class feature. The only way to regain the power is by defeating the grand master of his sect.

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/5435/disguisedshadownefaritecj6.png
"Our sect has grown strong, but we payed a price for it: there are few of us now like me, who can be seen by normal people without provoking a visceral horror."

- Jhunal Na-taki "Red Moon", a shadow nefarite in her everyday outfit.

New Abyssal Heritor feats

ABYSSAL MARKINGS
Glowing markings of demonic symbols appear on your body, augmenting your power at a painful cost.
Prerequisite: Any three other Abyssal Heritor feats
Benefit: You add a +1 profane bonus to your Charisma score for every two Abyssal Heritor feats you possess.
Special: You suffer a permanent drain of 2 points of Constitution.

GRASP OF THE GLABREZU
Your nearly demonic hands give you strength and a powerful grasp, allowing you to wield large weapons, but making it more difficult to wield smaller ones.
Prerequisite: Claws of the Beast
Benefit: You reduce the measure of the effort it takes to wield an oversized weapon by one step. The penalty for using bigger weapons decreases by 1 for every four Abyssal Heritor feats you possess, but the penalty can never be a negative value (you will never gain a bonus for wielding oversized weapons).
Special: You suffer a permanent -2 penalty on attack rolls made with all light and ranged weapons.

New feats

ALLURING BLADEWHIRL

Prerequisite: Snowflake Wardance, Perform (Kuji-Kiri) 12 ranks, Artist's Ways (Darkness) class feature.
Benefit: When initiating a Snowflake Wardance, you can instead choose to initiate an Alluring Bladewhirl expending one additional bardic music use.
The effect is the same of a Snowflake Wardance, but you gain 1d6 of Sudden Strike, plus an additional +1d6 for every 4 Abyssal Heritor feats you have.
The duration of the Alluring Bladewhirl is equal to your Perform (Kuji-Kiri) ranks, instead of Perform (dance) ranks.

PLAYING A SHADOW NEFARITE
PLAYING A SHADOW NEFARITE
You have delved deep into "forbidden" lores and finally discovered what are arguably the most efficient powers to be stealthy, difficult to hit in combat and generally very difficult to stop from your intents.
You are a loner and at the same time you depend from a sect and especially from its grand master, the person that gave you the possibility to access all these new powers.
Depending on the nature of your sect, and on the nature of yourself, you could have nearly no interaction with the sect, a very easy and good relationship or a dangerous and painful life with it.
All in all, you are a person who has, explicitly or implicitly, a strong thirst of power. And even more than that, a predilection for easy ways to get this power. Chances are that you are a charismatic and smart person, one who could have a bright and easy future, but some bad experiences or delusions in your life made you think that "the outside world", society, politics, law and order are just against you. Even magical studies were just too boringly legislated for your likings. Then, by traveling around or by studying alone, you discovered (or you were discovered by) a shadow nefarite master and your life changed.
Now you can do what you want... Or maybe what your master or some hidden and dark part of your soul wants, but chances are that you will never know it. Or that you will discover the truth when it will be a little late to change it.

COMBAT
COMBAT
You combine very subtle powers with fast and deadly attacks. You could run parallel to a line-up of shooting archers without being hit or you could receive a deadly blow just to let your foe breathless when he discovers that the weapon didn't even scar your skin. You excel at dealing with single opponents, but if you get surrounded, you would better try to run away or do hara-kiri if the secrets you carry would bring you more pain than death, if discovered.
At higher levels, you have the power to let your foes think that you're dead, by letting them kill the perfect decoy that the double of yourself created by the Shadow Brother mystery is, or if you have a monastic and shadowcasting training, you could just slay everyone with the claws that you probably had grown by the means of your abyssal heritage, having them enhanced by the fearful Edge of Nothing mystery and helped by the dark powers of the Goju's Embrace mystery.
If you will become a true master among shadow nefarites, you could eventually learn the ultimate mystery: the Shroud of the Shadow Dragon. With it you could easily kill even powerful foes, if you manage to use it in conjunction with the Silent Soul class feature, or you can really and completely disappear, giving you a happier alternative to suicide in the worst situations...
Your options in combat are just as many as the damned souls that inhabit the foul plane that gives you some of your powers.

ADVANCEMENT
ADVANCEMENT
If you had levels in the monk, shadow warrior, shadowcaster or more than one of these classes, you should consider taking some levels into them during your advacement, since you would probably rely on some of their class features and/or superior spellcasting ability.
Being a shadow nefarite means also confronting with the need of more and more abyssal heritor feats, to take advantage and use at best the two free ones that the clas gives you. This is especially so if you were a shadow warrior (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=799350) or shadowcaster and at high levels learn the Goju's Embrace mystery. With it you can double the effectiveness of your Abyssal Heritor feats and this would probably mean better combat prowess and who know how much else.

Other feats that you must consider if you also have access to other shadow magic paths are the few Reserve feats (see "Complete Mage") for which you could qualify, especially those that enhance movement like Borne Aloft or Dimensional Jaunt.
One Reserve feat that you may and should really take even without having more shadowcasting ability is the Face-Changer feat, available since you take the Shadow Brother mystery (which is both a shadow illusion since it creates something that is nearly real and a glamer illusion needed to qualify for the feat since it makes the shadow look like a vivid and real copy of yourself).
With the Face-Changer feat you can avoid other people seeing your probably evident demonic features.
Other always helpful feats may be Metashadow feats, other feats presented in the Shadow Magic chapter of Tome of Magic like the ones that let you avoid attacks of opportunity while casting a mystery, and finally some combat-oriented feat, like Improved Critical which stacks with the bonus granted by Edge of Nothing.
Also consider that if at a certain point you find that you need more shadow magic prowess, you can always take a level of shadowcaster after entering the shadow nefarite class and the only changes you will undergo will be that you will now have to follow the "Black Code" and that if you had already reached 4th level, so gaining the "Chaotic Transformation" class feature, only the mysteries that you learned before gaining the shadowcaster level will qualify for the use of Chaotic Spell Recall. Apart from that, the change will be good since you will start your shadowcaster career already knowing some shadowcasting and your levels in shadowcaster and shadow nefarite will stack for the purpose of determining caster level and mystery learning. Of course the previous mysteries won't count for the purpose of determining Bonus Feats.
Speaking of advancement in your "career", consider at a certain point that if your grand master becomes an obstacle, you can always defeat him and maybe take his place or definitely become a real lone wolf or maybe even create your own sect.

RESOURCES
RESOURCES
Even if your sect could represent a resource in the case of an organized sect, there are also many sects which don't represent a true resource to its adepts, and these sects are the ones that permit the higher degree of autonomy. So a resourceful sect is also a demanding sect.
However, the nature of shadow nefarites makes them resourceful of their own, so apart from some good magic item you may want in order to make your life and fights easier, you don't need much at all.
For evil shadow nefarites, a good resource may be what many would consider an immense threat: the demons themselves. Taking a feat like Evil Brand could make you look at least like a possible and temporary ally to the eyes of some demons. In this case, being friend to (or kidnapping) someone that deals with planar bindings or portals could help you in your foul quests...

CONTINUES IN THE NEXT POST!

Realms of Chaos

2010-02-10, 04:37 AM

The Shadow Nefarite PrC, written by LordArchaon: Part 2

SHADOW NEFARITES IN THE WORLD

http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/7643/samuraiia6.png

"Shadows and chaos can be the best tools to fight injustice. But these great powers should never be used for one's greed, or they will take even the purest souls to dark paths."

- Katahshken "White Lotus": master of the Cloaked Stargazers, on his way to voluntary poverty.

The shadow nefarites could represent the biggest threat to society as well as the last standing against evil, depending on the type of sects that are introduced to the campaign world.
An epic conclave of spellcasting-focused shadow nefarites could very well and ironically be the "shadow government" of a metropolis, while individual and not organized shadow nefarites could represent mysterious and evil villains as well as unseen protectors.
The connection between the abyss and the shadow plane could be a secret that the most powerful shadow nefarites keep for themselves, and the fate of the world could depend on the knowledge of that secret. In this case, life could be difficult for shadow nefarites, because many powers would like to defeat them to unlock their forbidden lore.
All in all, the importance, position, and situation of the shadow nefarites in a campaign world could vary like individual shadow nefarites do.

ORGANIZATION
ORGANIZATION
As it is clear to shadow nefarites themselves, the term "shadow nefarite" is just a generalization that groups together not only different type of warriors and rogues, but also different types of sects, some of them very focused and composed by more or less the same type of members, much like monasteries, others more varied, with complex hierarchies and very independent components. This facts make the organization of shadow nefarites only a matter of choice for the Game Master. The whole idea of organization could be thrashed for a different concept, maybe tied to physical demonic influences or true bloodline heritages.
Just remember that even if shadow nefarites are much more chaotic than lawful, some particular and not so hard combinations could make for solid lawful shadow nefarites. The management and interactions of these two "factions" are left to your imagination.

NPC REACTION
NPC REACTION
Seeing a shadow nefarite is very difficult. But even more difficult is to remain calm and cold-blooded if you manage to see one. Simple folk may even believe that they are true demons, while experienced adventurers could just be puzzled by their strange cocktail of abilities and maybe make bad mistakes when trying to confront with them.
Nevertheless, a disguised or just not-on-duty shadow nefarite could appear as a normal person. It depends much on what kind of (and how many) Abyssal Heritor feat he/she acquired. The ones with wings will obviously have a much harder time trying to pass for something "normal" than their "cousins" with just some hallucinatory visions in their minds.

SHADOW NEFARITES LORE
SHADOW NEFARITES LORE
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (local) can discover the presence of shadow nefarites in a given region or city, but only charcaters with Knowledge (the plans) can understand the secrets beneath the surface.
Knowledge (local)
DC 10: The biggest robberies or more impressive murders of the area are said to be made by "shadow demons" of sorts.
DC 15: Some say that these "shadow demons" are not demons, but humans with demon blood or who made pacts with abyssal powers in order to become powerful like them.
DC 20: These eerie criminals seem to act without clear schemes and seem to make use of a particular form of magic named shadow magic.
DC 25: The name with which these mysterious rogues are known to the most informed authorities is "shadow nefarites", but who they really are and where do they hide is never known for sure.
DC 30: The shadow nefarites work alone but are organized into secret sects that disguise themselves as monasteries, guilds or schools of magic. Sometimes a sect of shadow nefarite is just hidden into a normal organization. What they always need is access to ancient tomes about the abyss and the plane of shadows.
Knowledge (the planes)
DC 15: The plane of shadow is the source of shadow magic and is also connected to many other planes.
DC 20: It i said that some strong connection exists somewhere between the plane of shadow and the abyss.
DC 25: Some evil and secretive shadowcasters (masters of shadow magic) discovered ways to enhance their magic by letting their bodies and souls be influenced by abyssal energies. Someone calls them "shadow nefarites".
DC 30: Even if shadow nefarites deal with the powers of the abyss, this fact doesn't alone make them evil, but much more than so makes them chaotic. There is no reason to think that the magic of shadow nefarites is evil in nature, but for sure it may be chaotic.

SHADOW NEFARITES IN THE GAME
SHADOW NEFARITES IN THE GAME
Due to their nature, Shadow Nefarites can be easily introduced to any campaign world. They best fit into big cities with some inter-cultural exchanges and some schools of magic.
Shadow magic will be inevitable for the introduction of shadow nefarites, but it would not be a bad idea to make them the first pioneers of this magic.
Making their sect hidden into already consolidated shadow magic schools is equally simple and valid.
All the PCs in the party with the right roguish abilties could be attracted by the class powers, and even more fighter-oriented characters could benefit from its special abilities and magic, so the party, or part of it, could very easily become involved into the strange plots of some shadow nefarite sect, or maybe just become autodidact shadow nefarite, without giving much importance to the sources of their power or to other implications.

ADAPTION
Adaption
This prestige class started out as a conversion of a ninja prestige class taken by the "Way of the Ninja" book, which was tied to the Legend of the 5 Rings and consequently to the Rokugan campaign setting. The oriental feeling can still be felt by looking at the names of the mysteries or at the name of some class features. Changing these names could already represent amore solid adaption to a classic gaming world, while making this class a peculiarity of a distant oriental land such as Kara-Tur in the Forgotten Realms setting could explain its strangeness and aliment the interest towards it.
In the Eberron world they could just be a new and wary sect born in Sharn itself, maybe around the Morgrave University entourage, or they could be an ancient group tied to the Lords of Dust, their power coming from the great imprisoned rakshasa rajas.
Other adaption options could very well be focusing the requirements, by making the class more specific or on the other hand adding even more "Ways", such as one especially for bards (not a bad idea), one for scouts, one for lurks, one for rangers and so on. So you can cut away Ways in order to make the class simpler, add other Ways to make it even more flexible or just replace them with others to change the feeling. For example, the urban feeling could be easily changed to a more savage feeling by thinking out a Way of the Rager (for barbarians), a Way of the Skirmisher (for scouts) and a Way of the Hunter (for rangers) and replacing the original ways with the new ones.
You could even convert the mysteries to spells (they are already spells converted to mysteries, so the process is easy) and give the class a more conventional feeling, with spells known and spell-slots tables.

Sample Encounter
A Shadow Nefarite can well be a central character of a storyline: a mysterious and elusive figure that may endanger or help the party depending on the situation.
The PCs may want to befriend this dark warrior in order to be initiated to the secrets of his magic or they may want to capture him just because of the bounty on his head.
EL 18: Katahshken is a living example of how the powers of shadow and of the abyss may change a life forever. but not necessarily in a bad way, at all.
He was once one of the most respected warriors of his fighting school, known for his exotic beauty and elegance. Sometimes, though some accidents put him in difficult situations: companions reported to the masters that sometimes his face changed into a demonic visage.The masters never believed this and thought that the rumors could be envy. Katahshken though, knew that he had some sort of intimidating and innate power, and he realized that he had a connection with a different plane of existence and started studying ancient tomes about demons and the planes. He had already chose his path in one of the biggest ceremonies of his school when his new masters noticed that he suddenly changed his fighting and learning style, modifying the ancient katas and combat maneuvers, claiming that he had discovered easier or more efficient ways. They even noticed, in specific training in the darkness, that his eyes had an eerie glow. After some time, he was banned for rebellious behavior and even his family stopped to support him because of this dishonoring fact. Katahshken, aware of what was the cause of everything, started delving even deeper into his dark studies, discovering that there was no evil in his nature, only chaos. However, worried for his own morality, he approached a sanctuary of a good deity and started a spiritual path towards voluntary poverty, in order to keep his soul pure. At the same time, he founded his own school of combat, in which only pious and stealthy warriors could be trained. He and his school are now a potent force of good and allies of the church that inspired Katahshken. They specialize into punishing corrupted politicians and defeating evil magic users.

Katahshken, founder and master of the Cloaked Stargazers CR 18

Male human *samurai 11/shadow nefarite 7
CG Medium humanoid
Init +4; Senses Listen +9, Spot +27; darkvision 60 ft., blindsense 30ft.
Languages Common, Abyssal, Celestial
________________________________________

AC 42, touch 30, flat-footed 38
(+0 size, +4 Dex, +5 Wis, +2 bonus, +6 Cha, +10 exalted, +2 natural, +3 deflection)
hp 69 (18 HD); DR 5/evil
Immune none
Resist acid 5, cold 5, fire 5, electricity 5, sonic 5; SR none
Fort +14 (+11 base), Ref +15, Will +16 (+4 against disease and death effects)
________________________________________

Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee Dagger +27 (1d4+11) or
Dagger +27/+22/+17/+12 (1d4+11)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Base Atk +16; Grp +21
Atk Options Mark (2 foes): crit. range 17-20/x2 with dagger, Cut-Once +6d6 (+6d6 damage with firs successful attack each round against mark); Mark (Look Twice): +5 (Wis) to attack and damage with attacks of opportunity against mark; +2d6 against lawful opponents (Primordial Scion); 1d4+1 temporary Str damage (Fort save DC 25 negates) on successful critical hit against evil foes.
Special Actions 4/day Otherworldly Countenance (sickens, DC 25)
Spell-like Abilities 1/day Shadow Demon Skin (CL 10th)
Mysteries Known (CL 7th):
Apprentice Paths
3rd--Shadow Twin (spell, 1/day), Edge of Nothing (spell, 1/day).
2nd--Fierce Shuriken (spell, 1/day), Jealous Fury of Ededei (spell, 1/day, DC 18).
1st--Darken the Veil of Sleep (spell, 1/day, DC 17), Whispers of Nothingness.
Fundamentals
0--Dark Sleep (superantural, 3/day, DC 16), Kuji-Kiri (supernatural, 3/day, DC 16), Reflection of Memory (supernatural, 3/day, DC 16), Silent Soul (supernatural, 3/day).
________________________________________

Abilities Str 20 (originally 16), Dex 18, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 20 (originally 18), Cha 22 (originally 16)
SQ Camouflage (Ex), swift tracker (Ex), Mind Shielding (Ex), Greater Sustenance (Ex), Freedom of Movement (Ex), Regeneration (Ex), True Seeing (Su), Endure Elements (Ex), AC Bonus (Su), Exalted Strike (Su), Deflection (Su), Natural Armor (Ex), Resistance (Ex), Ability Score Enhancement (Ex).
Feats Defensive Mobility, Otherworldly Countenance (hideous), Weapon Focus (Dagger) (B), Power Attack, Resounding Blow, Greater Weapon Focus (Dagger) (B), Eyes of the Abyss, Sacred Vow (Exalted), Vow of Poverty (Exalted), Chaotic Spell Recall (B), Track (B), Quell the Profane (Exalted) (B), Primordial Scion, Vow of Purity (Exalted) (B)
Skills Spellcraft 6 (+8), Knowledge (the planes) 6 (+8), Sense Motive 4 (+9), Balance 5 (+9), Diplomacy 2 (+8), Hide 16 (+25), Move Silently 16 (+25), Intimidate 18 (+28), Perform (Kuji-Kiri) 12 (+18), Tumble 5 (+9), Spot 18 (+27), Listen 4 (+9), Open Lock 6 (+10), Concentration 10 (+10)
Skill Tricks Spot the Weak Point, Never Outnumbered
Possessions: Dagger, darts, Clothes
________________________________________

*The Samurai class used for this NPC is the one by Kanachi, take a look here (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=722563) for the class features.

Books used: Complete Scoundrel, Book of Exalted Deeds, Fiendish Codex I

P.S. Just remember to post your adaption ideas in this thread!

Commentary and Recommendations:
This class is certainly big, isn't it. It uses an interesting bit of flavor by relating shadow magic to the abyss rather than too the plane of shadows. Whether or not you like that is a matter of taste, I suppose.
Unfortunately, many classes that no longer exist anywhere are mentioned, making it look a bit more useful than it is (note that the art of the assassin is still usable as that link still works).
The mysteries are pretty much par for the course and could be introduced without the PrC without much trouble (except for maybe one or two of the fundametals).
As a side-note, the abyssal markings feat is pretty darn broken. I would not allow it as a DM and I recommend against it for other DMs.

CaBaaL

2010-02-10, 05:09 AM

i have played a lot with taint to say that "tainted shadowcaster variant" is really balanced. (i would go to the point to say a bit underpowered cause most of the ppl that play with taint, are undeads or demons to have imune to the negative effects :P)

CaBaaL

2010-02-10, 05:37 AM

Realms of Chaos

2010-02-10, 06:18 AM

as promised after a 3hrs session i have conclutions:
the party had:
shadowcaster/shadow necromancer/taint scolar (he was the save-or-die)
shadowcaster/psyon/cerebrus (he abused desires manifest by dominating commoners with mind switch power)
shadowcaster/sorceror/nocturalmancer (i was the controler by counterspeling, slowing enemies and force ppl losing actions)
shadowcaster/warlock/abyss (she was our balster)

A very good mix to go with. Nice.

what we understanded:
-shadowcasters do not need so many +DC feats cause most of the save-or-die are high lvl
-missing a piercing cold ecuivelant forcing our blaster spamming killing shadows
-players can abuse anything
-u only need CL to counterspell other ppl, shadowcasters do not need it for SR
-our necromanster found the shadow necromaster really dark-themed and fun to play. he suggested lowering the duration of dead walks (1day/lvl) to hours/lvl cause u can not heal it anyway so u have to reaplace your spawn each day
-our blaster kept whining cause everything we encountered had either resistance or imunity (no only to cold but every element) (i really saw that comming from the start, cause all spellcaster-enemies where casting "friendly fire" and most mobs had huge deflection/insight AC, (and bosses had huge reff and imp evetion)
-i uses peacenlove paths for untimagic and dispell and gg

Okay, let's address this more or less in order.
Points 1 and 6. Traditionally, I do agree that save DC boosters are best used for save-or-die effects. However, there are a vast number of effects that allow saving throws but don't end the game immediately. If your opponent keeps succeeding, you aren't doing your best.
As an example, look at your blaster character. If the blaster had found a way to work in some DC boosting feats in amongst the metashadow feats, high reflex saves and improved evasion wouldn't have hurt quite as much.
Also, even if the number of such feats are simply rediculous, having more than one option to achieve the same end gives you more versatility in building characters.

Point 2. Here is a piercing-cold-equivalent feat to remedy the problem, except that it works with all elements (once again, really helping that blaster).

Deepshade Mystery [Metashadow]
You can replace the elemental damage of your attack with pure shadowstuff.
Prerequisites: Subduing Mystery
Benefits: Once per day, you may apply the effect of Deepshade Mystery to any mystery you cast that deals energy damage. Half of all elemental damage that the mystery would otherwise deal ignores all energy resistances and immunities.
Furthermore, if the affected mystery would normally allow for a reflex save, you may choose to replace it with a Will save.
Casting a Deepshade Mystery is a full-round action.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times.

Point 3: Yes they can. They've been doing so for years and they'll keep on doing it.

Point 4: don't forget that most mysteries get better in some way as your CL goes up. Unless you are using a touch or personal spell with a level-capped effect, increased CL will do something, even if it's only increasing the range of your mysteries.

Point 5: I'm not sure that I understand what is wrong with the Walking Dead mystery. You have no maximum number of undead so keeping damaged ones with you doesn't hold you back in any way that I can see. Furthermore, don't forget that you can gather undead for 10 days or so and then march in with a large(r) army, something that couldn't happen if the duration was reduced.

Point 7: I would also use Peacenlove's mysteries for that purpose. :smallsmile:

- may i suggest a feat that (maybe path mastery for shadowstorm): Improved Conduction: You cast a cold spell followed by an
electricity spell. The lingering cold more effectively conducts
the electricity, temporarily fatiguing creatures. Living creatures
damaged by both spells are slowed for 1 round (as the
slow spell). Creatures that make successful Fortitude saves
(DC based on the second spell) are fatigued for 1 round.
(ENERGY GESTALT [TACTICAL] from complete mage)

So your asking me to make a feat that grants you a single benefit of a single tactical feat that maybe only one build of shadowcaster would ever, ever use... Seems a bit too situational. How about the following?

Unifying Theories
Your mysteries can be made to act as spells in certain situations.
Prerequisites: Arcane Acknowledgement or Divine Acknowledgement
Benefits: Any feat, ability, or effect that normally targets or functions on spells or spell-like abilities of a specific subschool or descriptor now function on all mysteries with such descriptors.

Now you can take Arcane Acknowledgement followed by Unifying Theories followed by the actual Energy Gestalt.

Realms of Chaos

2010-02-10, 06:38 AM

Metashadow Feats and Mysteries by Phalse One

First off, there is no forum for Tome of Magic, so this seemed most appropriate.

Here are some feats, fundamentals, and paths for shadowcasters that I have designed for my campaign. Though I would get some feedback before I made them official.

And before anyone complains, I have no idea on how to format it any better than this.

Concepts I used for balancing:
Mysteries are meant to be slightly more powerful than equivalent spells, this is to counteract the fact that mystery users have only a few mysteries, and can use their better mysteries only once per day.

Shadow magic is less than optimal at some effects (such as acid or fire damage) and as such any mystery that allows these effects should be less powerful than an equivalent spell.

Metashadow Feats

Chain Mystery [Metashadow]
You can cast mysteries that arc to secondary targets.
Prerequisite: Any three metashadow feats.

Benefit: Once per day, you may alter a mystery with a ray effect or single target with a range of greater than touch.

Provided you hit your primary target, secondary rays arc from the primary target to hit a number of secondary targets. You may generate a maximum number of secondary targets equal to your caster level. You make a ranged touch attack as normal for each secondary target. You may choose which secondary targets you select but they must all be within 30 ft of the primary target. While you may choose to target multiple secondary bolts at the same target, there is no extra effect for being hit by multiple rays. You need not assign your maximum number of secondary rays.

The primary target is affected as normal, but secondary targets half the damage (or effect) from the spell and can attempt a Reflex save to cut their damage in half again (whether or not the mystery allows a save). If the mystery causes an effect other than damage, the secondary target’s save DC to resist is lowered by 4.

Casting a chained mystery is a full-round action.

Special: You can take this feat up to three times. To take it a second time, you must have seven metashadow feats. To take it a third time, you must have eleven metashadow feats.

Heighten Mystery [Metashadow]
Mysteries you cast are harder to resist.
Prerequisite: Any metashadow feat.

Benefit: Once per day, you can heighten a mystery. A heightened mystery functions as a mystery two levels higher, including having a higher save DC. The specific effects of the mystery (range, area of effect, damage, etc.) remain unchanged.

Casting a heightened mystery is a full-round action.

Special: You can take this feat multiple times.

Repeat Mystery [Metashadow]
You can cast a mystery that repeats the following round.
Prerequisite: Any three metahadow feats.

Benefit: Once per day, you can make one of your mysteries repeat on the round after you cast it. A repeated mystery is automatically cast again at the beginning of your next turn. No matter where you are, the second mystery originates from the same location and affects the same area as the original spell. You cannot use this feat on mysteries with a range of touch. If the original mystery designates a target, the repeated spell affects the same target if it is within 30 feet of its original position; otherwise the second mystery fails.

Casting a repeated mystery is a full-round action.

Special: You can take this feat up to three times. To take it a s
second time, you must have seven metashadow feats. To take it a third time, you must have eleven metashadow feats.

Widen Mystery [Metashadow]
You can increase the area of your mysteries.
Prerequisite: Any metashadow feat.

Benefit: Once per day, you can apply the effects of Widen Mystery to any mystery you cast. A widened burst, emanation, or spread mystery has its radius increased by 100%. Mysteries that do not have an area of one of these three sorts are not affected by this feat.

Casting a widened mystery is a full-round action.

Special: You can take this feat multiple times.

Mysteries

Fundamentals

Caress of Shadow touch deals 1d3 cold and 1d3 electricity damage
Dark Sanctuary foes have trouble attacking you while in warded area if you do not attack
Dark Secrets +10 Search checks made to locate doors/compartments in shadows
Shades of Meaning for 1 min your speech can be understood by any creature with a language
Shadows of Life know whether creatures within 60' are alive, dead, undead, or not alive
Shadowfall +20 on Tumble checks made to reduce falling damage, land immediately

Apprentice Path Mysteries

Children of Night
1 Fangs of Night summon dark wolf to serve you
2 Midnight’s Venom summon dark Medium viper to serve you
3 Claws of Darkness summon dark lion to serve you

Ruins of Night
1 Embers and Ashes affected terrain causes fire damage and sickens
2 Pillars of Umbra pillars that provide cover and immobilize creatures that approach
3 Forgotten Ruins create walls, stairs, pillars and other constructed terrain elements

Walk in Shadows
1 Shadow Stride ignore difficult terrain, movement does not provoke attack of opportunity
2 After Image leave illusory image behind you, acts as temporary shadow elemental
3 As the Shadows become invisible and able to squeeze through very small spaces

Initiate Path Mysteries

Penumbral Enery
4 Shadow Burst all in 20' radius take 1d6/lv damage (Max 12d6), half cold/half electricity
5 Dissolving Darkness subject is blinded, gains concealment, and takes 3d6 acid per round
6 Ebon Conflagration 10' area shadowy light, creatures take 3d6 fire/round, immobilized

Umbral Ward
4 Energy Echo gain resistance 20 (or more) against next energy type you are damaged by
5 Shadow Guard two Medium shadow elementals remain adjacent, shield other effect
6 Dark Ward gain evasion and mettle abilities, gain +5 bonus on saves for 1 minute

After Image
Apprentice, Walk in Shadows
Level/School: 2nd/Illusion (Shadow)
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/level

For the duration of the spell, each time you take a move action to move at least 10 feet you leave a grey image of yourself in the square you started your movement in. This image is a semi-transparent perfect copy of you in the pose that you occupied immediately before leaving that space.

These images are partially real. They are treated as incorporeal constructs with AC 10 and 1 HP per caster level, they can be targeted by nay spell or effect that can target an object and automatically fail all saving throws. As incorporeal objects, they are immune to nonmagical attacks, and magical attacks have a 50% chance of affecting them (except force effects, and ghost touch weapons, etc.). They take no action, except to make attacks of opportunity (they threaten all adjacent squares as a Medium creature, regardless of your actual size). They can make one attack of opportunity per round, and attack using an incorporeal touch with an attack bonus of +4, dealing 1d6 points of damage plus 1d6 points of cold damage. They do not provide cover or aid in flanking, and creatures and objects can pass through them (creatures provoke attacks of opportunity for moving out of threatened squares normally.

At the beginning of your turn each round, any existing images disappear. If use a move action for something other than movement, or if you end your movement less than 10 feet from where you started, no image is formed.

As the Shadows
Apprentice, Walk in Shadows
Level/School: 3rd/Transmutation
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 minute (D)

You become invisible. In addition, you can squeeze through any space of at least 6" in diameter that you can reach without slowing your movement (you cannot end your turn in an area too small to hold you, although you can take two move actions to reach the other side). If you are attempting to be quiet, you gain a +5 bonus on your Move Silently check and can move at normal speed without penalty. You cannot run or charge while using this mystery. If you take any actions besides move actions, the effect immediately ends as if dismissed.

For example, a human shadowcaster with a base movement of 30 feet can take a single move action to move 5 feet to the end of a 1' diameter drainage pipe, move 20 feet through the drainage pipe, and still have 5 feet left over to step to the square on the other side of the pipe.

Caress of Shadow
Fundamental
Level/School: 1st/Evocation [Cold, Electricity]
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Saving Throw: No
Spell Resistance: Yes

The subject takes 1d3 cold and 1d3 electricity damage.

Claws of Darkness
Apprentice, Children of Night
Level/School: 3rd/Conjuration (Summoning)
Range: Close (25 feet + 5 feet/2 levels)
Effect: One dark lion
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

This mystery functions like summon monster I, except as noted here. You can summon one dark lion (an average lion with the dark template).

Dark Sanctuary
Fundamental
Level/School: 1st/Abjuration
Range: 10 feet
Area: 10-foot radius centred on you
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: No

You are surrounded by a 10-foot radius area of shadowy illumination, and this area is stationary once created. Creatures attempting to attack you, even with a targeted spell, must first succeed on a Will save to do so. If the save fails, the opponent can’t follow through with the attack, that part of its action is lost, and it can’t directly attack you for the duration of the mystery. You can be attacked with area or effect spells however.

If you leave the area of the mystery or make any attack, dark sanctuary ends, as if dismissed. You can take other actions, however, such as casting a non-attack mystery, or drinking a potion.

Dark Secrets
Fundamental
Level/School: 1st/Divination
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 minute (D)

You can only cast this mystery in an area of shadowy illumination or darkness. If you enter an area of bright light (or the illumination surrounding you increases to bright light), this mystery ends as if dismissed.

For the duration, you gain a +10 bonus on Search checks made to locate secret or concealed doors and secret or concealed compartments.

Dark Ward
Initiate, Umbral Ward
Level/School: 6th/Abjuration
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 minute (D)

You gain a +5 resistance bonus on all your saving throws. In addition you gain the evasion and mettle abilities. If you make a successful save against an attack that normally would have a lesser effect (partial or half) on a successful save, you instead completely negates the effect.

You still gain the benefits of this mystery when unconscious or helpless.

Dissolving Darkness
Initiate, Penumbral Energy
Level/School: 5th/Evocation [Acid, Darkness]
Range: Close (25 feet + 5 feet/2 levels)
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial, and Fortitude halves; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

If the initial Fortitude save is successful, the subject takes 3d6 points of acid damage and the mystery ends.

If the subject fails its initial saving throw the subject is covered in a thin layer of magical darkness. This grants the foe concealment (20% miss chance) but also totally blinds that creature if it cannot see in magical darkness. The subject takes 3d6 points of acid damage immediately (no save).

At the beginning of its turn each round, the subject takes 3d6 points of acid damage, with a saving throw allowed to halve the damage.

Ebon Conflagration
Initiate, Penumbral Energy
Level/School: 6th/Evocation [Darkness, Fire]
Range: Medium (100 feet + 10 feet/level)
Area: 10-foot radius area, up to 10' high
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

You fill the area of effect with black and grey flickering flames to a height of 10 feet (or the ceiling if lower). They fill the area with shadowy illumination (overriding any existing illumination, including magical effect of 5th level or less).

Any creature in the area when the spell is cast must immediately make a Will save or be immobilized until the beginning of its next turn. Each time a creature begins its turn in the area it must make a Will save or become immobilized until the beginning of its next turn. A creature who enters the area must immediately make a Will save or end its movement and become immobilized until the beginning of its next turn.

At the start of your turn, any creatures in the area of ebon conflagration take 3d6 fire damage (no save). You cannot be immobilized by your own ebon conflagration, but can still take damage if you are in its area at the start of your turn.

The first time a creature with spell resistance would be forced to save against ebon conflagration, you make a caster level check to penetrate its spell resistance. If you succeed the creature cannot resist the effects of the mystery, and you do no need to make any more caster level checks against that particular creature. If you fail to penetrate its spell resistance, it is immune to the effects of the spell (except for the shadowy illumination).

Embers and Ashes
Apprentice, Ruins of Night
Level/School: 1st/Transmutation [Fire]
Range: Close (25 feet + 5 feet/2 levels)
Area: One 5-foot square/level (S)
Duration: 1 minute/level (D)
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: No

You cover the ground in the area with a thick carpet of ash speckled with glowing embers. Any creature who passes through the affected terrain (including flying creatures passing no more than 10 feet above), stir up clouds of burning embers and chocking ash.

Affected creatures must make a successful Fortitude save at the end of any turn they pass through the affected terrain or take 1d4 points of fire damage and become sickened for 1 round. The effects of passing through multiple affected squares are not cumulative.

Energy Echo
Initiate, Umbral Ward
Level/School: 4th/Abjuration
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 10 minutes/level (D)

The first time that you take damage from an energy type during this mystery’s duration, you gain resistance 20 against that same sort of energy. If the attack deals more than one type of energy damage, you can choose which sort to gain the energy resistance against. This energy resistance does not apply to the attack that triggered it, but the energy resistance remains in effect for the duration.

If your caster level is at least 11th level, you gain resistance 30 instead, and if your caster level is at least 15th, you gain resistance 40.

Fangs of Night
Apprentice, Children of Night
Level/School: 1st/Conjuration (Summoning)
Range: Close (25 feet + 5 feet/2 levels)
Effect: One dark wolf
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

This mystery functions like summon monster I, except as noted here. You can summon one dark wolf (an average wolf with the dark template).

Forgotten Ruins
Apprentice, Ruins of Night
Level/School: 3rd/Conjuration (Creation)
Range: Medium (100 feet + 10 feet/level)
Effect: One object of shadowstuff/level
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: None or Reflex negates; see text
Spell Resistance: No or Yes; see text

You can create one object of shadowstuff per caster level. These objects need not be continuous, but must be within range and you must have both line of effect and line of sight to where you wish to place the object. The objects do not need to be supported, and can be placed in mid-air without falling. Any similar objects placed near each other appear as a single larger object (a larger wall or long staircase, or a bridge over a chasm). Objects can support any amount of weight, although sufficient force can destroy them.

You need not place all objects when you cast this mystery, but placing an object after the mystery is cast takes a full-round action for each object. Any objects not placed are lost when the duration expires.

The objects you create appear much like stone, and each have AC 5, hardness 20, and 20 HP. They can be dispelled as normal for ongoing magical effects.
You can create any combination of the following objects:
-A 5'x5' vertical wall 1 foot thick
-A 5'x5' horizontal ‘floor’ or ‘ceiling’ 1 foot thick
-A set of stairs 5' long and 5' high (at a 45 degree angle)
-A ramp 5' long and 5' high (at a 45 degree angle)
-A 5'x5'x5' cube of stone
-A 5' radius pillar up to 10' high.

In addition, you can trap any of these objects, as pillars of umbra, but such as object counts as five objects towards your limit of one object per level. You cannot place any trapped object within 10' of another trapped object.

At the end of the duration all objects disappear, even if you only recently created them. Creatures supported on an object risk falling when the duration ends.

Midnight’s Venom
Apprentice, Children of Night
Level/School: 2nd/Conjuration (Summoning)
Range: Close (25 feet + 5 feet/2 levels)
Effect: One Medium dark viper
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

This mystery functions like summon monster I, except as noted here. You can summon one Medium dark viper (a Medium viper with the dark template).

Pillars of Umbra
Apprentice, Ruins of Night
Level/School: 2nd/Conjuration (Creation)
Range: Close (25 feet + 5 feet/2 levels)
Effect: Up to one conjured pillar/level
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: Reflex negates; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

You create one or more pillars of pure shadow stuff. You can create up to one pillar per caster level, although you need not place the maximum number of pillars you are allowed. Each pillar appears in an unoccupied space, and cannot appear adjacent to a creature or within 10 feet of any other pillar. Each pillar is up to 20' tall or the height of the ceiling or other overhead obstruction.

Once placed, the pillars completely occupy their space, and block line of sight and line of effect as normal for stone pillars. They each have AC 5, hardness 10 and 100 HP.

If a living creature enters a square adjacent to one of these pillars, the pillar immediately explodes into a burst of shadowstuff, covering its square and all adjacent squares (a 15' by 15' square). Any creature in that area (including the creature that triggered the detonation) must make a Reflex save or become immobilized until the end of its next turn. This detonation destroys that particular pillar.

The first time a creature with spell resistance would be forced to save against pillars of umbra, you make a caster level check to penetrate its spell resistance. If you succeed the creature cannot resist the effects of the mystery, and you do no need to make any more caster level checks against that particular creature. If you fail to penetrate its spell resistance, it is immune to the effects of the spell (although the pillars still block line of sight and effect).

Shades of Meaning
Fundamental
Level/School: 1st/Enchantment
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 minute (D)

When you speak, you words are accompanied by a choir of voices speaking every language that is, was, or will be. Each listener hears one single voice most loudly, that voice speaks in the language it is most familiar with, with a perfect accent and regional dialect, as if the voice grew up next door. Listeners also hear the other voices, but they are more quiet.

You are understood by any creature that understands at least one spoken language. The creature must still be able to hear you.

Shadow Burst
Initiate, Penumbral Energy
Level/School: 4th/Evocation [Cold, Electricity]
Range: Medium (100 feet +10 feet/level)
Area: 20-foot radius spread
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: Yes

The area briefly explodes in a burst of darkness. All creatures and unattended objects in the area take 1d6 points of damage per caster level (Max 12d6) half of which is cold and half of which is electricity.

Shadow Guard
Initiate, Umbral Ward
Level/School: 5th/Conjuration (Summoning)
Range: 5 feet
Effect: Two Medium shadow elementals
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

This mystery functions like summon monster I, except as noted here. You conjure two Medium shadow elementals that must appear in squares adjacent to your own. They have all the normal statistics of Medium shadow elementals.

They must remain adjacent to you at all times, and cannot move (they can otherwise attack normally). When you move (through a move action, 5-foot step, or any mystery or ability that changes your position) you can position your shadow guard in any unoccupied adjacent square.

Once per round, as a free action, you can reposition your shadow guard.

Your shadow guard also have an effect similar to shield other. Any damage you suffered is divided in half, with each shadow guard taking half of that damage. If only one of your shadow guards remains in effect, you take half the damage, and the remaining shadow guard take the other half. If an area effect deals enough damage to destroy one or both of your shadow guards and also damages you, your damage is still redirected to the shadow guards before it is destroyed. Damage redirected in this manner is not subject to the normal miss chance from being incorporeal.

Shadow Stride
Apprentice, Walk in Shadows
Level/School: 1st/Transmutation
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Until end of current turn and 1 minute; see text

Until the end of your current turn, your movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. In addition, you can pass through squares occupied by foes (as if you had succeeded on a Tumble check to do so) and can ignore the movement cost associated with difficult terrain. You cannot pass through impassible terrain, and still suffer any harmful effects of terrain unrelated to movement costs (such as entangling terrain or walking through a campfire). All of these benefits last only until the end of your current turn.

For 1 minute after you cast this mystery, you also move with a very light step, gaining a +5 circumstance bonus on all Move Silently checks.

Shadows of Life
Fundamental
Level/School: 1st/Necromancy
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

For the duration, you can take a move action to assess the status of a creature (or a potential creature) that you have line of sight and effect to and that is within 60 feet.

You gain one-word description of the creature (or object’s) living state; “alive”, “dead” (a formerly living creature that is no longer alive and not undead, or an object made from dead plant or animal material), “undead”, or “not alive” (a creature or object that has never been alive, such as a bronze statue or a stone golem).

Shadowfall
Fundamental
Level/School: 1st/Transmutation
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 minute/level (D)

For the duration, whenever you fall, you gain a +20 bonus on your Tumble check to reduce the damage of the fall so long as you are not helpless.

In addition, you land instantly (you fall like a shadow, at the speed of light) and always land on your feet. This allows you to take a move action to walk off a cliff, and continue your move at the foot of the cliff. The distance fallen does not count towards your movement.

Commentary and Recommendations:
Yeah, it was reading this stuff that inspired me to start homebrewing and I still feel that it is awesome. The metashadow feats seem pretty good and many of the mysteries are awesome (at least in my opionion).
The Forgotten Ruins mystery is my favorite one of all time, even now. It just captures the ancient and wierd feel of shadow magic just right and...no, RoC, this is not the time to start ranting.
You should be able to run these in most campaigns without much problems, but there may be certain situations in which one or two becomes horribly overpowered (chain mystery, perhaps?) when things are taken to extreme lengths. I really can't tell at the moment but I'll take a closer look later on.

Realms of Chaos

2010-02-10, 07:06 AM

Shadow Savant Base Class by Eldritch_Lord

I've always been a fan of both alternate magic systems and theurgic classes that combine more than one system. This class is an attempt to combine the original "alternate magic" system, psionics, with an underappreciated system, shadow magic. It's my first attempt at making a new base class from scratch, so please, be nice.:gah: Without further ado, I give you the Shadow Savant:

Shadow Savant
"Yes, I do use my mental talents, yes, I manipulate the power of shadow, no, I do not use that crutch commonly called arcane magic; congratulations, you have discovered the arts of the shadow savant. I must tell you, though, that my talents are not for the faint of heart. If you object to the manipulation of shadow, I suggest you remove any critical thoughts from your mind before I remove them for you."

—Davrais of the Black Mind, shadow savant extraordinaire

There are three things that mostly everyone believes to hold true concerning psionics and magic—psionicists must use focus and discipline to manifest powers, powers draw on the Astral Plane and the Astral Plane only, and manipulating shadow is only done by arcane casters. Well, the first assumption is broken by wilders, the second by any psion with plane shift, and the third by many non-arcane classes, but only the shadow savant flies in the face of all three—a psionic class that draws on instinct, emotion, and shadow to power its abilities. The source of power for shadow savants is the id, the subconscious realm of instinct, emotion, and all of the basest urges of the psyche. Where psions keep a tight rein on their minds to manifest powers and the wilder channels his emotions, the shadow savant gives in completely to the maelstrom of unconscious desires that is the id to gain power.

However, this does not come without a price—the darker nature of this part of the mind links a shadow savant to the Plane of Shadow where any other manifester uses the Astral Plane. From the first time a shadow savant manifests a shadow power, the raging chaos of the mind combined with the insidious power of shadow works a slow transformation on him—a portion of his mind, that portion that deals with emotion, empathy, and everything that makes him able to interact with others, splits off into a dark reflection of his own mind, and as this dark self sucks his humanity into itself, the shadow savant gradually takes on the traits of shadow creature until the subconscious is independent and the shadow savant is a cold, analytical shell of his former self.

Making a Shadow Savant
Shadow savants aren’t made, but rather born. It is not well understood how one becomes a shadow savant—there is simply some “mis-wiring” in a prospective psionic character and the soon-to-be shadow savant connects with the deeper recesses of his mind. The first time he manifests a power, he connects with the Plane of Shadow, and the rest is inevitable. Shadow savants have more versatility than power, as they have the traditional telepathic and transportive powers of a psion combined with the more subtle arts of the shadowcaster, with a few stranger abilities mixed in.

A shadow savant doesn’t have the firepower to blast through waves of enemies, but his familiarity and facility with shadow gives him an uncanny insight into the minds of others; he specializes in manipulation and subtlety rather than displays of power. Like a shadowcaster, a shadow savant works best in a support role, but his array of psionic powers gives him some staying power.

Abilities: Wisdom is the most important ability score for a shadow savant, as it determines the Difficulty Class for any saving throw of one of his powers. Constitution is also important, both for the extra hit points and the fact that many class abilities depend on gaining and holding a psionic focus and Concentration’s key ability is Constitution.

Races: Surprisingly, none of the psionic races have a tendency to become shadow savants; perhaps their natural psionic talent insulates them from the power of shadow and channels them onto the normal psionic path. Of the common races, no one race favors shadow savants over any other, though many subterranean versions of them embrace shadow savants.

Alignment: Shadow savants come in two types—those who start out chaotic, having given into their primal instincts to gain power and later encountering shadow, and those who have already become emotionless and shade-like who draw on their id only unconsciously. Regardless of his ethical bent, a shadow savant is focused on himself too much to be good and altruistic, although if he already had good tendencies he might be able to resist becoming evil.

Starting Gold: 5d4 x 10 (125 gp).

Starting Age: As sorcerer

Alignment
Any nongood

Hit Die
d4

Level BAB F/R/W Special PP/Day # Powers Max Power Level
1st +0 +0/+0/+2 Link to Shadows, 2 1 1st
2nd +1 +0/+0/+3 Shadow Consciousness 6 1 1st
3rd +1 +1/+1/+3 Mysteries of the Mind (apprentice) 10 2 2nd
4th +2 +1/+1/+4 Influence of the Id (dark senses) 15 3 2nd
5th +2 +1/+1/+4 Shadow Servant 21 4 3rd
6th +3 +2/+2/+5 Mysteries of the Mind (apprentice) 29 5 3rd
7th +3 +2/+2/+5 Mysteries of the Mind (augment) 38 5 3rd
8th +4 +2/+2/+6 Mental Shroud 47 6 4th
9th +4 +3/+3/+6 Influence of the Id (id insinuation) 57 7 4th
10th +5 +3/+3/+7 Mysteries of the Mind (initiate) 68 8 5th
11th +5 +3/+3/+7 Creeping Darkness 82 9 5th
12th +6/+1 +4/+4/+8 Mental Shroud (improved) 97 10 6th
13th +6/+1 +4/+4/+8 Embrace the Darkness 112 11 6th
14th +7/+2 +4/+4/+9 Influence of the Id (shadow conduit) 128 11 6th
15th +7/+2 +5/+5/+9 Mysteries of the Mind (master) 143 12 7th
16th +8/+3 +5/+5/+10 Shadow Affinity 166 13 7th
17th +8/+3 +5/+5/+10 Perfect Darkness 188 14 8th
18th +9/+4 +6/+6/+11 Dissociative Identity 210 15 8th
19th +9/+4 +6/+6/+11 Influence of the Id (autonomy) 238 16 9th
20th +10/+5 +6/+6/+12 Apotheosis 255 17 9th

Class Skills
The shadow savant’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Autohypnosis (Wis), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disguise (Cha), Disable Device (Dex), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (psionics, arcane, the planes) (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), and Psicraft (Int).

Skill Points at 1st Level
(4 + Int modifier) ×4

Skill Points at Each Additional Level
4 + Int modifier.

Class Features
All the following are class features of the shadow savant

Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Shadow savants are proficient with all simple weapons. They are not proficient with any type of armor or shield. Armor does not, however, interfere with the manifestation of powers.

Power Points/Day
A shadow savant’s ability to manifest powers is limited by the power points he has available. His base daily allotment of power points is given on Table: The Shadow Savant. In addition, he receives bonus power points per day if he has a high Wisdom score.

Powers Known
A shadow savant begins play knowing one power of your choice. Each time he achieves a new level, he unlocks the knowledge of new powers. Powers known must be chosen from the Clairsentience, Psychoportation, or Telepathy discipline, and may be drawn from the psion/wilder power list, the Clairsentience, Psychoportation, and Telepathy discipline lists, or psionic mantles. (Exception: The Expanded Knowledge feat does allow a shadow savant to learn powers from the lists of other disciplines, but not the discipline lists or mantle-only powers unless they have the [darkness] or [shadow] descriptor; any energy powers leaarned must use cold energy.) A shadow savant can manifest any power that has a power point cost equal to or lower than his manifester level; the number of times a shadow savant can manifest powers in a day is limited only by his daily power points.

The Difficulty Class for saving throws against shadow savant powers is 10 + the power’s level + the shadow savant’s Wisdom modifier. A shadow savant begins play with the ability to learn 1st-level powers; as he attains higher levels, he may gain the ability to master more complex powers. To learn or manifest a power, a shadow savant must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the power’s level.

Link to Shadows (Ps)
While psions and wilders draw ectoplasm from the Astral Plane, the shadow savant’s subconscious connection to the Plane of Shadow fuels his powers; any psionic effect that would normally draw on the Astral Plane instead draws on the Plane of Shadow for a shadow savant, from teleportation to creating “astral” constructs. Shadow savant powers have different displays than a psion’s powers do; these are described below. In addition, the different qualities of a shadow savant’s powers make them more difficult to identify: the DC of Psicraft checks made to identify powers (or the results of powers) manifested by shadow savants increases by 5, and the DC of Psicraft checks to identify a shadow savant’s power by its display increases by 10.

Auditory
A discordant, minor-key chord just above the threshold of hearing issues from the shadow savant’s vicinity or in the vicinity of the power’s subject (shadow savant’s choice). The sound is slightly piercing, becoming more and more discordant and irritating until everyone within 100 feet can feel their skulls aching from the noise. At the shadow savant’s option, the sound can be limited so that it can be heard only within 15 feet with a successful DC 10 Listen check. Some powers describe unique auditory displays.

Material
The subject or the area is briefly coved by ephemeral, shadowy tendrils—if someone stares at the tendrils for a few moments, they seem to twist and shimmer as if alive. The shadows fade away and disappear after 1 round, regardless of the power’s duration, though during the power’s duration any colors on the target seem dimmer and flatter. Characters with the Psicraft skill can recognize the shadows as being a result of a shadow savant’s power with a DC 10 Psicraft check.

Mental
The minds of creatures within 15 feet of either the shadow savant or the subject (at the shadow savant’s option) become clouded for an instant, causing their senses to be numbed and giving them a momentary headache; neither effect is severe enough to cause any mechanical penalties. At the shadow savant’s option, the effects can persist during the power’s duration as long as the affected creatures are in an area of bright light. Some powers describe unique mental displays.

Olfactory
The pungent, cloying scent of ether causes creatures within 20 feet of the shadow savant to feel drowsy. The odor originates from the shadow savant and spreads to a distance of 20 feet, then fades in less than a second; however, the source of the scent is difficult to pin down, and affected creatures feel slightly colder for the power’s duration.

Visual
The shadow savant’s eyes fade to complete blackness while the power remains in effect. As the power is manifested, the surrounding light within a 5-foot radius dims slightly, suddenly becoming utter darkness the instant the power takes effect and then returning to normal light levels, unless a unique visual display is described.

Mysteries of the Mind (Ps)
At 1st level, the shadow savant learns to tap into his instinctual subconscious, the “id.” The shadow savant uses this connection to manifest his powers; where psions, and to a lesser extent wilders, draw on the ego and superego to control their manifesting, a shadow savant bypasses even the limited control a wilder has to channel the raw power of emotion and instinct through shadow. The trademark ability of the shadow savant is his ability to duplicate the abilities of shadowcasters in drawing energies from the Plane of Shadows—a shadow savant learns a limited number of mysteries that he may manifest as powers.

At first level, a shadow savant’s connection with shadow is tenuous at best. A 1st-level shadow savant knows a number of fundamental shadow mysteries equal to twice his Wisdom bonus; as he levels, he learns more fundamental mysteries if his Wisdom improves but does not lose mysteries if his wisdom drops below its original score.

Later on, when his connection with shadow and his hold on his subconscious are both refined, a shadow savant gains the ability to manifest more powerful mysteries as powers. At 3rd, 6th, 10th, and 15th level, a shadow savant chooses one school of apprentice, apprentice, initiate, and master mysteries, respectively, to learn their mysteries as powers. The shadow savant learns all three mysteries of a given school as powers upon choosing the school, though he might not be able to manifest a given mystery if its level is too high, so by 20th level he will have learned 6 apprentice, 3 initiate, and 3 master mysteries as powers. Mysteries learned do not count against the shadow savant’s maximum number of powers known.

Apprentice, initiate, and master mysteries are manifested as normal powers, paying power point costs appropriate to the level of the mystery. Fundamental mysteries manifested as powers gain a mental display, apprentice powers gain both a mental and an audible display, initiate powers gain mental, audible, and visual displays, and master powers gain mental, audible, visual, and material displays.

Fundamental mysteries are a special case: instead of paying power points, the shadow savant manifests fundamentals by making a DC 14 Concentration check (the shadow savant may not take 10 on this check). If the Concentration check succeeds, the shadow savant may expend his psionic focus to manifest the fundamental; if the check fails, the fundamental fails to manifest but the shadow savant need not expend his psionic focus.

At 7th level, the shadow savant gains the ability to augment his mysteries by paying additional power points:
• For every 2 additional power points the shadow savant pays, the mystery’s save DC (if any) increases by 1.
• If the shadow savant spends an additional 3 points, the mystery is manifested as if it were affected by the Line of Shadow feat. The shadow savant need not know the Line of Shadow feat, but must expend his psionic focus as normal for a metapsionic feat.
• If the shadow savant spends an additional 6 points, the mystery is manifested as if it were affected by the Shadow Cast feat. The shadow savant need not know the Shadow Cast feat, but must expend his psionic focus as normal for a metapsionic feat.
• If the shadow savant spends an additional 10 points, the mystery is manifested as if it were affected by the Burrowing Power feat. The shadow savant need not know the Burrowing Power feat, but must expend his psionic focus as normal for a metapsionic feat.
• If the shadow savant has enough power points to use more than one of the Line of Shadow, Shadow Cast, and Burrowing Power augmentations, he only needs to expend one psionic focus to gain the benefits of all those he paid for.

Shadow Consciousness (Su)
By 2nd level, a shadow savant’s connection with the Plane of Shadow has warped his emotions and subconscious enough to create an alternate consciousness inside him. Although most alternate minds, such as those of the synads or schismed minds, are wholly separate, this shadow consciousness is initially still in contact with and dependant upon the shadow savant’s own mind. As such, the shadow mind cannot act independently but can only act in concert with the shadow savant.

The shadow savant gains several effects from the shadow consciousness:
• The shadow savant may maintain two psionic foci at one time. For the shadow savant, the psionic focus does not represent intense concentration but rather a link with his shadow consciousness; as such, both the shadow savant himself and his shadow mind may each draw benefits from psionic foci. The shadow savant may use his focus and his shadow mind’s focus interchangeably. (The shadow savant expends his own focus first rather than his shadow mind’s focus by default.) The psionic focus of the shadow consciousness is hereafter referred to simply as the shadow savant’s “shadow focus” and the psionic focus of the shadow savant himself as his “psionic focus.”
• Because all of the shadow savant’s emotions and instincts are concentrated in his shadow focus, the shadow savant’s shadow focus is more powerful than a regular psionic focus and so he gains more benefits when expending this focus. When expending his shadow focus, the shadow savant may “take 15” on a Concentration, Psicraft, Move Silently, or Hide check instead of just on a Concentration check. In addition, if the shadow savant expends his shadow focus instead of his psionic focus, he may automatically manifest a fundamental without making the Concentration check.
• The shadow savant must either maintain or expend his shadow focus rather than his psionic focus to gain the benefits of some of his class features; those features requiring the shadow focus are so noted in their descriptions. The shadow savant may not expend his shadow focus to power metapsionic feats, but he may expend it to augment his mysteries as described above under Mysteries of the Mind.

Influence of the Id (Ps or Ex)
The shadow savant can draw additional power from his subconscious while maintaining his shadow focus. At 4th level, as long as a shadow savant maintains his shadow focus, he gains darkvision out to 60 ft. or his existing darkvision range is increased by 60 ft. With this darkvision, the shadow savant may even see through magical darkness. He also gains low-light vision at all times whether he maintains his shadow focus or not. This is an extraordinary ability.

At 9th level, the shadow savant learns to influence the id of others by affecting them with his own. By expending his shadow focus, a shadow savant may manifest a specially augmented id insinuation as a swift action. The power is treated as if augmented by the Unconditional Power, Enlarge Power, and Quicken Power feats even if the shadow savant does not have those feats and even though id insinuation is normally not a valid target for the Unconditional Power feat. The shadow savant must still pay power points to manifest the power, but only needs to pay power points equal to the shadow savant’s manifester level rather than the cost of an enlarged, quickened, unconditional id insinuation (17 PP) while his manifester level is below 17. A shadow savant may not augment this power to increase the number of targets affected, but may augment it to increase the save DC. This ability may be used a number of times per day equal to 2 + the shadow savant’s Wisdom bonus.

At 14th level, the shadow savant gains the ability to draw power from the Plane of Shadow to duplicate powers in the same way arcane casters may use the shadow conjuration and shadow evocation line of spells. As a standard action, the shadow savant may expend his shadow focus and attempt to manifest a power (or manifest a mystery he does not know as a power) that is not one of his powers known. The shadow savant must pay the normal power point cost for the power, but like shadow conjuration and shadow evocation, there is a chance that the powers will not manifest because they are only figments drawn from the shadow savant’s subconscious. Powers manifested through this ability have a base percentage chance to manifest of 20%, with a 5% increase in the chance to manifest per 2 extra power points spent on the power beyond its base cost.

For example, if a shadow savant pays 19 points to try to manifest a 1st level power, it has a 65% chance of working (20 + 5*((19-1)/2)) whereas if he tries to manifest a 9th level power by paying 19 power points, it will have only a 30% chance of working (10 + 5*((19-17)/2). If the power in question has any numeric effects, those effects are reduced to the appropriate percentage of the total; if it has any all-or-nothing effects, they have the appropriate percentage chance to take effect. Whether or not the power manifests successfully, the shadow focus is expended, and the target(s) have a save as normal against the power manifested. Any energy power manifested with this ability must use cold energy. This ability may be used a number of times per day equal to 2 + the shadow savant’s Wisdom bonus.

At 19th level, the shadow consciousness has gained a measure of freedom and separation from the shadow savant’s own mind, and so may draw on the shadow savant’s id independently to enhance the shadow savant’s reflexes and instincts better than the shadow savant’s conscious mind could. As long as he maintains his shadow focus, the shadow savant gains the ability to manifest hypercognition, catfall, schism, synesthete, sustenance, and psychofeedback each once per day on himself as psi-like abilities.

Shadow Servant (Ps)
A 5th-level shadow savant gains the ability to form a twisted version of an astral construct from shadow: a shadow servant. The shadow savant adds astral construct to his list of powers as normal, with a few changes. First, the shadow savant never gains the ability to create 9th-level astral constructs. Second, this ability does not count as astral construct for the purposes of any power, feat, or ability that would enhance an astral construct. Third, instead of gaining an ability from Menu C, a 7th-level shadow servant gains the dark template from Tome of Magic and an 8th-level shadow servant gains the shadow creature template from Manual of the Planes.

Mental Shroud (Ps)
An 8th-level shadow savant gains the ability to protect his conscious mind with his subconscious mind to prevent hostile effects from affecting him. As long as he maintains his shadow focus, the shadow savant may expend his psionic focus to gain an extra save against any mind-affecting effect of 3rd level or lower targeting him, taking the better of the two results. At 12th level, as long as he maintains his shadow focus a shadow savant may expend his psionic focus to gain an extra save against any mind-affecting effect of 6th level or lower. This ability may be used once per day per 2 points of the shadow savant’s Wisdom bonus.

Creeping Darkness (Ex)
As the shadow savant taps more deeply and more frequently into his subconscious and into shadow, he becomes more like a being of shadow as more and more of his emotions are focused in his shadow consciousness rather than in his own. An 11th level shadow savant takes a -4 penalty on all Charisma-related skills and Charisma checks, but gains resistance to fire 10 and resistance to cold 10, as well as DR 5/magic.

Embrace the Darkness (Ex)
The shadow savant loses more of his humanity (or dragon-ness, or outsider-ness, or whatever) as he takes on more shadow characteristics. A 13th level shadow savant takes a further -4 penalty on all Charisma-related skills and Charisma checks (for a total of -8), but no longer needs to sleep, eat, drink, or breathe and takes only half damage (rounded up) from energy drain, ability damage, and ability drain effects.

Shadow Affinity (Ex)
As time progresses, a shadow savant becomes better able to manipulate shadow to his will. In an area of shadowy illumination, a 16th-level shadow savant gains three benefits. First, he gains the ability to Hide in Plain Sight like a rogue. Second, he gains a +3 deflection bonus to AC and a +3 morale bonus to attack and damage rolls and rolls to confirm a critical threat. Third, he gains a +2 morale bonus on all saves except those against abilities with the light descriptor, against which he takes a -2 morale penalty.

Perfect Darkness (Ex)
At last the shadow savant becomes one with shadow, losing all vestiges of emotion and empathy as his id becomes an entirely independent mind within him. A 17th level shadow savant takes a further -4 penalty on all Charisma-related skills and Charisma checks, for a final total of -12, but automatically makes his save against Illusion spells and spell-like abilities, takes only half damage from abilities with the [shadow] or [darkness] descriptors, and gains immunity to flanking.

Dissociative Identity (Su)
When a shadow savant reaches 18th level, his subconscious id has grown into a full-fledged independent personality. As 2 consecutive full-round actions, a shadow savant may separate his shadow consciousness from himself to form an independent being. The shadow savant must expend his shadow focus to do so and may not recover it while the shadow consciousness is separated from him. The shadow consciousness has the stats of an undead greater shadow, with the following changes: it lacks undead traits, the create spawn ability, and the strength damage ability; it has neutral alignment; it has id insinuation, thought shield, and telekinetic thrust as at-will psi-like abilities; it is continuously sense linked to the shadow savant (vision and hearing); and it may not attack physically. If the shadow consciousness is destroyed while it is outside the shadow savant, the shadow savant takes 4 points each of Wisdom and Charisma damage and he may not regain his shadow focus or use this ability for 1 hour; otherwise, the shadow savant may use another 2 consecutive full-round actions to recall the shadow consciousness to him as long as they are within 1 mile of each other. There is no duration limit for this ability, but for every hour they are separated, the shadow savant takes 2 points of Wisdom damage and his shadow consciousness takes 2d6 damage; as long as they can continue healing this damage, they can stay separated. After the shadow savant reincorporates his shadow mind, he may not use this ability for 5 minutes per hour (or fraction thereof) that they remained separated.

Apotheosis (Su)
While the shadow savant had already become like a denizen of shadow, at 20th level he literally becomes a shadow creature. A 20th-level shadow savant gains the outsider (native) type, immunity to any effect targeting emotions, and elemental immunities, though he may still be resurrected as a creature of his previous type. In addition, a shadow savant radiates shadowy illumination in a 5-ft radius around himself in any conditions brighter than torchlight, and when he is in shadow his square is treated as being in an area of magical darkness for purposes or determining whether darkvision can detect him.

Playing a Shadow Savant
Shadow savants are driven to move, to fight, to conquer, to explore, all because of the insidious shadow-self that their powers create. The internal conflict between the chaotic emotional storm and the oppressive, cloying numbness of shadow warring inside them leaves them restless and wanting to keep active

Religion: Religion is the last thing on a shadow savant’s mind (no pun intended). Like shadowcasters, their powers tap into an impersonal power source that does not want, need, or acknowledge worship; like psions, their attention is mostly focused inwards.

Other Classes: Shadow savants get along very well with manifesters and mystery users, as well as any arcane or divine casters who can cast shadow spells—this doesn’t mean, however, that the feeling is mutual. Shadowcasters and those like them just don’t “get” shadow savants, because shadow seems to use them rather than the other way around. Manifesters look down on them with sympathy, not understanding that their shadow connection is a symptom of, rather than a crutch for, their powers. Arcane casters don’t care either way, and divine casters all too often assume shadow savants are irredeemably evil because of their personality and abilities, not realizing that shadow magic isn’t inherently evil. Other classes are fine with shadow savants as long as they’re allies rather than enemies.

Combat: Although you don't cast mysteries as well as a shadowcaster or manifest powers as well as a psion, you have the ability to do both. In terms of combat, you probably work like a rogue, manifesting opportunistically from the shadows while tanks and casters stand out in the open. You have many options other than direct attack: Your mind-affecting abilities are formidable, and you have many esoteric abilities no one would think to counter.

Advancement: Continuing development isn’t so much a function of improving your abilities as one of your abilities improving you—your shadow mind is constantly growing, expanding, granting new abilities and spurring you on to new heights, and you just have to survive the journey.

Shadow Savants in the World
"I tell you, I once ran into one of those shadow psionicists. Now I know what I’m doing, usually; I make a career of taking down rogue magic-users and psionicists. I figured, well, he looks like a shadowcaster, he acts like a shadowcaster, his powers work like a shadowcaster’s, he must be a shadowcaster. This was all very well and good, until I tried to read his thoughts—I looked in there and just had a chance to see that this one was like no other caster-type I’d seen before he whipped around, smashed me into a wall with his mind, and almost froze me to death. If you’ve got any sense at all, you won’t mess with them either."

—Assassin wishing to remain anonymous

Daily Life: The life of a shadow savant is unpredictable at best. Shadow savants have to deal both with their shadow mind’s insistent urges to do or find something and the fact that as their personalities change they become more alien and their priorities change. No two shadow savants are alike.

Notables: Because shadow savants have the traits of both shadowcasters and psions, it is rare for a given shadow savant to be recognized as such unless a witness is very familiar with either class and realizes that the shadow savant doesn’t quite match up to expectations. Having said that, some famous shadowcasters and psions were actually shadow savants trying to blend in.

Organizations: Shadow savants have no organization of their own, instead joining shadow organizations. Because a shadow savant of a given level only knows the mysteries of a shadowcaster of much lower level, they are frequently underestimated by other mystery users, which helps immensely when climbing up the ranks.

NPC Reactions: There is no common opinion about shadow savants, as there are no common shadow savants. NPCs are likely to simply mistake a shadow savant for either a shadowcaster or a wilder and treat him accordingly.

Shadow Savant Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (psionics), Knowledge (the planes), or Knowledge (arcane) may research shadow savants to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including the information from lower DCs. Bardic Knowledge checks reveal the same information.

DC 10: Shadow savants are a strange type of psion, drawing on the Plane of Shadow rather than the Astral Plane. Their displays are different from those of a normal psion.

DC 15: Shadow savants have the ability to use shadow mysteries like shadowcasters, although they manifest them as powers.

DC 20: Shadow savants connect to the Plane of Shadow using their subconscious or “id”, which eventually splits off into a separate personality.

DC 30: Because a shadow savant’s id splits off from his own mind, he gains benefits from the emotional, instinctual portion of his mind while becoming more cold and analytical due to the influence of shadow, eventually taking on the traits of a shadow creature.

Shadow Savants in the Game
Shadow savants are reclusive and secretive, as they are frequently misunderstood and their unique talents tend to create loners anyways. Because of this, shadow savants are simple to bring into your game as long as you already have psionics or shadow magic; you can retrofit psions or shadowcasters to be shadow savants, and even a wizard who tends toward Illusion(shadow) spells could have been a shadow savant.

What do you think? Any and all feedback is appreciated, particularly from a balance standpoint.

Commentary and Recommendations:
Not much to say. This class works and I would love the chance to play as one some day. There are a couple of nit-picks, of course, but nothing that isn't quickly solved with common sense or a quick talk with the DM (such as how you are granted entire paths of mysteries even though it is not stated as such or how embrace the darkness should not reduce the wisdom damage you take from Dissociative Personality)

CaBaaL

2010-02-10, 09:29 AM

Phalse One's work is really really great. everything is really cool and looks balanced (even chain i will test it on next session). my only question is Dark ward.. evation is not that much (there is ring for it :smalltongue: ) but mettle? the only way that i would find this logical was as imed action and for 1r(maybe cause its highlvl usable on others too). we should not make the mistake the original shadowcaster had (1 trick pony) by giving him every ability any class could have (the only class feature i have not seen on a feat is rage)

Realms of Chaos

2010-02-10, 06:51 PM

Actually, I don't see mettle as "granting every possible ability". It actually seems quite fitting for the class. The shadowcaster has both good Fort and Will saves, uses a greatly different brand of magic, and fortifies their body using their magic. Mettle is a means of using their magic to fortify their body against most magical effects, something that works really well.
As far as a crunch perspective, I once again understand that mettle becomes seriously powerful at epic levels. Even so, consider the fact that this ability scales in absolutely no other way. I find it nice that this ability becomes more useful as time goes on without increasing its bonuses in any way. Besides, without the immediate-action activation you suggest, this guy is still pretty vulnerable to ambushes (as the duration can only be raised to a max of 2 minutes through extend mystery).

On an interesting side-note, there is indeed a feat that grants the rage class feature, albeit under certain conditions. Check Savage Species to see what I'm talking about.

Anyways...

Umbral Stalker monster by LivingShadow

Umbral Stalker

Medium Elemental (Incorpreal)
Hit Dice: 10d8+10 (55 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: fly 40ft (good)
AC 17 (+5 Dex, +2 deflection), touch 17, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+10
Attack: slam +12 melee
Full Attack: 4 slams +12 melee
Damage: slam (1d6+3+silence+imp grab)
Space/Reach: 5ft/5ft
Special Attacks: Imp Grab, Silence, Absorb, solid attack
Special Qualities: Blindsight 60ft
Saves Fort +8, Ref +12, Will +9
Abilities Str -, Dex 20, Con 12, Int 11, Wis 14, Cha 15
Skills: Disguise +18, Hide +18 (+26 in shadows)
Feats: weapon finnesse, Dodge Mobility, Skill Focus (Disguise)
Environment: Plane of Shadow
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 11-20 HD (medium)
Level Adjustment: --

Your ally's shadow sprouted tenticles and grabbed his neck, arms, and waist. Then it silently pulled him into itself.

Umbral stalkers are ambush predators of the Plane of Shadow. Typically used by their summoners as either assassins or kidnapers. They possess cunning and intelegence but can't speak as they are totally silent.

Combat: Before combat an Umbral Stalker attempts to disguise itself as its opponents shadows. If it has a specific target it tries to pretend to be that creatures shadow. It then follows its victim until it finds an opprotune moment to strike. When an Umbral Stalker attacks it attempts to absorb its victim without drawing the notice of the victims comrads. After it gets what it came for it leaves as silently as it came.

Solid attack: Even though the Umbral Stalker is incorpreal its attacks are not. It attacks as if it was solid and had a strenght score of 16.

Improved Grab (Ex): When It hits with a slam attack an Umbral Stalker may attempt to grapple the target as a free action with a grapple modifier of +10 (as if it had a strength score of 16). For each additional slam it hits with it gains a +2 cumulative bonus to grapple checks on that creature.

Silence (Su): Any creature hit with the Umbral stalker's slam attack is rendered unable to produce any noise (as if under the effect of the silence spell).

Absorb (Su): When an Umbral stalker grapples a creature it may attempt to absorb them on its next turn with another grapple check as a standard action. An absorbed creature is transfered to an extra-dimensional pocket which serves at the Umbral stalkers stomach. This pocket may only hold one creature at a time no matter what size they are. When is has absorbed a creature the Umbral Stalker may choose to apply 1 negitive level per round. a creature that has been absorbed may attempt to break out of the pocket by attacking it with a light weapon. The pocket has an AC of 10 and 10 hp. When the pocket is broken the creature previously absorbed appears next to the Umbral Stalker. When the pocket has been ruptured it automaticly repairs itself by the next round.

Commentary and Recommendations:
Despite this creature's extreme similarity with the ephemeral hangman in the Tome of Magic, I believe that this creature has its uses, perhaps to be used alongside the aforementioned creature in a shadow-themed dungeon (throw in some shadow mastiffs, some shadow elementals, a shadow or two, and an ancient evil [a nightwalker] to accidentally set free at the end and you're set).
I'd suggest two small differences when running this creature. First of all, as it doesn't state how long the creature remains silenced, I'd set it for 5 rounds or so. Secondly, I would double the HP of the extradimensional pocket. Level 7 characters won't have much problem breaking out unless they don't have any light weaponry, in which case I'd allow characters to punch their way out with unarmed strikes, but that's just me.

Realms of Chaos

2010-02-10, 07:19 PM

Umbral Edgemaster PrC by Sleepwalker

Umbral Edgemaster

Entry Requirements

Skills:

Knolwedge Planes: 5 Ranks
Martial Lore: 5 Ranks

Feats:

Shadow Blade
Shadow Trickster

Mysteries:

Completed at least one Apprentice Path

Meneuvers and Stances:

4 Shadow Hand Maneuvers
2 Shadow Hand Stances

The Umbral Edgemaster is a martial adept that has learned shadow magic, most likly inspired by his shadowhand style to pursue higher magics. The Umbral Edgemaster walks both paths of shadow steel and sorcery.

Hit Dice: 1d8

Skills: 4+int

Class Skills: Balance, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge: Arcane, Knowledge: Planes, Martial Lore, Move Silently, Profession, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Spot, and Tumble.

Lv B.A.B. Fort Refl Will Special
01) +0 +2 +2 +2 Bonus Fundamental, Continued Discipline, Mysteries
02) +1 +3 +3 +3 Discipline Focus (Insightful Strike)
03) +2 +3 +3 +3 Quick to Act +1
04) +3 +4 +4 +4 Bonus Fundamental, Initiate Mysteries
05) +3 +4 +4 +4 Shadow Veil
06) +4 +5 +5 +5 Quick To Act +2
07) +5 +5 +5 +5 Bonus Fundamental
08) +6/+1 +6 +6 +6 Discipline Focus (Defensive Strike)
09) +6/+1 +6 +6 +6 Quick To Act +3, Master Mysteries
10) +7/+2 +7 +7 +7 Bonus Fundamental, Fundamentals at Will

Bonus Fundamental: The Umbral Edgemaster selects an additional fundamental to add to his known list.

Continued Discipline: The Umbral Edgemaster continues to gain maneuvers known, maneuvers readied and stances known as though he gained a level of sword sage, however he may only select from the shadow hand and setting sun disciplines.

Mysteries: The Umbral Edgemaster continues to gain mysteries as though he gained a level of Shadowcaster, further he continues to gain bonus feats equal to half the number of paths he has access to too (or paths completed if using the shadow caster revision). As with the shadow caster Mysteries cast as spells can be used one time per day, Mysteries cast as Spell Like can be cast twice a day and Mysteries cast as Supernatural Abilities can be used three times a day.

Discipline Focus: The Umbral Edgemaster adds his wisdom modifier to his damage roles when using a shadowhand maneuver.

Quick To Act: The Umbral Edgemaster gains a +1 bonus to his initiative checks at levels 3, 6, and 9.

Initiate Mysteries: The Umbral Edgemaster may now select Initiate Mysteries, further his Apprentice Mysteries are now cast as spell like.

Shadow Veil: At will, as a standard action, the Umbral Edgemaster can draw forth a patch of shadowstuff and make a ranged touch attack up to 30 feet, if successful the shadow wraps around the targets eyes concealing their vision. All other creatures count as having concealment against this creature and he takes a -5 to spot check for the duration, the effect last for 1 round per highest level mystery you have known.

Master Mysteries: The Umbral Edgemaster may now select Master Mysteries, he now uses his Initiate Mysteries as Spell Like Abilities and Apprentice Mysteries ans Supernatural Abilities.

Fundamentals at Will: The Umbral Edgemaster may uses his known fundamentals at will.
------------------------------------

New Shadow Hand Stances

Umbral Shield
School: Shadow Hand (Stance)
Level: Swordsage 3
Prerequisite: 1 Shadow Hand Stance, 2 Shadow Hand Maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Swift Action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance (see below)

"You spin down into a defensive stance, your shadow splits around you covering you from every angel."

Use of this maneuver splits the initiators shadow into 8 separate shadows, whenever a melee attack (including melee maneuvers) would hit the initiator, one of the shadows immediately spins in the way and becomes substantial enough to stop the attack from hitting the initiator, but the shadow is destroyed. Once all 8 shadows have been destroyed the stance is abandoned. The stance cannot be initiated again until the initiator performs his 5 minute meditation to regain maneuvers.

Umbral Essence
School: Shadow Hand (Stance)
Level: Swordsage 2
Prerequisite: 1 Shadow Hand Stance
Initiation Action: 1 Swift Action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

" Your shadow merges with your feet and begins crawling up your body, you feel your very being merging with the essence of shadow."

While in this stance you gain a 20% miss chance from physical attacks, however your physical attacks also have a 20% miss chance.

New Mystery Paths

Nocturnal Blade
1 Shadow Knife: Create a small dagger of shadow that can deal cold damage.
2 Umbral Blade: Calls a short sword of shadowstuff into being.
3 Obsidian Edge: Create an umbral bastard sword with potent abilities.

Obsidian Edge
Apprentice, Nocturnal Blade
Level/School: 3rd/Conjuration
Range: Personal
Effect: Personal
Duration: 1 round/ level.
Saving Throw: No
Spell Resistance: No

"The caster puts both her hands together as the shadows around pool to her hands, a large black blade extends from her hands."

This mystery creates a bastard sword of shadow, this functions as a +3 brilliant energy weapon of icy burst. The caster is considered proficient with this weapon.

Shadow Knife
Apprentice, Nocturnal Blade
Level/School: 1st/Conjuration
Range: Personal
Effect: Personal
Duration: 1 round per 2 levels maximum 5 rounds.
Saving Throw: No
Spell Resistance: Yes

"The Caster draws the surrounding shadows into her hand and a small black dagger forms into her palm."

This mystery creates a dagger of shadow, this functions as a +1 dagger and deals 1d4 physical damage and 1d4 cold damage. When attacking a creature the caster can make an attack at a -5 penalty to impale and lodge the dagger in place, if successful the dagger will continue to deal it's cold damage each round if it is lodged into a creature at he begging of the casters round. A caster must overcome a creatures spell resistance (if any) when attacking with this weapon, failure forces the blade back into the plane of shadow.

Umbral Blade
Apprentice, Nocturnal Blade
Level/School: 2nd/Conjuration
Range: Personal
Effect: Personal
Duration: 1 round per level maximum 10 rounds.
Saving Throw: No
Spell Resistance: No

" The caster holds up her hand and draws the surrounding darkness to her, a three foot bade of darkness extends from her palm."

This mystery creates a short sword of shadow, this functions as a +2 ghost touch weapon of frost.

Commentary and Recommendations:
This thing looks fairly balanced, if a bit bland. It's always nice to see support for a potential martial-shadowcaster, mind you, but it does come across as a bit bland. It only has one unique ability, one that strikes me as rather "meh". Even so, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the class itself (as far as I can see, anyway).
The maneuvers and mysteries, however, are another story. The umbral shield stance is very overpowered, nearly to the same level as ironheart surge. Instead of making 8 attacks miss, I would treat this effect as a mirror image spell with 8 duplicates made (or even better, 1 duplicate/2 initiator levels, maximum 8). Still plenty powerful but nothing broken.
The nocturnal blade path is an odd path. On the one hand, it is giving out free magical items (and very expensive ones, at that). On the other hand, the duration is short and very few shadowcasters stand a chance in close combat. I also note that the brilliant energy ability given to obsidian edge is an interesting twist, acknowledging how mysteries have a hard time harming undead but creating light (something that mysteries almost never do). as a consequence. I'd suggest adding a note that the brilliant energy quality provides only shadowy illumination in a 10-foot radius. Also to keep things from getting out of hand, I'd switch the durations of umbral blade and obsidian edge.
With that said and done, nocturnal blade makes a decent lesser version of the gish-based master path Peacenlove created.

Realms of Chaos

2010-02-10, 07:23 PM

The Wildhaunt Base Class by LordArchaon
WILDHAUNT

http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/6889/hybridwildhaunt3tm3.png

"In the wild, the night itself can become a feral nightmare. And I'm the worst part of it."
- Faneghad "The Harrower", a wildhaunt.

Shadow magic is often considered unnatural even by the few ones who really know it. But the wise ones know that the Plane of Shadow is a reflection, although twisted, of the material plane, natural life included. For every forest, marsh or any other natural place, a dark counterpart of it exists in the Plane of Shadow.
The divine energy connected with the wild, the source of all of the druid's powers, has its dark correspondent as well. And the Wildhaunt tap on it just as the Druids tap on the traditional one.
As a result, the wildhaunt takes on the fearfullest aspects of nature. She embodies the danger of the feral beasts, the vengeance of the wild against civilization, the worst and deepest fears of the once defenseless intelligent beings, the pitch black darkness in which anything could be lurking.
This dark side of nature is inherently frightening just as it is inherently nocturnal, and so are the wildhaunts: only at night, and only after entering a deep and fierce trance state, they can unchain their powerful potential.
This doesn't come without disadvantages, as when these trances end and the day comes, wildhaunts experiment confusional states and begin to fear the light like the most nocturnal representatives of the animal reign.

MAKING A WILDHAUNT
As barbarians augment their combat prowess with impulsive bursts of strength, so the wildhaunts become even more powerful magic users during self-inducted trance states. As a wildhaunt, you let the dark side of nature enter into your body and mind to gain terrorizing powers, like exuding mortal venoms, infesting nightmares of sleeping creatures, or shape-changing into unimaginable dark beasts. You become night-dependent and completely unable to live among other people, due to your predatory aura.
Due to their downsides, wildhaunts are never a totally good addition to a party, and are usually condemned to be loners; so the wildhaunt class is best suited for players that want to role-play a dark and conflictual character, capable of great power, but only in certain conditions.
Abilities: Your Charisma score is undoubtedly the most important resource, since practically all wildhaunt class features are charisma-dependent. But you learn and can cast your mysteries thanks to your Wisdom, and even if certain signature abilities of the class, like taking hybrid-animal form, require a low Will save, you will generally want a high Wisdom score, because the Nocturnal Trance that you need to enter to gain full power, negatively affects your Wisdom. In general finding the right equilibrium between Charisma and Wisdom is a problem wildhaunts have to deal with all the time. An Intelligence score of at least 12 is needed to learn the secret Burblack language without expending skill points. High Constitution and Dexterity help surviving combats, especially in the early levels, when you can't shape-change for real yet. Besides, given that you shapechange into animal-humanoid hybrids exactly like lycanthropes, a wildhaunt with a powerful build will become a powerful hybrid, while a weak one will maybe just manage to become an average warrior in strength.
Races: Wildhaunts are rare among every known race. Besides, the races that are more connected with law and civilization, like humans, dwarfs and most halflings practically can't give origin to wildhaunts in normal conditions. So among the civilized races, only elves and especially gnomes, who enjoy dealing with so a diverse and lunatic form of magic, sometimes enter the wildhaunt class. Half-orc wildhaunts are even more common, because of the ancestral affinity of orcs and natural beasts of prey. They are especially common among the ones bred by orcs or living in secluded communities. For the same reason, many other uncivilized races, gnolls and even intelligent undead in particular, feel some attraction for the wildhaunt life, and could research their powers if not naturally find them.
Alignment: While druids must represent the duality of nature retaining some neutrality in their alignment, wildhaunts represent one single aspect of it, which can only be chaotic in nature. For this reason, Wildhaunt can only be of chaotic alignment. And chaotic good wildhaunts are rare at best.
Starting Gold: As wizard.
Starting Age: As druid.
Hit die: d8.

CLASS FEATURES
As a wildhaunt, you have access to a relatively vast array of utility powers by the means of the little creatures called nightlings, but you will generally be able to exploit those advantages only outside combat or however with some preparation time before it.
During combat action, at first your best weapons will be your fear attacks like Shadowshape and Predatory aura, and the ability to instigate animals, while with advancement your role will be determined by the mysteries you select, that will become more usable and more powerful, and you'll be able to shape-change in order to become a fearsome opponent in melee.
In general, your mix of very good stealth capabilities and diverse powers, including healing, will make you useful in various situations, although never totally reliable because of both the risk of staying near you and the risk some of your abilities have to not function or function the wrong way.

Table 1: The Wildhaunt Hit Die: 1d8

Lv BAB Fort. Ref. Will Special
1st +0 +2 +2 +0 Call Nightlings, Shadowshape,
Wild Instigation, Apprentice Mysteries
2nd +1 +3 +3 +0 Woodland Stride, Trackless Step,
Nocturnal Caster
3rd +1 +3 +3 +1 Predatory Aura
4th +2 +4 +4 +1 Wildhaunt
5th +2 +4 +4 +1 Nocturnal Trance (1/night)
6th +3 +5 +5 +2 Nocturnal Trance (Nightmare Aura),
Nocturnal Master
7th +3 +5 +5 +2 Nocturnal Trance (Entranced Mysteries),
Initiate Mysteries
8th +4 +6 +6 +2 Nocturnal Trance (2/night)
9th +4 +6 +6 +3 Venom Immunity
10th +5 +7 +7 +3 Nocturnal Trance (Wildhaunted Shape),
A thousand faces
11th +5 +7 +7 +3 Nocturnal Trance (3/night),
Improved Nocturnal Trance
12th +6 +8 +8 +4
13th +6 +8 +8 +4 Master Mysteries
14th +7 +9 +9 +4 Nocturnal Trance (Irregular Shape)
15th +7 +9 +9 +5 Nocturnal Trance (4/night)
16th +8 +10 +10 +5 Natural Shadows
17th +8 +10 +10 +5 Superior Nocturnal trance
18th +9 +11 +11 +6 Nocturnal Trance (Night Shape)
19th +9 +11 +11 +6 Nocturnal Trance (5/night)
20th +10 +12 +12 +6 Dark Fey

Class Skills (4+ Int modifier per level, x4 at 1st level): Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex).

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Same as druid. Even if the powers of the wildhaunt are darker, they remain a reflection of the druid ones. And as such, require the same rules and sacrifices, like prohibited armors and weapons.

Bonus Languages: A wildhaunt's bonus language options include Burblack, the secret language of the natural creatures of the plane of shadow. This choice is in addition to the bonus languages available to the character because of her race.
Wildhaunts cannot teach this language to non-wildhaunts, because no one who is not a wildhaunt would be able to speak it, since it requires the particular link with the plane of shadows that only wildhaunts have in order to produce the spectral sounds it is made of. Burblack can't be written at all.
If you don't learn this language at first level as a bonus language, because you don't want to or don't have a sufficient Intelligence score, you can exceptionally learn it by the means of the Speak Language skill (which is a cross-class skill).
You need this language in order to interact with nightlings. See Call Nightlings, below.

Mysteries and Paths: Rather than casting spells as other do, you invoke the power of mysteries through your link with the natural force of the shadow plane. You know one mystery at 1st level, and one at each level afterwards. Each such mystery is usable once per day. Up to 6th level, you may only learn apprentice mysteries. Starting at 7th level, you may learn initiate or apprentice mysteries, and at 13th level you can finally learn Master mysteries.
A wildhaunt, by gaining their power through nature's worship (or worship of nature's dark reflection), skips much of the thought and effort that a shadowcaster needs to cast their mysteries. As a result, they need not learn paths in order, as long as they know at least two mysteries of a previous level. On the other hand, you can always select the first mystery in a path of a category you have access to, even if you didn’t complete the lower category paths.
Wildhaunts originally cast mysteries as divine spells. They have somatic components and are subject to interruption but do not have an armor-based spell-failure chance. Whenever a mystery is cast, their shadows are subtly altered, noticeable through a dc20 spot check.
Whenever a path is completed, however, all mysteries in that path become spell-like abilities and their daily use doubles.
Each mystery learned is a singular connection with the dark nature, and thus cannot be learned more than once at any time. However, at 12th level and every odd level afterwards, you may replace one mystery known with another mystery of the same or lower levels, so long as the sacrificed mystery was not used as the prerequisites for any feat, prestige class, or other mystery, although all prerequisites for the new mystery must be met.
Unlike spellcasters, you don’t get bonus mysteries for a high ability score. Although you do not prepare spells, you must rest for 8 hour and meditate for 15 minutes to regain your daily use of mysteries. The meditation can only be done during or after sunset.
Your mysteries are very tied to your Nocturnal Trance class feature. Depending on your level, the Nocturnal Trance state may give you the possibility to cast some mysteries extra times, or in a different way, like making them become supernatural abilities or even extraordinary abilities.
In order to cast a mystery, you must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the mystery’s level. The save DC for your mysteries equals 10 + mystery level + your Cha modifier.
You can choose mysteries from the wildhaunt's paths. You can also have access to one path per mystery tier chosen from the shadowcaster's paths, but you don't get extra uses upon completing the path, so generally wildhaunts only choose one or two mysteries per tier from the shadowcaster's paths.
Even though as a wildhaunt you do not “cast spells” in the traditional sense, your levels in this class count for the purpose of determining your overall caster level.
You gain one daily uses of any mystery cast as a divine spell or two daily uses of any mystery cast as a spell-like ability.

Call Nightlings (Su): With a brief wandering meditation in the wild, you can call fey-like entities called Nightlings, which are able to perform tasks for you depending on your level, and your skills, if you can effectively communicate with them.
After finishing a task, the nightling is dismissed and fades back to its original state of semi-unreality.
The tasks they may perform are in the Box 1 "Nightling Tasks", below.
For details, see the Nightlings section at the end of the page.

Box 1: NIGHTLING TASKS Cast Fundamentals: To give this task to nightlings, you must have at least 4 ranks in the Spellcraft skill per nightling involved.
Each nightling can cast one fundamental of shadow of your choice, chosen during the calling among the specific nightling fundamentals or the few shadowcaster's fundamentals available to them.
They can cast it 1d4 times before considering their task completed.
They can cast fundamentals with a range of Personal on you or an ally of yours, as they had a range of touch.
The caster level is equal to 1/4 your class level.
Messenger: To give this task to nightlings, you must have at least 6 ranks in the Survival skill.
A nightling can travel 60 miles in 1 hour in the wild and can speak any language spoken by the nighthaunt who called it.
If sending a nightling in civilized areas, it won't be able to trigger invisibility, but only to Hide and Move Silently with a modifier equal to your maximum skill rank plus your Cha modifier, and it will travel at a speed of 20 ft. per round.
Search: To give this task to nightlings, you must have at least 4 ranks in the Search skill.
Nightlings can search with a modifier equal to your maximum skill rank plus your Cha modifier and they always take 20, eventually returning with results after a number of minutes equal to 5 - the number of nightlings that were carrying on the task, with a minimum of 1 minute. The advantage of sending nightlings search for things is that they can travel at great speed and unseen in the wild. Thus, searches will be carried on in a radius of 1 mile per number of nightling involved.
Nightlings will usually try to carry the object of the search back to the wildhaunt, but they can manipulate only tiny or smaller objects.
Entice information: To give this task to nightlings, you must have at least 10 ranks in the Intimidate skill.
A nightling who interacts with shaken, frightened or panicked subjects, has a strong influence on the target and can make a special Gather Information check with a full-round action in which the target must be able to see all the nightlings your Cha modifier plus the number of nightlings involved. If the target doesn't know anything about the requested information, no matter the result of the check, no information can be gathered.
Track: To give this task to nightlings, you must have at least 12 ranks in the Survival skill.
Nightlings may track as having the Track feat, with a modifier to the Survival skill equal to your maximum skill rank plus your Cha modifier plus the number of nightlings involved.
Treat their base speed as 200 ft..
Distract: To give this task to nightlings, you must have at least 14 ranks in the Tumble skill.
When a nightling occupies the same square of another creature, the creature will be distracted, taking a penalty on Concentration checks equal to 2 times the number of nightlings in its square. Besides, the creature will not be able to make attacks of opportunity while being in the same square as the nightlings.
Entice gift: To give this task to nightlings, you must have at least 16 ranks in the Intimidate skill.
A nightling who interacts with shaken, frightened or panicked subjects, has a strong influence on the target and can make a special Intimidate check with a full-round action in which the target must be able to see all the nightlings involved. The check is made with a modifier equal to your maximum skill rank plus your Cha modifier plus the number of nightlings involved. If the target would be demoralized by the use of the Intimidate skill, it gives one object of choice to the nightlings. After 2d4 rounds, the subject will understand that it was tricked and will eventually want to take back the lost possession.
Group Casting: To give this task to nightlings, you must have at least 18 ranks in the Spellcraft skill.
This task is equal to the Cast Fundamental task with the difference that nigthlings can join their powers to cast a more powerful fundamental.
As a full-round action, nightlings can combine their forces to cast one fundamental multiplying their caster level for the number of nightlings involved (up to a caster level of 20).
This way, the save DCs of the fundamental is equal to 10 + the number of nightlings called + your Cha modifier.
As normal, they can cast the fundamental 1d4 times before considering the task finished, but when Group Casting, if they get to have more uses of the fundamental, you can also make them change the fundamental to be casted.
Cure: To give this task to nightlings, you must have at least 20 ranks in the Heal skill.
If you are in a Nocturnal Trance and assign this task to nightlings, they will be able to cure your wounds channeling pure shadow essence into your shadow-dependent metabolism.
This way, nightlings can cure a number of HPs equal to 1d4 times they're number.
You can't receive more than one cure of this during the same Nocturnal Trance.
Save Life: To give this task to nightlings, you must have at least 22 ranks in the Knowledge (the planes) skill.
If you have nightlings at your service and find yourself disabled or with negative hit points, you may exceptionally order your nightlings to save your life by carrying you into the Plane of Shadows. There you will be healed as for the Cure task, and then carried back to a random calm spot in the wilderness in a radius of 1d4 miles from where you were dying.
If for some reason (an insufficient amount of nightlings, leading to an insufficient quantity of healed hit points) you still have negative hit points, after reappearing in the random location, you'll continue to loose hit points as normal, eventually dying.

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/7633/nightlingsss1.png
A wildhaunt made some nightlings summon Twilight Berries and bring them to him.

Shadowshape (Su): Instead of transforming into animals, you begin with the ability to look like an animal. You can use this ability at will. This is an illusion effect of the shadow sub-school. Interaction allows a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 your caster level + your Cha modifier) to recognize the illusion.
Being the illusion so close to natural forces, animals and plants are not allowed a save and will always treat you like an animal of the kind you chose, meaning that most of the times they'll have an Indifferent attitude towards you.
Other than to look like an animal, you can use this ability to scare any creature not immune to mind-affecting abilities. The save DC is the same but on failure the target will be shaken for a number of rounds equal to your caster level, or if already shaken from another effect, frightened for half that number of rounds (minimum 1).
The range of the fear effect is 5 ft. per class level.

Wild Instigation: Starting at 1st level, a wildhaunt gains an ability in all respects similar to the druid's Wild Empathy, but with a contrary effect. It will influence the animal's attitude negatively against everyone except for the wildhaunt.
The check is done normally, but for each positive attitude change you would have achieved, you achieve the equivalent negative change instead.
Given that wild animals usually begin with an already unfriendly attitude, it is easier to use this ability in comparison with Wild Empathy.

Nocturnal Caster: You gain Nocturnal Caster as a bonus feat (ToM, page 137). You can apply it to a wildhaunt's path of mysteries only.

Woodland Stride: Starting at 2nd level a wildhaunt gains the Woodland Stride ability (see the druid ability, PhB page 36)

Trackless Step: Starting at 2nd level a wildhaunt leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked. Sha may choose to leave a trail if so desired.

Predatory Aura (Su): Your presence is felt like dangerous by any humanoid creature with fewer Hit Dice than your Caster Level.
No willing humanoid will approach at more than 30 ft., and those who do must succeed a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 your Caster Level + your Cha modifier) or be shaken for as long as they stay within 30 ft. from you, plus one round after.

Wildhaunt (Su): The ability that gave wildhaunts their name is similar to a cleric's turn/rebuke undead.
Any wildhaunt has the power to influence animals and plants (even not animated ones) by channeling the chaotic side of wildlife that permeates nature in the Plane of Shadows.
A number of times per day equal to 3 + your Cha modifier, you may make a turning attempt against plants (even inanimate ones, see below) or animals as if a cleric of the same level. If you would deal enough damage to turn or rebuke the target, plant creatures and animals gain the Ferocity and Rage abilities (as a Boar and a Wolverine respectively, see their entries in the Monster Manual for details), the latter being instantly activated; while plants may attempt to immobilize the nearest creatures (Reflexes save, DC 10 + your Caster Level + your Cha modifier) if vines or undergrowth, or be animated if trees, counting as objects of their size. Both effects last 1 round/level + your Cha modifier. If you would deal enough damage to destroy or control the target, the durations of these abilities are doubled, animals, plant creatures and animated trees gain the Dark template and vines and undergrowth may paralyze instead of immobilize, if in sufficient quantity. Uses of Wildhaunt do not count as uses of Turn/Rebuke undead for the purposes of divine feats and all other feats associated with the turning/rebuking of undead.
For the purpose of influencing inanimate plants, use the following table for the most common cases.

Plant type Equivalent HD
Undergrowth or vines (immobilize 1 medium creature) 2
Undergrowth or vines (paralyze 1 medium creature) 6
Undergrowth or vines (affect larger creature) + 2
Undergrowth or vines (affect N creatures) x N
Medium tree 8
Large tree 12
Huge tree 16
Gargantuan tree 20
Colossal tree 24

Nocturnal Trance (Su): The only way for a wildhaunt to have full power is by evoking a fragment of a natural spirit of the Plane of Shadow inside her mind and body. This causes what wildhaunts call the Nocturnal Trance, or simply "trance".
Nocturnal Trance can only be activated after sunset and before dawn. It doesn't depend on light but on the true hour of the day.
Activating it is a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity.
During a Nocturnal Trance, you gain the Dark template, and a +4 enhancement bonus to your Charisma score, but you suffer a -2 penalty to your Wisdom score and Initiative.
The trance lasts 1 hour for every 3 class levels.
During the trance you can channel any mystery through a wildhaunted animal or plant (treating the animal or plant as the point of origin for the mystery) a number of times per trance equal to 1 for every 3 class levels. Besides, you get an extra daily use of every Apprentice mystery you know, until the trance ends.
When a Nocturnal trance ends, you are confused for 1 minute, and you become Light-blind (like a Drow elf), for the next 12 hours. In addition, you cannot sleep while in a nocturnal trance, meaning that you may be fatigued for the next 12 hours (unless you choose to sleep during the day).
You can end a trance before it ends (usually to regain some benefits) with a free action, but the confusion effect may not allow you to take the standard action required to enter another Nocturnal Trance in the same round.

Advancing in the Wildhaunt class will give you more abilities usable during Nocturnal Trance, as explained below.
Nightmarish Aura (Su): At 6th level, during a Nocturnal Trance you become attuned with the majority of the forces involved in the presence of nightmares in all the sleeping minds of the Material Plane.
While in a nocturnal trance, you radiate an aura out to 10 feet that only affects sleeping creatures. All such sleeping creatures that come within the aura must make a will save (DC 10 + 1/2 Caster Level + Cha modifier) or suffer the effects of a nightmare spell, using your Caster Level to determine the effects.
In addition, if any affected creature is awakened, it cannot see or hear you for 1 round/2 caster levels (if you are close enough to see or hear), since you still belong to the creature's nightmare demiplane for that limited amount of time. Any interaction with such an awakened creature allows for additional saves.
Any creature who resists is immune to your aura of nightmares for 24 hours.
Entranced mysteries (Ex): Starting at 7th level, the mysteries you cast while in a trance come more naturally to you, allowing you to alter the nature of up to 1 mystery per trance for every 3 class levels. You can alter any mystery at the moment you cast it. Multiple application of the ability on single mysteries count as multiple uses.
At 7th level, you can alter any mystery cast as a spell to become a spell-like ability, and any apprentice mystery cast as a spell-like ability to become a supernatural ability.
Starting at 13th level, you can alter any initiate mystery cast as a spell-like ability to become a supernatural ability.
Starting at 19th level, you can alter any apprentice mystery cast as a supernatural ability to become an extraordinary ability.
Wildhaunted Shape (Su): Starting at 10th level, while in a Nocturnal Trance, you may take on the shape of any Small, Medium, or Large animal, much as a druid. Unlike the druid, you become a hybrid of your race and that creature, much like the hybrid form of a lycanthrope. You retain your Dark template, and basically gain the Lycanthrope template using the selected creature as base animal with the hybrid form being the only usable one, and with the exception that you don't gain Damage Reduction, and that if the creature to be hybridized possesses a movement speed that you do not, you gain the same movement speed at half that creature's normal rate (minimum 5 ft.) and lose one degree of maneuverability if you gain flying in this way. Because you remain more or less humanoid in shape, you can still wield weaponry, manipulate objects, talk, and use mysteries.
There are a couple of restrictions on what shape you can take the form of. First of all, you must be familiar with the animal with which you wish to hybridize. Second of all, you can not hybridize with an animal whose hit dice exceed your class level.
This ability may be used at will while in a nocturnal trance. Activating it is a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity and dismissing it is a swift action (no attacks of opportunity). Wildhaunted Shape has no maximum duration except for that of the nocturnal trance.
You gain the ability to hybridize with any creature type and size a druid of your same level would be able to wildshape into, with the exception of elementals. Any feat that would allow a druid to wildshape into creatures of different types or sizes also applies to Wildhaunted Shape, and you count as having Wild Shape as a druid of your level for the purpose of entering related prestige classes.
However, wildhaunt-shaping does not come without risk. Whenever you assume a Wildhaunted Shape, make a will save against the DC of your Shadowshape ability. If you fail, shadows actually influence yourself successfully, and you use your Wildhaunted Shape ability as normal. If you succeed, the link with the plane of shadows does not influence you properly, and you appear to take on the desired shape but it is just an illusion (as Shadowshape ability), and you won't know it until you first use some of your (false) new abilities unsuccessfully. In addition, if you fail taking Wildhaunted Shape (that is, if you succeed the save), you may not attempt a Wildhaunted Shape for 1 minute and take a stacking -2 penalty on all further will saves made to assume Wildhaunted Shape that night.
Irregular Shape: Starting at 14th level, you attune with the same forces that originated most of the strangely hybridized creatures of the material plane, like griffons and pegasi. This means you can add a number of animal features to your Wildhaunted Form.
You can add one feature for every 6 caster levels.
Adding a feature counts as taking a new Wildhaunted form, and the same risks apply.
These are the available features:
Natural Attack: You gain a new natural attack, like gore or tail slap, at the standard damage category for your size, or you improve an existing natural attack or a newly gained one by one damage category.
Wings: You gain wings, gaining a flight speed of 20 ft. with Poor maneuverability, or you improve your existing flight speed or your newly gained one by 20 ft. and one category of maneuverability
Fins and Gills: You grow fins, gaining a swim speed of 20 ft. and the ability to breath water for 1 hour, or you improve your existing swim speed or your newly gained one by 20 ft, augmenting the time you can breath water by 1 hour.
Poison: One of your natural weapons becomes poisonous, dealing 1d4 damage (Fortitude save negates, DC 10 + 1/2 your Caster Level + your Cha modifier) to any chosen ability other than Constitution, or you improve the damage of the poison gained this way by an additional 1d4. Alternatively, you can have another poisonous natural weapon, with damage starting from 1d4.
In any single Nocturnal Trance, you can deal poison damage a number of times per natural weapon equal to your new Con modifier.
Burrowing Body: You develop shape and limbs that allow you to gain a burrow speed of 5 ft. or you improve your burrow speed by 5 ft.
If your Caster Level for this ability reaches 24 by the means of a dedicated Nocturnal Caster feat and the Nocturnal Master class feature, you have mastered the final secret of the Irregular Shape ability and at the cost of 3 Irregular Shape features (including 3 subsequent failed saves against the DC of your Shadowshape ability), you can gain the Tauric template (3.5up. Page 36), with the exception of not gaining the BAB of a monstruous humanoid.
Night Shape: Starting at 16th level, you can infuse yourself with the essence of a shadow elemental (even in addition to Wildhaunted or Irregular Shape). If you do, the area within a 20-foot radius of yourself is filled with shadowy illumination and remains that way for 1 round/Caster Level. In addition, as a swift action, you can become incorporeal until you take another action to become corporeal once more. While incorporeal, you gain a touch attack that deals damage as an appropriately sized shadow elemental.
No matter how many times you infuse your shadowshapes with shadow elemental essence, however, you can only remain incorporeal for a maximum of 1 round/Caster Level each Nocturnal Trance, although this may be broken up over several uses. For each Night Shape you attempt, you must roll a save like for the Wildhaunted Shape feature, with the same penalties. In addition, on a failure you become blind for 1 minute.

http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/7739/elfwildhauntintrancelf0.png
A wildhaunt's feral power is not always recognizable, especially during their trances, in which their charm grows naturally and unnaturaly at the same time.

Nocturnal Master: At 5th level, the bonus granted by your Nocturnal Caster feat (or feats) increases by 1 for every 6 class levels (becoming +2 at 6th level, +3 at 12th, and so on).
Besides, you can tie one class feature or group of class features of choice to one of your Nocturnal Caster feats.
While in a Nocturnal Trance, this chosen features gain the same bonus on Caster Level that the feat grants.
You can choose among Wildhaunt, Predatory Aura and Nightmare Aura, Shadowshape and Wildhaunted Shape, or Deviated Shape and Night Shape.
Whenever you gain another Nocturnal Caster feat, you can tie it to a different feature or group of features.

Venom Immunity: At 9th level, a Wildhaunt gains immunity to all poisons.

A Thousand Faces: At 10th level, a Wildhaunt gains the ability to change her appearance at will, as if using the alter self spell.

Improved Nocturnal Trance: At 11th level, the Charisma bonus granted by Nocturnal Trance becomes +6, but your penalties to Wisdom and Initiative become -4.
In addition you get 1 additional use for Initiate mysteries, the same way you had 1 additional use for Apprentice mysteries before.

Natural Shadows: At 16th level, the bond between a Wildhaunt and the powers of the Plane of Shadow becomes part of the Wildhaunt natural metabolism. All your supernatural class features, including Nocturnal Trance and all the abilities connected with it, become extraordinary abilities, and so are usable even when magic doesn't function, like inside an Antimagic Field.

Superior Nocturnal Trance: At 17th level, the Charisma bonus granted by Nocturnal Trance becomes +8, your penalties to Wisdom and Initiative become -6, but you no longer become confused after the trance, and time passed in trance counts as resting (but you still need to meditate 15 minutes after sunset of the next day to regain mysteries).
In addition, you get 1 additional use for Master mysteries, the same way you had 1 additional use for Apprentice and Initiate mysteries before.

Dark Fey: At 20th level the natural powers of the Plane of Shadow have influenced you so much that you undergo an internal transformation, which gives you the traits of the fey beings of the Plane of Shadow.
Your type becomes Fey, and you gain the Chaotic subtype. You become immune to mind-affecting effects and cold damage, but you suffer from Iron Vulnerability (Ex). Besides, during the night you gain a dodge bonus to your AC equal to your Charisma bonus, while during the day you constantly radiate a 10 ft. aura of shadowy illumination and you suffer the same penalties of being Shaken, even if you are immune to fear, being immune to mind-affecting effects.

NIGHTLINGS
Nightlings are fey creatures that have the peculiarity of depending on the powers of Wildhaunts to actually exist. They are completely tied to the wildhaunt who call them, and their existence and nature are mysterious at best. Proof of their being on the limit of two planes and on the brink of unreality is the fact that even if incorporeal, they can interact with material objects.
Their appearance may vary, but they usually manifest as pitch black, very small humanoids (not surprisingly, they are playful and collective just like children), surrounded by glittering motes of feeble light, the color of the sunset. Depending on the task, they like to assume other forms, like the form of pet hounds when they search or track, the form of birds when they carry a message and so on.
Even if they may look cute at a first glance, their presence is felt as disturbing by any humanoid creature other than the wildhaunt, and any humanoid who sees them will always start with an Unfriendly attitude towards them, and possibly towards you if you are seen interacting with them. Nightlings radiate a strong aura of chaos (see the detect chaos spell).
Nightlings basics: The statistics below can be used for independent nightlings, which may be encountered in extremely rare occasions. Nightlings called by a wildhaunt use those statistics with the following changes:
Hit Dice: Instead of having actual hit dice, ordinary nightlings have HPs equal to 2 times their caller's wildhaunt class level.
Saves: They use the wildhaunt saves and modifiers, but not any other bonuses, like those given by magical items.
AC: They add their caller wildhaunt's Charisma bonus to their AC, with a maximum bonus based on the wildhaunt's class level, as shown on "Table 2: Nightlings Features", below.
Skills: They don't use skills if not for performing tasks, see "Table 2: Nightlings Features", below, and the "Call Nightlings" section of the Wildhaunt's class feature list, above, for details.
Special Qualities: Called nightlings have access to their natural special qualities limited by the caller wildhaunt's class level, as shown on "Table 2: Nightlings Features", below.
Special Attacks: The only way to attack for a nightling is by the means of Fundamentals of Shadow, which are available to called nightlings only if the caller chooses so.
Calling nightlings: Calling nightlings can be done in two different ways:
Ritual calling: With a wandering meditation in the wild, you can call one nightling for every minute spent this way, up to a maximum of 1 nightling for every 2 wildhaunt class levels.
Quick calling: You can call one nightling as a full-round action, but you will have a 50% failure chance, and in this way you can never have more than one at a time.

Table 2: Nightlings Features

Wildhaunt Max AC
level Bonus Tasks Special
1st-2nd +1 Cast Fundamentals Tasks, Shadow Presence: Dimmed
3rd-4th +2 Messenger Evasion
5th-6th +2 Search
7th-8th +3 Entice Information Shadow Presence: Darkened
9th-10th +3 Track
11th-12th +4 Distract Infuse fundamental casting ability
13th-14th +4 Entice Gift Shadow Presence: Obscured
15th-16th +5 Group Casting Improved Infusion of fundamentals
17th-18th +5 Cure
19th-20th +6 Save Life

Tasks (Ex): You become able to give more complex tasks with level advancement, but each task requires a minimum rank of a certain skill, so you may not be able to give a certain task at the level indicated in the table.
To give a task to one or more nightlings, you have to communicate with them in Burblack, the secret language of the natural creatures of the plane of shadow. Doing so is a swift action, since Burblack can only be spoken very rapidly.

Evasion (Ex): From 3rd level, called nightlings gain the Evasion class feature as a rogue.

Shadow Presence: The ability of nightlings to manifest in all places, at all times and with maximum stealthiness is granted by the strength of the wildhaunt's link with the Plane of Shadow, and therefor by her level.
Dimmed: At 1st level, the nightlings can only be called in wilderness areas, and only during or after sunset. Plus, they can't take advantage of their natural invisibility and they can't manipulate material objects.
Darkened: Starting from 7th level, the nightlings can take advantage of their natural invisibility as long as they're in wilderness areas, and they can manipulate material objects as long as they're not larger than tiny.
Obscured: Starting from 13th level, nightlings can be called at any time and in any place, and may stay invisible even in civilized areas, as long as the task they're performing doesn't specify the contrary.

Infuse shadowcasting ability (Su): Starting from 11th level, with a minute of interaction, a minimum of 2 nightlings can infuse the wildhaunt with the ability to cast a Fundamental of Shadow of choice. The wildhaunt becomes able to cast it as a supernatural ability 3 times, after which the ability expires. The wildhaunt may only have one fundamental at a time, and changing it requires another minute of interaction with at least 2 nightlings.

Improved infusion of fundamentals (Su): Starting at 15th level, a fundamental infused by nightling on the wildhaunt has its save DC improved as if the Group Casting task was used, see the description of the task in the "Box 1: Nightling Tasks" for details.

Nightling
Tiny Fey (Chaotic, Extraplanar, Incorporeal)

PLAYING A WILDHAUNT
You, as druids, are a worshiper and protector of nature. Unlike druids though, you worship and protect the "shadow of nature", the aspect of nature connected with the night and all the concepts associated with it, like the danger of predators, the fear that humanoid beings, once defenseless against predators, felt when the sun set and the forests started to resound of deep and ferocious calls. The whole nature becomes more hideous in the Plane of Shadow, and more subtle. While a druid may invoke powerful blasts of fire or lightning, your link with the Plane of Shadow may grant you the power to invoke alluring clouds of narcotic gases or sharp and deadly blades of black ice.
While a druid may calm animals and save his friends from their attack, you may inspire rage in animals, making them dangerous to everyone but you.
Your chaotic alignment is connected with the side of nature that you express: the most chaotic one. And as most of the predators that lurk in shadows to catch their prey, you are an inherently and totally selfish being.
You are never alone in the wild though, being able to call the little beings called nightlings, creepy fey-like creatures that scare nearly everybody but you.
You may also have been taught your powers by a master, and in this case, chances are that you also form part of a small covenant of wildhaunts or a more extended alliance. But most wildhaunts develop and discover their powers alone in the wild, and in this case you may not encounter someone like you for the rest of your life.
Common people gave you the name of "wild-haunt", and so believes that you are in some way possessed by vengeful and dark spirits, and that all the wild near you becomes haunted and dangerous. You can't blame them. Thanks to the subtlety of your powers though, you are usually able to conceal them where it wouldn't be convenient to show them. In the case you care about it.
You engaged in adventures all your early life thanks to, and for the purpose of, the development of your powers, and becoming a properly called wildhaunt doesn't stop you from continuing that life, on the contrary, to make your powers grow you need biggest challenges and you may even start considering the idea of joining a party, if you find one that is open-minded enough to accept you. The patience and nerves needed to positively cooperate with you will be eventually repaid by the unique and useful powers that only a wildhaunt like you can give.

RELIGION
You worship the natural force of the Plane of Shadow, and your mysteries are divine in nature. This link might be the work of one or more gods of darkness, and some wildhaunt claim that they discovered which deity is responsible of this and start to worship that particular deity with great devotion. The fact that they don't loose their power doing so may mean that they're right. In fact, if you start to worship a deity that has nothing to do with your powers, you may not be able to advance further into the wildhaunt class.

OTHER CLASSES
You surely work well with strong fighters, especially because early on you need them for protection. You may discover that the best candidates to the role of bodyguard are those fighters with strong will, in order to resist to your Predatory Aura. Monks and Swordsages for example, but good monks may clash with you about morals too much. Fighters with low wisdom and will in your party may start hating you for exposing their weak side to derision of others, or simply for hindering their abilities, so they may want to stay far from you. In this case, archers may prove to be the best companions. Rangers in particular may find your company interesting and paradoxically "illuminating". Barbarians may like your company too, especially when they are raging and you may prove to be a vital support. Besides, the savage barbarians and in particular those with animal totems, may even pick you as their spiritual guide. Druids on the contrary, may prove to be your worst enemies, as may interpret your abilities as a corruption of the typical druidic ones. Only between evil druids and evil wildhaunts may exist some sort of cooperation, even if exceptions may always exist. Clerics may have different views about you depending on their deity. Clerics of sun deities may zealously hunt you to death, while clerics of darkness deities may even think you are a prophet or emissary of their god. Bards have a particular sympathy towards you, not always corresponded, and find that you are an inspiration for all sorts of dark and gothic ballads and stories. Wizards, and other arcane spellcasters may be envious of your abilities and at the same time you might be envious of theirs, so it won't always be easy to befriend them. Warlocks are an exception, because you mutually respect the discriminated life you both live, and your tendency to Chaos. Last but not least, all other practitioners of shadow magic, like shadowcasters or cultists (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=950693) see you as very interesting, and you may see them as masters or colleagues, so that with them life is easy although a party composed of shadow magic users only might prove to be weak in certain situations.

COMBAT
You start your adventuring life with little combat potential, being your fear effects and Wild Instigation your only useful powers. However, you will eventually be more resistant than the typical wizard, and so you'll be able to survive the first encounters, also thanks to the support of nightlings.
Soon in your power advancement path, you become even more scary than your dark little friends, and few normal people will resist your presence at close distances, feeling an innate sense of danger. In combat, you combine your Predatory aura with the fear effect of your Shadowshape ability to frighten your foes.
Your Wildhaunt ability makes you very powerful where plants and animals are near, but it's not always a reliable way to solve your fights.
What characterizes you the most in combat though, is your personal selection of mysteries, which will differentiate you by nearly any other wildhaunt. Depending on the mysteries you choose you may become a dangerous melee opponent, a battlefield controller who literally shapes its surroundings to its advantage, or an aid for your companions, with the power to render your foes weak, and maybe mend the wounds of your friends by the means of exotic magical fruits and fungi.
You may even become a specialist in mobility and stealth tactics to ambush and capture enemies, or a long range threat, with the ability to sense at great distances and use animals and plants to hinder the still unaware foes.
Your signature ability, to shape-change into animal-hybrid creatures, not only changes you from a weak combatant to a moderately strong one, but it doesn't prevent you from using your mysteries, that thanks to your Nocturnal Trance become extremely difficult to resist, a fact that compensates the lack of spectacular blasting spells like those of the sorcerers.
You are even able to specialize in one or more paths of mysteries, and you must be careful about that choice, since the extra power given by the specialization is much, and so it must be applied to the mysteries you use the most, that will become your terrible signature ability.

Realms of Chaos

2010-02-10, 08:07 PM

Commentary and Recommendations:
Ah, the Wildhaunt. I helped LordArchaon form this class back in the day and I'll tell you the same thing now that I told him back then (if a bit more bluntly). Cheese Ahoy!
Seriously, you get 2 (stacking) fear effects, a supply of super-versatile minions, and the ability to animate plants... in just the first 4 levels, not including mysteries and fluff features.
When you get to Nocturnal trance, things get really, really crazy. Dark Template, +4 charisma, channel mysteries through other sources for tactical advantage and range enhancement, and you get extra mysteries. As you level up, the charisma bonus increases, you get even more extra mysteries, you gain a nightmare aura, you improved your mysteries, you assume lycanthropic forms, gain extra movement and even gain the tauric template (with a downside easily overcome by a twinked out Will save), and you can become incorporeal. Considering that this guy can eventually make its mysteries extraordinary (and thus usable in any circumstance), I'm inclined to say that this is overpowered to the umpteenth degree.
First of all, I suggest that you allow the trance to last 10 minute/3 levels during the night or 1 round/3 levels during the day so that a)the wildhaunt isn't worthless during the daytime and so b)the wildhaunt might need more than 2 trances. During the day, prevent all enhancements to the nocturnal trance other than improved nocturnal trance and superior nocturnal trance from functioning.
Next, tone down the nocturnal wildshape to only last a number of rounds equal to your charisma modifier per use (at least causing frequent saving throws), make the aberrant features only last a number of minutes equal to your charisma modifier (same reason), and limit the form of night to 1 round/level of use each day rather than each trance.
Lastly, make it so that nocturnal trance (and its enhancements) to not grant bonus mysteries and so that you gain perpetual light blindness at all times starting at 5th level (as 12 hours after each use means always being light blind during the day, which is pretty much the only time you'd deal with that anyway). That should be sufficient to keep the ability roughly balanced.

As for additional changes, I'd move a thousand faces to level 12 (if just to put something in the dead level), move trackless step to 3rd level (to prevent the current front-loading of abilities), and specifically rule that any mystery or supernatural class feature made extraordinary in some way continues to function on incorporeal creatures as if still supernatural.

Wildhaunt Mystery List, by LordArchaon

MYSTERIES AND PATHS

NIGHTLING FUNDAMENTALS
[THESE FUNDAMENTAL MYSTERIES CAN BE CASTED BY NIGHTLINGS ONLY]

Twilight Berries: Hard to find berries cure minor wounds.
Black Cherry: Big and beautiful cherry distracts and attracts looker.
Ebony Root: Hard to find root can be made into a poison.
Ephemeral Cubbyhole: Open a temporary portal to a shadow demi-plane
Nepenthean Mushroom: Hard to find mushroom is a magical drug.
Wildhaunt Motes: Faintly luminous motes can reveal hidden creatures and provide some light.
Wily Cider: Turn water into unnoticeable but powerful alcoholic drink.

FUNDAMENTAL MYSTERIES
[WILDHAUNTS CAN USE THEM ONLY THROUGH NIGHTLINGS]

Arrow of Dusk: Ray deals 2d4 nonlethal, x3 crit.
Mystic Reflections: As the spell detect magic.
Umbral Hand: As the spell mage hand but can affect heavier objects and magic items.
Trick of the Light: Perform a minor, shadowy illusion.

APPRENTICE PATH MYSTERIES

DARKNESS STRIDES
1 Dusk Breeze: You and allies move at greater speed and are difficult to track and recognize.
2 Nebulous Beast: You or an animal become strong, agile and difficult to see while moving.
3 Canopy Predator: You can move very fast in the canopy and dive/charge from above.

TENEBROUS GROVES
1 Black Thorns: Foes moving in the area could be poisoned.
2 Gloomy Weald: Area may influence morale in various ways.
3 Darkwood Trammels: Immobilize foes or create small but strong barriers.

BAFFLING BERRIES
1 Inksmoke Drupelets: Infused little berries explode in inky cloud.
2 Nightripe Berries: Infused berries cure and alleviate at night, may cause sickness next day.
3 Wobblemurk Pome: Strange pome explodes for half-acid, half-untyped damage, confusing targets.

BEWITCHING EFFLORESCENCES
1 Balmy Patch: Zone of calm emotions and lowered senses, may aid or hinder.
2 Narcotic Flowerings: May render others suggestionable or randomly boost your abilities.
3 Mauve Effluvium: Alluring gas cloud is a mortal trap.

MURKY WATERS
1 Muggy Brume: Fog provides concealment and quietly damage others.
2 Deadfall Puddle: Water quick-sands may swallow foes.
3 Deep Dweller: Breath under water and limitedly control water.

INITIATE PATH MYSTERIES

PRIMAL FEARS
4 Lethal Remembrance: Kill a frightened creature.
5 Night of Fear: Long range fear effect.
6 Doomed Prey: Subject is cursed to attract ferocious predators and become paranoid.

DARK METAMORPHOSES
4 Underworld Crawlers: Transform vermin into killing machines, or create swarms.
5 Murderous Awakening: Awaken an animal and curse it with a killing duty.
6 Dark Speciation: Create new hybrid and dangerous species.

TIDES OF DARKNESS
4 Night Whispers: See and hear through plants and animals in dark places or at night, at long distances.
5 Netherly Plague: Spread dangerous rabidisms for animals or illnesses for humanoids.
6 Haunted Wild: Permanently tie a wilderness area to the Plane of Shadow.

ALGID AGONIES
4 Black-Ice Razors: Weapon, claws or vegetation deal cold damage and open wounds.
5 Glacial Prison: Paralyze and deal continuous cold damage
6 Nightmarish Blizzard : Call a powerful and unnatural storm.

FUNGAL CREEP
4 Plum Amanita : Mushroom explodes in poisonous gas if walked upon, or cures if licked.
5 Moss Swarm: Calls a dangerous swarm of tiny fungal creatures.
6 Infesting Fungus: Spores infest the targets eventually transforming them in mushroom creatures at your command.

Commentary and Recommendations:
Not much to comment on or recommend, here. It's an incomplete list of the wildhaunt's "mystery list". None of these mysteries were even created, although I once again vow to make them myself once this project is complete.

A Couple Wildhaunt Master Paths, Written by, well, Me...
Hopelessly Lost
Master, Dark Wanderings
Level/School: 7th/Necromancy
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

Muttering a few dark curses, you render the target’s mind anathema to all reason and direction.

The touched creature automatically fails all survival checks, regardless of simplicity. This means that the target cannot find their way out of a closet without assistance. They are still able to be led by others or to follow objects they can see, however.
In addition, the target takes a –10 penalty on all listen, spot, and search checks.

Ebon Trail
Master, Dark Wanderings
Level/School: 8th/Conjuration (teleportation)
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Effect: one temporary portal/round
Duration: 1 round/level

As you riddle shadowstuff about the area, you attach the area together in ways that geometry would normally deny.

While this mystery is active, once per round as a swift action, you may dictate one 5-foot square within range to be the entrance to a portal and another 5-foot square within to be the exit of that portal. The portal is invisible, although it can be detected by appropriate magic.
The exit square need be on the ground but the ground need not be sturdy (it is possible to place an exit square over quicksand, for instance). One square may serve as multiple exits but no more than one entrance.
All portals last until the end of this mystery’s duration.

Journey to Nowhere
Master, Dark Wanderings
Level/School: 9th/Abjuration
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Saving throw: Reflex negates
Spell Resistance: No

You open a small pocket into shadows at the feet of your foe, trapping them within their own shadow for all time.

This mystery functions as the imprisonment spell, with the above exceptions. When a target is trapped by this ability, their shadow remains, marking the precise spot where someone could cast freedom to save them.

Release Nature's Ire
Master, Angered Wild
Level/School: 7th/Transmutation
Range: touch
Area: 100 ft./level radius
Duration: One round/level and one day/level
Saving Throw: Will partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

Reaching deep into the depths of natural shadow, you find a well of hatred and fury left from times untold. Allowing some of this power to seep out, you seize control of it.

All tiny or larger animals within the area of this mystery must make a will save or increase in size, as per the enlarge animal spell for 1 round/level. In addition, all other living creatures except yourself and up to one selected individual/level must make will saves or become confused for 1 round/level. Even upon a success, they are dazed for 1 round.
In addition, the casting of this mystery lets loose some of nature's ire into the world. All animals within the area gain a +4 bonus to their Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity scores for as long as they remain in the area. Any other creature other than fey who enters the area becomes fatigued for as long as they remain. In addition, each night of this mystery's duration, for so long as they remain within the area, all animals are treated as being hostile and all other creatures are treated as unfriendly towards all creatures other than animals and fey. Even allies or relatives may be divided by this effect.

Rebellious Growth
Master, Angered Wild
Level/School: 8th/Transmutation
Range: Touch
Area: 100 ft./level radius
Duration: One day/level
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial; Reflex partial
Spell Resistance: No

Forcing yourself deep into the recesses of nature, you find a potential for untamed and unruly growth in all plants around you. You simply help the plant find this potential.

All inanimate plants within range become thick and overgrown as if by the overgrowth function of the plant growth spell. In addition, all of these plants of small size grow light undergrowth out to 5 feet, all plants of medium size grow dense undergrowth out to 5 feet, and all larger plants grow dense udnergrowth out another 5 feet per size category larger than medium.
In addition, all small or larger inanimate plants start bearing miscolored fruit. This fruit has an unbearable scent, causing everyone within the area of this mystery to make fortitude saves when entering this area and every 10 minutes thereafter to avoid becoming sickened for as long as they remain in the area. This scent cannot be detected by animals. The fruit, if eaten, provides no nourishment.
In addition, each minute that an individual spends in the area of this mystery, they must make a reflex save or accidentally puncture themselves upon a poisonous thorn or briar or otherwise brush against some poisonous surface (contact poison, fortitude DC=mystery DC, initial damage 2d6 Con, secondary damage 2d6 Con). Those hustling, charging, or running through the area are not allowed saving throws.
This mystery possesses no ability to create or alter plants where there are none.

Forest of Night
Master, Angered Wild
Level/School: 9th/Conjuration (creation)
Range: Touch
Area: 1-mile radius
Duration: One day/level
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial; Reflex Partial

Having reached the heart of nature's true potential, you see a blackened forest of deepest shadows. You grab this image and drag it back with you, forcing it into reality.

By means of this mystery, you create a dense forest within the area, creating trees and undergrowth where needed. This rearrangement of the geography requires everyone within the area to make a reflex save or fall prone. Particularly stable creatures such as dwarves and quadrapeds gain a +4 bonus on this save. In addition, this sudden creation of new plants damages structures, dealing each one 10d6 damage, ignoring hardness.
This forest possesses several interesting properties. Within it, the range of all light sources are halved and all attacks suffer from a 20% miss chance. During the night, things become more treacherous. First of all, all survival checks made within the forest during the night take a penalty equal to your caster level. Secondly, every 10 minutes that someone wanders through the forest, they must make a fortitude save or become immobilized for 10 minutes. If someone fails three consecutive fortitude saves, they disappear, never to be seen again. Only true resurrection, wish, or miracle can return them back to life. If an immobilized target is removed from the forest, they remain immobilized until the end of that 10 minute period.
You are immune to the forest's nocturnal effects and are not at risk of falling prone when you cast this mystery but you are subject to the forest's constant effects as normal.

Commentary and Recommendations:
As I said earlier, I played a part in helping to shape the wildhaunt into what it was (even though LordArchaon wanted to purposefully overpower it to make it the druid of shadow magic users). Creating these mysteries was just one way in which I helped. They were appraised by LordArchaon when I created them and I don't have much else to say.

Shadow Abyss Wildhaunt Master Path, by LordArchaon

BLACK SKY OCEAN
Master, Shadow Abyss
Level/School: 7th/Conjuration
Range: Long.
Area: 1 mile radius.
Duration: 10 minute/level.
Saving Throw: Reflex partial (see text)
Spell Resistance: No

The sky turns black from a certain altitude, and to an accurate eye, strange ripples too similar to the ocean waves swirl on the indistinct black surface.

You conjure a portion of the Shadow Abyss into a region of sky. the surface must be located at an altitude of at least 1000 ft. over the highest surface in a 1 mile radius.
For the duration of the mystery, all the lands beneath the surface of the Black Sky Ocean are covered in shadowy illumination, and every creature with an intelligence of 3 or more suffers a -4 penalty on saves against fear effects, due to the continuous sense of danger imposed by the phenomenon.
At night, the sky is so black in the area that flying creatures can't see the black surface. If they come into contact with it, they suffer 10d6 damage due to the water pressure and immediately start to drown. The next round they must succeed a Reflex save or be stunned and trapped into the ocean, continuing to drown. Each round thereafter they are allowed another save to escape from the ocean's grasp.

BALEFUL RAIN
Master, Shadow Abyss
Level/School: 8th/Conjuration
Range: Long.
Area: 100 ft./level radius
Duration: 1 minute/level.
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial, Reflexes partial.
Spell Resistance: No

You summon unnaturally dense black rain which violently and suddenly starts to come down.

The rain in the area causes all surfaces to be slippery, and all attacks to have a 20% miss chance.
Being the rain made of very salt water, every creature in the area must succeed a Reflexes save every round or have its vision reduced to a radius of 20 ft.
If you cast this mystery under a Black Sky Ocean, every creature failing a Fortitude save at the start of the rain has 50% chance of being Dazed each round for the duration of the mystery.

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/8994/doomwormje2.png

WORM OF THE SHADOW ABYSS
Master, Shadow Abyss
Level/School: 9th/Conjuration
Range: Long
Area: 30-ft/level-radius cylinder, 1000 ft. tall.
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Reflex partial, Will partial (see text)
Spell Resistance: No

On the surface of the Black Sky Ocean, you partially bring to the material plane one of the most fearsome beasts of the deepest oceans of the plane of shadow, an immense predator worm.

The creature you try to conjure is so big that you couldn't do it entirely. Instead, you create a zone in which the creature can manifest through brief invisible portals, usually targeting anything that moves.
You can't control the mindless fury of the worm, but if you unleash its power, chances are that you don't care about it.
Once per round of the mystery's duration, by concentrating on the mystery, you allow the worm to sprout out of the Black Sky Ocean surface you conjured before. When you do, every intelligent creature seeing the worm, except you, is frightened upon succeeding a Will save or cowering upon failing it. The worm attacks any random Huge or larger moving object or creature or any group of moving adjacent creatures big enough to occupy the same space of a Huge creature. Those who succeed the Reflex save, and structures, suffer 10d6 damage from the impact with the creature, while those who fail are swallowed. A swallowed creature suffers 20d6 per round and before the end of the mystery is allowed another save each round with a cumulative -2 penalty to be expelled. If at the end of the mystery the target didn't manage to get out, the magical forces connected with the worm's departure paralyze it for 1 round/level, usually making it fall from the altitude of the Black Sky Ocean, which takes 2 full rounds.

You can also cast this mystery without Black Sky Ocean, but the duration is limited to 1 round.

_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/

What about all of this? :) We have some real dragon slaying power!

Commentary and Recommendations:
Wow...big worm.
Um... All that I can really say is that I'd consider having the black sky ocean force a creature coming into contact with it to hold their breath or immediately start drowning, instead of just plain drowning.

Owrtho

2010-02-10, 08:45 PM

Something I noticed. In the shadowgaunt fluff you mentioned that they can't see in colour, but make no mention of it in their racial traits. You also mention under Low-light Vision that they retain the ability to distinguish colour.

Owrtho

Realms of Chaos

2010-02-10, 08:53 PM

Stalker Base Class, Written by bkdubs123

Expanding Shadow Magic

Shadow magic taps into the mysterious, sprawling dark of the Elemental Plane of Shadow. Twisted reflections of material realities, and even more strange and grotesque spectres from across the multiverse can be found there. Even an entirely dark mirror of the normal magical weave stretching across the multiverse worms its way through the Plane of Shadow filled with a cold, chaotic and veiled energy all its own. This Shadow Weave produces not spells exactly, but mysteries, and Shadowcasters draw upon it for arcane power, much like Spellcasters do from the standard magical Weave. But the power of shadows is not limited to arcane secrets or the realm of Shadowcasters. In fact the time when it was thought that only a Wizard can wield magical power is past. So is it now past that the power of shadow magic only be in the grasp of these mystery casters.

The Stalker is a skillful hunter, graceful combatant, and lurker in the deepest shadow. If a Stalker does not wish to be seen, you'd best not waste time looking for her. Using her own wits and mastery over shadow she will scout into the darkest depths, become privy to the darkest secrets, and subject foes to the darkest of fates.

The Shineguard sounds immediately an antithesis to Shadowmagic, and in some ways it is, but I urge you not to underestimate their power over the mysteries of the Shadow Weave. The eldest tomes speak of a light, hidden within the endless darkness of the Plane of Shadow. The Shining Citadel. None who venture out in search of this light return. The Shineguard keeps its secret veiled in darkness and assaults any who seek the secrets of the light with a combined mastery over light and shadow.

The Stalker Class Description
The Stalker

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n100/bkdubs123/Black_God__s_Kiss_by_arnistotle.jpg

"Boo," - Liandra, a Stalker

Alignment: Any Non-Lawful

Class Skills
The Class Name's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Diplomacy, Disable Device, Forgery, Hide, Jump, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (the planes), Listen, Move Silently, Open Lock, Profession, Search, Sleight of Hand, Spellcraft, and Tumble
Skills Per Day at 1st Level : (6 + int)x4
Skills Per Day at Each Additional Level : 6 + int

Hit Dice: d6

Base Attack Fort Ref Will Abilities
1. +0 +0 +2 +2 Fundamentals of Shadow, Apprentice Mysteries, Trapfinding, Umbral Sight (Darkvision 30ft)
2. +1 +0 +3 +3 Uncanny Dodge
3. +2 +1 +3 +3 Shadowstrike +1d6
4. +3 +1 +4 +4 Evasion, Shadow Familiar
5. +3 +1 +4 +4 Improved Uncanny Dodge
6. +4 +2 +5 +5 Shadowstrike +2d6
7. +5 +2 +5 +5 Umbral Sight (Darkvision 60 ft)
8. +6/+1 +2 +6 +6 Apprentice Mysteries (spell-like), Initiate Mysteries
9. +6/+1 +3 +6 +6 Shadowstrike +3d6
10.+7/+2 +3 +7 +7 Blind Strike
11.+8/+3 +3 +7 +7 Umbral Sight (See in darkness as if it were light)
12.+9/+4 +4 +8 +8 Shadowstrike +4d6
13.+9/+4 +4 +8 +8 Shadow Self
14.+10/+5 +4 +9 +9 Improved Evasion
15.+11/+6/+1 +5 +9 +9 Shadowstrike +5d6
16.+12/+7/+2 +5 +10 +10 Apprentice Mysteries (supernatural), Initiate Mysteries (spell-like)
17.+12/+7/+2 +5 +10 +10 Shadow Walk
18.+13/+8/+3 +6 +11 +11 Shadowstrike +6d6
19.+14/+9/+3 +6 +11 +11 Binding Strike
20.+15/+10/+5 +6 +12 +12 Shadeform

Weapon Proficiencies: A Stalker is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with light armor, but no shields.

Fundamentals of Shadow: As a Stalker, you must master certain basic powers before proceeding to deeper secrets of shadow. These powers, known as fundamentals, function as supernatural abilities usable three times per day. You begin play with two fundamentals and learn an additional one at 5th level and every five levels thereafter. You can, when gaining a new level, choose a new fundamental in place of learning a mystery. When choosing a fundamental, you can "relearn" an already known fundamental, thus gaining three additional uses of that fundamental per day. The save DC of any fundamental is equal to 10 + your Dex modifier.

Mysteries and Paths: You do not cast spells as other classes, but instead invoke mystical secrets gleaned from your knowledge of the Plane of Shadow. These secrets are called mysteries. You know one mystery at 1st level and learn a new one at every class level. Up to 7th level you can only learn apprentice mysteries. At 8th level you gain access to initiate mysteries. You can choose your new mystery from any category you have access to (including fundamentals).

Shadow magic progresses in very specific stages. You may not "jump ahead" in a path, although you need not complete a path if you do not wish to. Within a category (apprentice, or initiate), you can only learn mysteries of a new level if you have learned at least two mysteries within a path to select a mystery from that path. For example, you cannot learn congress of shadows (the second mystery of the Ebon Whispers path) until you know at least two 1st-level mysteries, one of which must be voice of shadow (the first mystery of that path). However, you can always select the first mystery in a path of category you have access to, even if you didn't complete the lower category paths. For example, you could learn the shadow vision mystery, the first one (4th level) in the Initiate Veil of Shadows path, even if you know no 3rd level mysteries. When choosing her mysteries, a Stalker can only choose apprentice mysteries from the Cloak of Shadows, Ebon Whispers, and Shutters and Clouds paths and can only choose initiate mysteries from the Body and Soul, Ebon Roads, and Veil of Shadows paths.

Mysteries represent thought patterns and formulae so alien that other spells seem simple in comparison. As you progress, however, your connection to the Plane of Shadow grows stronger, and your mysteries become ingrained in your essence. When you are capable of casting only apprentice mysteries, you cast them as though they were arcane spells. They all have somatic components, armor-based spell failure chance, and are subject to interruption (but they do not require material components, foci, or verbal components). Whenever you cast a mystery as an arcane spell, observers can make a DC 15 spot check to note that your shadow is making different gestures from the ones you make when you cast the mystery (unless of course your shadow is obscured in darkness).

At 8th level, when you become capable of casting initiate mysteries, when you become capable of casting initiate mysteries (whether or not you choose to learn any), your apprentice mysteries become so much a part of you that they now function as spell-like abilities, and they no longer require somatic components. Your new initiate mysteries (when you learn them) function as arcane spells exactly as your apprentice mysteries had done.

You can learn a mystery more than once. Each time you "relearn" a mystery, you gain another use per day, just like you would from relearning a fundamental.

You can use each mystery you know a certain number of times per day depending on whether it is cast as a spell (once), a spell-like ability (two times), or a supernatural ability (three times). The allotments per level are given on Table 1-2, but only apply if you are able to cast mysteries of the level but only apply if you are able to cast mysteries of the level indicated. Like spellcasters you gain bonus mysteries as a result of having a high ability score. Although you do not prepare spells, you must rest for 8 hours and meditate for 15 minutes each day to regain your use of mysteries just as a sorcerer or bard must rest and meditate to regain use of spell slots.

In order to cast a mystery you must have an Intelligence score of at least 10 + the mystery's level. The save DC for your mysteries equals 10 + mystery level + your Dex modifier. Even though as a Stalker you do not "cast spells" in the traditional sense, your levels in this class count for the purpose of determining your overall caster level.

Table 1-2: Uses per Mystery per Day

Class ---------Mystery Level----------
Level 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
1st 1 - - - - -
2nd 1 - - - - -
3rd 1 - - - - -
4th 1 1 - - - -
5th 1 1 - - - -
6th 1 1 - - - -
7th 1 1 1 - - -
8th 2 2 2 - - -
9th 2 2 2 - - -
10th 2 2 2 1 - -
11th 2 2 2 1 - -
12th 2 2 2 1 - -
13th 2 2 2 1 1 -
14th 2 2 2 1 1 -
15th 2 2 2 1 1 -
16th 3 3 3 2 2 2
17th 3 3 3 2 2 2
18th 3 3 3 2 2 2
19th 3 3 3 2 2 2
20th 3 3 3 2 2 2

Trapfinding: As the Rogue class feature.

Umbral Sight: At 1st level you learn to extend your vision into the Plane of Shadow. You gain darkvision out to 30 feet. If you already have darkvision, or gain it from another source, the effective distance of that vision is increased by 30 ft. At 7th level, this darkvision extends by a further 30 ft. At 11th level you become able to see perfectly in complete darkness, even magical darkness, as easily as you would see in daylight.

Uncanny Dodge: As the Barbarian class feature. At 5th level this ability improves to Improved Uncanny Dodge.

Shadowstrike: So long as the Stalker is hidden in the shadows, OR has an active mystery cast on himself, he can deliver devastating strikes against flat-footed opponents. At 3rd level as long as he meets the above requirements and attacks a flat-footed opponent he deals an extra 1d6 damage. If the Stalker meets both prerequisites (if he is hidden in the shadows, AND has an active mystery cast on himself) all extra damage dice derived from Shadowstrike is doubled. Every three levels after 3rd Shadowstrike gets an additional damage dice. At 10th level a Stalker, when she gains the Blinding Strike class feature, that delivers a Shadowstrike can blind his opponents. Any foe struck by a Stalker's Shadowstrike must make a Fort save DC 10 +1/2 Stalker level + the Stalker's Dex modifier or become blinded. At 19th level, with the Binding Strike feature, a foe struck by a Stalker's Shadowstrike must succeed on a Will save DC 10 +1/2 Stalker level + the Stalker's Dex modifier or become paralyzed. The save against the Blinding Strike effect changes at this level as well, becoming 15 + 1/2 Stalker level + the Stalker's Int modifier.

Evasion: As the Rogue class feature.

Shadow Familiar: At 4th level and higher, a Stalker can perform a day long ritual that releases his own shadow to serve as a familiar for her. This shadow has the usual statistics and abilities of a sorcerer or wizard familiar, but it is incorporeal, but not undead. It cannot be turned, or rebuked, or commanded by a third party. It can be cured with normal curative magic. It resembles a flat, flickering shadow, and remains invisible among other shadows. The shadow familiar can move under doors and through other tiny openings and can hide itself by posing as its master's shadow.

The Stalker can communicate with her shadow familiar normally at 4th level, rather than at 5th level as most wizards and sorcerers do. All other abilities are exactly as the wizard's or sorcerer's familiar.

If her shadow familiar is killed, a Stalker no longer casts a shadow in lit areas. She may only summon a new shadow familiar after somehow regaining her normal shadow. Any spell that restores ability damage can accomplish this.

Shadowself: At 13th level can call up and control a single copy of himself made of shadow. This shadow self, unlike normal shadows, is corporeal and subject to critical hits. It appears as a duplicate of the Stalker, even wearing and carrying duplicates of the Stalker's gear (except that the shadow self's gear is always nonmagical). A Stalker can direct this Shadow Self to go places she couldn't safely go herself, and can see and hear everything that the Shadow Self can. A Shadow Self can be easily mistaken for its master as its gait, features, even mannerisms are identical. The Shadow Self can receive and use additional gear of any kind, up to 40 lbs, even magical items.

The Shadowself has all of the Stalker's characteristics, except having half its master's hit points, a Dexterity score 4 points higher, a Strength score 4 points lower, and a +2 natural armor bonus. The Shadow Self's base attack bonus is half that of its master's, and uses its own Strength and Dexterity modifiers to determine attacks and Armor Class.

A Shadow Self is dispersed instantly by exposure to full sunlight, to a daylight spell, or the equivalent (any effect that produces bright illumination out to 60 feet or more), or by a dispel magic spell. Like her Shadow Familiar, a Stalker's Shadow Self is uneffected by turn undead attempts.

The Shadow Self can move any distance from the Stalker, but has a limited life span, slowly unravelling in areas of shadowy illumination or full darkness. In shadowy illumination a Stalker's Shadow Self lasts for 1 hour per level. In total darkness it lasts 3 hours per level.

A Stalker whose Shadow Self has been killed or dispersed must wait 24 hours before calling a new one.

Shadow Walk: At 17th level, a Stalker can shadow walk as the spell 3 times per day + an additional time per point of Intelligence bonus.

Shadeform: Upon reaching 20th level, a Stalker can transform herself into a Greater Shadow at will, as if using the spell shapechange. Changing form (into a shadow or back again) is a move action. Unlike the spell you retain all of your Stalker abilities while in Shadeform and may make use of them as normal. You can perform a Shadowstrike in Shadeform, but when striking a corporeal target you must use a corporeal weapon - the opposite is also true against incorporeal foes. Shadeform does not count as a mystery for the purposes of dealing extra Shadowstrike damage.

Commentary and Recommendations:
This is one of the more balanced and streamlined classes that I've seen for shadow magic. It fits the role of a "rogue" perfectly and does so without becoming too weak or too powerful. I like this class and see nothing wrong with it. The one concession that I will make, however, is that this class, being so balanced, is probably very difficult to abuse or break. As such, it would feel underpowered in a campaign like the one CaBaal is running.
I'm sorry for not posting up the shineguard class that is mentioned in the introduction but I do believe that it was never actually completed.

Factotum Alternate Class Feature, Written by SilchasRuin

I was brainstorming for additional alternate class features that included Shadow Magic and came up with the following for the Factotum. I think it provides them with an equal power to spells and they also gain the ability to change their mysteries around at will.

Ebon Practitioner (Sp) At 2nd level, you acquire a tiny spark of the art of Shadow Magic. You know that by lurking in the darkness and achieving a certain mindset you can will a bit of the shadow in you to do your bidding. By spending 1 inspiration point you can mimic a mystery as a spell-like ability.
At the start of each day choose a number of mysteries from the shadowcaster list based on your factotum level. You can choose a number of fundamental shadow mysteries equal to your Int mod at 2nd level. You may use these for free for a combined amount equal to your Cha mod. After this point you must pay 1 inspiration point to cast them, just like all other mysteries. The maximum level of the mystery you can use is one mystery at 4th level, two at 6th level, three at 9th, four at 11th, five at 14th, six at 16th, seven at 18th and eight at 20th level.
You can select any mystery up to that level, but you can only prepare one of your maximum level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against your spells is 10 + the mystery level + your Int modifier.
Once you have used a mystery, you cannot use it again until you have rested for 8 hours. After resting for this time, you can choose new mysteries and lose any unused ones from the previous days. You cannot prepare the same mystery multiple time to use it more than once during the same day.
This ability replaces the Arcane Dilettante feature of the ordinary Factotum.

Really awesome work with the Tome of Shadows. I have been using parts of it in my online games and it has been a big hit.

Commentary and Recommendations:
This thing works quite well. That it gives you some fundamentals for free sweetens the deal but taking advanage of this requires adding to MAD to the otherwise Intelligence-based Factotum.
Although it is balanced, however, I do worry about it granting access to different master mysteries each day, something that no other shadow magic class can do so far. As such, I would be tempted to limit the maximum spell level to 1/4 class levels, grant the factotum 1 mystery/2 levels, and maybe requiring 2 mysteries of one level before you could select mysteries of the next. When dealing with shadow magic, removing all restrictions makes something a far superior option.

Realms of Chaos

2010-02-10, 09:23 PM

Well, I think that I have finally caught up with everything that was preventing me from moving forward.

A bunch of fixes taken care of? Check

Add information previously held in links to now-defunct threads? Check

Alter and augment links (including a new link to that harbinger class I was looking for earlier)? Check

Add some more material that was submitted to me via PM? Check.

Add a couple names to the special thanks post? Double-check.

Okay, time to move onwards, then.

Edit: Fix the shadowgaunt? check

Realms of Chaos

2010-02-10, 10:38 PM

Luckily, it seems that I forgot one more thing that I had saved, something that I may have even forgotten to link to in the first place. Either way, enjoy this large batch of mysteries:

A whole bunch of Mysteries, by TheAnthroDM, Dracomortis, and Talisman

Some shadowcaster mysteries I've thown together. Please help me fill in the gaps!
Apprentice Path Mysteries

Glittering Twilights
1 Shadows Part: Negate concealment.
2 Shimmering Shadows: Gray sparkles blind, reveal invisibile creatures
3 Sparkle and Shade: Cone of sparkling energy deals cold damage, dazzles foes.

Mysteries
Shadows Part
Apprentice, Glittering Twilights
Level/School: 1st/Transmutation
Range: Medium
Area: 5'-radius burst
Duration: 1 minute/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
SR: Yes

At a wave of your hand the shadows peel back, revealing your foes.

You cause the cloaking shadows to withdraw fron an area, negating concealment.

Shimmering Shadows
Apprentice, Glittering Twlights
Level/School: 2nd/Conjuration (Creation)
Range: Close
Area: 10'-radius spread
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates (blinding only)
SR: No

The light shrinks into tiny pinpoints, leaving the remainder of the area cloaked in inky blackness.

This mystery functions as the spell glitterdust, except as described above. Targets in a brightly-lit area have a +2 bonus on their Will saves, but those in shadow or darkness suffer a -2 penalty.

Sparkle and Shade
Apprentice, Glittering Twilights
Level/School: 3rd/Evocation [Cold]
Range: Close
Area: Cone-shaped burst
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude half
SR: Yes

A wave of blackness, punctuated by tiny, silver, starlike points of light, erupts from your hand.

You spray forth a cone of black energy shot through with tiny motes of glittering light. Affected creatures take 1d6 points of cold damage per 2 caster levels (max. 10d6) and are dazzled for 1 round/level; on a successful Fortitude save, affected creatures take half damage and are not dazzled.

Reflections of Iron
1: Dark Blade: Weapon gains +2 enhancement bonus in shadowy areas.
2: Shadow Iron: Weapon deals +1d6 cold damage; armor provides cold resistance 10
3: Cloak of Chains: Aura of black chains protects you

Mysteries
Cloak of Chains
Apprentice, Reflections of Iron
Level/School: 3rd/Conjuration (Creation)
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: None
SR: Yes (see text)

You conjure up ghostly chains composed of semitransparent shadow, which surround you like a cloak. These chains do not inhibit sight or provide you with concealment, but they are quasi-real and grant you a +4 armor bonus to AC.
More impressively, the chains can lash out at your enemies, as though they were a melee weapon with a reach of 10'. You cannot make normal attack with the chains, but you can make attacks of opportunity with them. Your attack bonus is equal to your caster level + Intelligence modifier, and you can make a number of such attacks in a round equal to 1 + your Intelligence modifier (instead of your normal number of attacks of opportunity), even if you do not possess the Combat Reflexes feat.
An attack by a cloak of chains deals damage as a spiked chain of your size (2d4 for Medium) plus your Intelligence modifier. It cannot be used to trip or disarm as a normal spiked chain can, but it is considered a magical attack for purposes of damage reduction and hitting incorporeal creatures.
If you attack a creature with spell resistance with your cloak of chains, check against SR for the first attack only. If you penetrate the creature's SR, all attacks from this particular cloak of chains will penetrate it automatically; if you fail, you cannot harm this creature with this particular cloak of chains.

Dark Blade
Apprentice, Reflections of Iron
Level/School: 1st/Transmutation
Range: Touch
Target: Metal weapon touched
Duration: 1 min./level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless, object)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless, object)

Wavering darkness covers your hand and spreads over the touched weapon, enveloping it in shadows. Dark blade gives a weapon a +2 enhancement bonus on attack and damage rolls while in an area of shadowy illumination or total darkness. The affected weapon bypasses damage reduction as a magic weapon.This mystery affects only metal weapons, so it cannot be used, for example, on a longbow or a club.

Shadow Iron
Apprentice, Reflections of Iron
Level/School: 2nd/Transmutation
Range: Touch
Target: Metal weapon, armor or shield touched
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: None (object)
SR: Yes (harmless, object)

You imbue a single weapon, shield, or suit of armor with the essence of shadow, causing it to turn dark and unreflective. This mystery affects only metal, and cannot be used, for example on a wooden shield or a longbow. Shadow iron affects weapons differently than armor or shields.
An affected weapon penetrates damage reduction as a cold iron weapon and deals +1d6 points of cold damage. This mystery does not stack with the powers of frost or icy burst weapons.
An affected shield or suit of armor grants its wearer cold resistance 10 and negates the armor check penalty on Hide and Move Silently checks (only).

Pale Shadows
1: Wandering Shade: Your shadow animates as a creature
2: Danse Macabre: You animate a single skeleton or zombie.
3: Deathless Vigor: You enhance a living or undead creature.

Mysteries
Danse Macabre
Apprentice, Pale Shadows
Level/School: 2nd/Necromancy
Range: Touch
Effect: Animates one skeleton or zombie
Duration: 1 hour/level
Saving Throw: None
SR: No

You animate a single skeleton or zombie, as if with the spell animate dead. The undead cannot be larger than Medium, and you must obey the usual limits on the number of HD of undead you can command.

Deathless Vigor
Apprentice, Pale Shadows
Level/School: 3rd/Necromancy
Range: Touch
Target: One creature, living or undead
Duration: 1 minute/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
SR: Yes (harmless)

You infuse a creature, living or undead, with the essence of darkness and death, protecting and empowering them. The target creature gains different benefits depending on whether it is living or undead.
Living creatures are treated as undead for the duration of the mystery, gaining all undead traits, but also all undead vulnerabilities (such as to turning or rebuking). However, living creatures acquire one negative level when this mystery ends. This negative level persists for 24 hours unless removed, but never results in actual level loss.
Undead creatures gain a +4 enhancement bonus to Strength and Charisma, turn resistance +4, and DR 5/magic. If the undead already possesses DR/magic, it is increased by +5.

Wandering Shade
Apprentice, Pale Shadows
Level/School: 1st/Conjuration
Range: Medium
Effect: Creates temporary servant
Duration: 1 hour/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
SR: No

You animate your own shadow as a temporary, magical servant-creature. This wandering shade appears similar to an undead shadow, but has the physical abilities of an unseen servant with a Strength of 4.
For the duration of this mystery, you have no shadow. If the wandering shade is somehow destroyed, you take 1d4 points of damage.

Shadowed Leaves
1 Umbral Thorns: Plants animate and attack creatures.
2 Twining Roots: Black roots erupt from the ground and entangle creatures.
3 Forest of Night: Shadowy trees provide cover, concealment

Mysteries
Forest of Night
Apprentice, Shadowed Leaves
Level/School: 3rd/Illusion (Shadow)
Range: Close
Effect: Create 1 quasi-real tree +1 per 3 levels.
Duration: 10 minutes/level
Saving Throw: None
SR: No

With a wave of your hand, a grove of black, leafless trees grow from the ground, casting darkness like some sort of reversed lantern.

You create a number of tree-like objects composed of quasi-real shadowstuff. Each of these shadow trees occupies a single 5' square; the tree is only partially solid, causing the square to be treated as difficult terrain. However, the tree does block line of sight and line of effect, and anyone occupying the tree's square is effectively blind and invisible. As the "trees" are magical constructs, they cannot be physically damaged but can be dispelled.
In addition, the trees generate darkness. The trees shed darkness in a 5' radius, granting concealmet to anyone there, and shadowy illumination in a 10' radius.
You can create a maximum of one shadow tree, plus one for every three caster levels (max. 7). No two trees can be within 10' of each other.

Twining Roots
Apprentice, Shadowed Leaves
Level/School: 2nd/Conjuration (Creation)
Range: Medium
Area: 40'-radus spread
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: Reflex negates
SR: Yes

Black, clawlike roots erupt from the earth, grappling your foes and holding them helpless.

You cause a number of black, rootlike objects to sprout from the ground and entangle your enemies. This mystery functions like the spell entangle except as noted here. You can choose which creatures in the area are affected, and there do not need to be any plants present for this mystery to be effective. However, the twining roots do not attempt to entangle creatures that escape them on subsequent rounds.
For every round a creature remains entangled by the twining roots, it takes 1d4 points of cold damage as the roots leech out its body heat.

Umbral Thorns
Apprentice, Shadowed Leaves
Level/School: 1st/Transmutation
Range: Close
Effect: One or more animated plant creatures
Duration: Concentration + 1 round
Saving Throw: None
SR: No

At your gesture, a shadowed bush shakes and stirs, then lurches forward to assault your foes.

You cause a single plant to animate and obey your mental commands. Treat it as a Small animated object.
At 8th level you can aninimate 2 Small plants or one Medium plant.

Tainted Twilight
1: Touch of the Grave: Your touch is harmful
2: Tainted Blast: Ranged touch attack deals damage and stuns.
3: Grim Pall of Night: Area of darkness deals damage to non-evil creatures.

Mysteries
Grim Pall of Night
Apprentice, Tainted Twilight
Level/School: 3rd/Evocation [Darkness, Evil]
Range: Close
Area: 20'-radius emanation
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Fortitude half
SR: Yes

You create an area of darkness infused with malign, evil energies. This mystery functions as the spell damning darkness except as noted above.

Tainted Blast
Apprentice, Tainted Twilight
Level/School: 2nd/Evocation [Evil]
Range: Close
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
SR: Yes

You fire a ray of silent black flames composed of equal parts cold and darkness. This mystery functions as the spell darkbolt.

Touch of the Grave
Apprentice, Tainted Twilight
Level/School: 1st/Necromancy
Range: Touch
Target: Creatures touched (up to 1/level)
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial or Will negates; see text
SR: Yes

Your hand is engulfed in cold black flames, granting you a dangerous touch attack. This mystery functions as the spell chill touch.

Initiate Path Mysteries

Colorless Dreams
4: Dreaming Body: Grants temporary hit points
5: Dreaming Mind: Grants resistance to mental effects
6: Dreaming Soul: Grants immunity to alignment-based effects

Mysteries
Dreaming Body
Initiate, Colorless Dreams
Level/School: 4th/Necromancy [Mind-affecting]
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
SR: Yes (harmless)

With a touch, you invest a creature's body with shadow energy, granting it the ability to absorb far more damage than usual. The subject gains 1d4 temporary hit points per shadowcaster level (max. 15d4).
For as long as this mystery is in effect, the subject appears wan and faded, almost colorless.

Dreaming Mind
Initiate, Colorless Dreams
Level/School: 5th/Enchantment [Mind-affecting]
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
SR: Yes (harmless)

You place the subject of this mystery in a state of waking dream, rendering them more resistant to mental attacks. The subject becomes immune to confusion, insanity, and similar effects. Against all other mind-affecting effects, the subject gains spell resistance equal to your level +12.
For as long as this mystery is in effect, the subject appears wan and faded, almost colorless.

Dreaming Soul
Initiate, Colorless Dreams
Level/School: 6th/Abjuration [Mind-affecting]
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
SR: Yes (harmless)

You shroud the subject's very soul in shadowstuff, cloaking his true soul behind a facade of shadows. The subject becomes immune to alignment-based effects, such as a chaos hammer spell, a paladin's smite evil, or the extra damage of an unholy weapon. Note that this includes positive effects as well. For the duration of this mystery, no alignment-detecting magic will reveal the subject, and effects that target alignment will have absolutely no effect upon him.
For as long as this mystery is in effect, the subject appears wan and faded, almost colorless.
This mystery has no effect on creatures with an alignment subtype.

Ebon Wings
4: Night Wind: As gust of wind, plus cold damage
5: Intangible Wings: You can fly on wings of shadow
6: Dark Angel's Embrace: Gain black-feathered wings and celestial resistances.

Mysteries
Dark Angel's Embrace
Initiate, Ebon Wings
Level/School: 6th/Transmutation
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 minute/level

You infuse yourself with shadow energy, altering your very nature to mimic that of an angelic being. You grow large, black, feathery wings composed of shadowstuff, granting you a fly speed of 30' (good maneuverability). In addition, you gain resistance to cold 20, electricity 10, and fire 10, and DR 5/magic. Finally, for the duration of the mystery, you are treated as an outsider (native) for purposes of special effects.

Intangible Wings
Initiate, Ebon Wings
Level/School: 5th/Conjuration
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 10 minutes/level

You sprout great, insubstantial wings composed of shadowstuff. These wings grant you a fly speed of 40' with good maneuverability; in addition, the shadows that compose your wings grant you a 20% miss chance as if from concealment (although you cannot use this to hide).
If your intangible wings are dispelled, or if the mystery ends while you are still aloft, you float slowly to the ground as if under the effects of a feather fall effect.

Night Wind
Initiate, Ebon Wings
Level/School: 4th/Evocation
Range: 60'
Area: 60' line
Duration: 1 round and instantaneous; see text
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates and Fortitude half; see text
SR: Yes

This mystery functions as the spell gust of wind, save that it also deals 1d6 points of cold damage to all in the area (max. 10d6). A successful Fortitude save is required to resist the severe wind; a second Fortitude save halves the cold damage.
The cold damage affects only those creatures in the area when the mystery was cast, but the wind remains for 1 full round.

Nightmare Lullabies
4 Sleepless Dread: You inflict waking nightmares
5 Lamentation: Your song invokes fear or despair, or fascinates undead.
6 Dread Keening: Your voice slays living/destroys undead creatures.

Mysteries
Dread Keening
Initiate, Nightmare Lullabies
Level/School: 6th/Necromancy [Death, Sonic]/[Sonic]
Range: Medium
Targets: Living or undead creatures within a 40'-radius burst
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates/Will negates
SR: Yes

You unleash a chilling scream, and the undead flesh falls from the tainted bones of your enemies, leaving only a few lumps of putrescence.

You utter a single, haunting scream that sears your enemies' very souls. This mystery functions as either circle of death or undeath to death, your choice. This decision is made at the time of casting.

Lamentation
Initiate, Nightmare Lullabies
Level/School: 5th/Enchantment
Range: 60'
Area: All enemies, all allies, or all undead in a 60'-radius emanation centered on you.
Duration: Concentration + 1 round/2 levels.
Saving Throw: None or Will partial (see text)
SR: Yes

You sing a wordless song of melancholy, mingled hope and despair, and the potent emotional effect holds all those who hear you breathless.

You sing a song that affects your enemies or your allies, or all undead in the area, whether they are friend or foe. Lamentation has three versions; you must choose which to use at the time of casting.

Hope: Your song evokes melancholy, but also reminds your allies of why they fight and encourages them to go down fighting. This effect is identical to a good hope spell.
Despair: Your singing invokes hopelessness and despair, crushing the spirits of your enemies as they realize that the conflict is hopeless. This effect is identical to a crushing despair spell.
Dirge: You sing of life and its wonders, which are lost to death, and your song entrances undead. All undead in the area become fascinated, as per the spell rainbow pattern.

Sleepless Dread
Initiate, Nightmare Lullabies
Level/School: 4th/Enchantment
Range: Close
Target: One living creature
Duration: Instanntaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates
SR: Yes

You gesture, and a foe screams in terror as nightmares fill his mind.

You cause a target's nightmares to fill his waking thoughts. The victim of this attack takes 1d10 points of damage and is stunned for 1 round; thereafter, they are fatigued. On a successful Will save, the victim avoids the damage and fatigue, and is dazed for 1 round instead of being stunned.

Shades of Existance
4: Shroud of Twilight: Grants 50% miss chance, bonuses
5: Betrayal of Flesh: Imposes 50% miss chance on subject's attacks
6: Shroud of Midnight: Grants 50% miss chance, greater bonuses

Mysteries
Betrayal of Flesh
Initiate, Shades of Existance
Level/School: 5th/Transmutation
Range: Close
Target: One creature, or up to 4 creatures, all within 20' of each other
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Will negates
SR: Yes

You force a target creature into a shadowy half-existance, causing it to flicker randomly between a normal state of being and an insubstantial shadow. All of the creature's physical attacks suffer a 50% miss chance, as do any physical actions it attempts other than movement. This is not concealment, and must be checked separately from any defensive effects such as blur or shroud of twilight.
Magic is affected slightly differently by this mystery. Any magical attacks generated by the subject, including spells and mysteries, suffers a 20% miss chance even if an area-effect.

Shroud of Midnight
Initiate, Shades of Existance
Level/School: 6th/Transmutation (Shadow)
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/level (D)

You infuse your body with shadow, simultaneously shunting part of your physical self out of this plane of existance. This grants you the following abilities:

50% miss chance;
+6 bonus on Hide and move Silently checks;
+4 bonus on Reflex saves;
As a full-round action you can move up to half your speed through a solid barrier. If you end your movement inside a solid object, you are shunted out the nearest surface, taking 1d6 points of damage per 10' traveled.

Shroud of Twilight
Initiate, Shades of Existance
Level/School: 4th/Illusion (Shadow)
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
SR: Yes (harmless)

You cloak a creature in shadows, preventing others from discerning their exact location. This grants the subject a 50% miss chance, a +4 bonus on Hide checks, and a +2 bonus on Reflex saves.

Umbral Fangs
4 Moonlit Fangs: As greater magic fang; target animal deals cold damage.
5 Fur of Midnight: Target animal gains the dark template.
6 Primal Dark: Animal becomes larger, more fearsome

Mysteries
Fur of Midnight
Initiate, Umbral Fangs
Level/School: 5th/Transmutation
Range: Close
Target: One animal
Duration: 1 hour/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
SR: Yes (harmless)

The wolf's fur ripples and darkens to black, and its eyes acquire an eerie, silver gleam.

You grants a target animal the dark template. For the duration of this mystery, the target animal is treated as a magical beast (augmented animal) for purposes of special effects, although you are still able to affect it with harmless, animal-specific mysteries.

Moonlit Fangs
Initiate, Umbral Fangs
Level/School: 4th/Transmutation [Cold]
Range: Close
Target: One living creature
Duration: 1 hour/level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
SR: Yes (harmless)

The wolf's fangs seem to grow longer and acquire an eerie silver glow. Ice crystals form on them as the wolf pants.

This mystery functions as the spell greater magic fang ezcept as noted here. If you choose to enhance a single natural weapon, it deals extra cold damage equal to +1d6 per 4 caster levels (max. +5d6). If you choose to enhance multiple natural weapons, each deals +1d4 points of cold damage, regardless of level, to a maximum of 5 affected natural weapons.

Primal Dark
Initiate, Umbral Fangs
Level/School: Transmutation/6th
Range: Close
Target: One animal
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
SR: Yes (harmless)

Shadows enfold the wolf and it seems to expand, swelling into a dark and terrifying avatar of primodial times.

You infuse a single animal with shadowstuff, enhancing its abilities and rendering it more fearsome. Thet target animal gains the following benefits:

Size increases by one category, to a maximum of Colossal;
Speed increases by +10';
+6 size bonus to Strength;
+4 enhancement bonus to Dexterity;
+4 size bonus to Constitution;
Natural armor bonus increases by +4;
Fast healing 1;
Frightful presesence (Will DC = 10 + 1/2 your caster level + your Intelligence modifier)
Cold resistance 30
Immunity to non-harmless mind-affecting effects;
Spell resistance equal to 11 + your caster level

Master Path Mysteries

Moonless Sky
7: Rain of Ashes: Black ashes cause cold damage and concealment
8: Shadow Cloud: As solid fog, plus cold and negative energy damage
9: Dark Stars: As meteor swarm, but cold and negative energy damage.

Mysteries
Dark Stars
Master, Moonless Sky
Level/School: 9th/Evocation
Range: Long
Area: Four 40'-radius spreads
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None or Reflex half; see text
SR: Yes

Four 2'-diameter spheres of utter blackness streak forth from your hands, leaving a trail of black ashes. This mystery is identical in most respects to the spell meteor swarm, save that each sphere deals 2d6 points of negative energy damage on impact and explodes for 6d6 points of cold damage.

Rain of Ashes
Master, Moonless Sky
Level/School: 7th/Conjuration
Range: Medium
Area: Cylinder 40'-radius, 20' high
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: None and Fortitude half; see text
SR: No

You create a gently falling "snowstorm" of black ashes which cover a large area. This rain of ashes affects vision as a fog cloud spell; in addition, all creatures within the rain of ashes take 3d6 points of cold damage each round and are slowed. A successful Fortitude save halves the cold damage and negates the slow effect, but a new save must be made each round a creature remains in the fog. Once slowed, a creature remains so for the full duration, regardless of subsequent saves.

Shadow Cloud
Master, Moonless Sky
Level/School: 8th/Conjuration
Range: Medium
Effect: Black fog spreads in 30' radius, 20' high
Duration: 10 minutes/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
SR: No

You create an area of chilling, shadowy fog that is far more solid than fog has a right to be. This mystery functions as solid fog, save that shadow cloud inflicts 2d6 points each of cold and negative energy damage on all within it, each round.

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Here's another apprentice path.

Servants of Darkness
1 Dark Messenger: As the spell unseen servant, but can also deliver a short message.
2 Black Stallion: Calls forth a dark mount.
3 Shadowed Warrior: Summon a shadow elemental to fight for you.

Mysteries
Black Stallion
Apprentice, Servants of Darkness
Level/School: 2nd/Conjuration (Summoning)
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels); see text
Effect: One mount
Duration: 2 hours/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

A faint whinnying noise can be heard as a shadowy, horse-like form coalesces in front of you.

This mystery functions like the spell mount, except as noted here. You can summon a dark heavy horse or a dark warpony.

Dark Messenger
Apprentice, Servants of Darkness
Level/School: 1st/Conjuration (Creation)
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels); see text
Effect: One shadowy, mindless, shapeless servant
Duration: 1 hour/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

Nearby shadows seem to collect in an inky pool on the floor. From the darkness, an amorphous, barely visible form rises and awaits your commands.

This mystery functions like the spell unseen servant, except as noted here. Once during the duration of the mystery, the dark messenger can travel outside the mystery’s area, to a maximum of 100 ft. plus 10 ft. per caster level, to deliver a message to a target you designate. This use of the mystery functions like the spell message, except that the communication is one way only; the target cannot send a response back. Once the message has been delivered, the mystery’s duration automatically ends.

Shadowed Warrior
Apprentice, Servants of Darkness
Level/School: 3rd/Conjuration (Summoning)
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels); see text
Effect: One summoned creature
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

A small tear seems to open in the air, creating a shadowy void. From within it, a shadow elemental steps forth to serve you.

This mystery functions like the spell summon monster I, except as noted here. You can summon one Small shadow elemental.

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Apprentice Paths

Forbidden Secrets
1 Tread the Dark Path: As the spell detect secret doors, but can also open/close doors.
2 Know the Shadows: As the spell darkvision, but pierces magical darkness.
3 Sense the Darkness: As the spell clairaudience/clairvoyance, but allows some extraordinary senses to work through it.

Mysteries
Know the Shadows
Apprentice, Forbidden Secrets
Level/School: 2nd/Transmutation
Range: Touch
Targets: Creature touched
Duration: 1 hour/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Your eyes grow dark and clouded, allowing you to see as clearly in darkness as you do in the brightest light.

This mystery functions like the spell darkvision, except as noted here. Know the shadows can penetrate magical darkness created by any mystery or spell of 2nd level or lower, but only to a range of 10 feet.

Sense the Darkness
Apprentice, Forbidden Secrets
Level/School: 3rd/Divination (Scrying)
Range: Touch
Targets: Creature touched
Duration: 1 hour/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

You cast your senses through the shadows, allowing you to see or hear as if you were in another place.

This mystery functions like the spell clairaudience/clairvoyance, except as noted here. If you have the mysteries know the shadows or piercing sight active when you cast this mystery, you may use the senses granted by those mysteries through sense the darkness.

Tread the Dark Path
Apprentice, Forbidden Secrets
Level/School: 1st/Divination or Transmutation; see text
Range: 60 ft.
Area: Cone-shaped emanation
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 min./level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

Shadows that once concealed hidden portals now part to reveal their secrets to you.

This mystery functions like the spell detect secret doors.

A second function is a transmutation effect. This use of the mystery can either open or close (your choice) all objects or portals of which you are aware of within range, as the spell open/close.

You can only use one version of this mystery in a single casting.

Initiate Paths

Voice of the Night
4 Lunar Cry: Blinds all within cone and deals 5d6 cold damage.
5 Midnight Hound: Shadowy hound wards area, attacks intruders.
6 Whispers in the Night: As the spell mass suggestion, but more effective in shadows.

MysteriesLunar Cry
Initiate, Voice of the Night
Level/School: 4th/Evocation
Range: 30 ft.
Area: Cone-shaped burst
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial; see text
Spell Resistance: No

A cone of chilling darkness spreads forth from your hand, wrapping everything in freezing shadows.

Any creature within the area is blinded for 2d6 rounds and takes 5d6 points of cold damage. A successful save negates the blindness and reduces the damage by half.

Midnight Hound
Initiate, Voice of the Night
Level/School: 5th/Conjuration (Creation)
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: Shadowy watchdog
Duration: 1 hour/level or until discharged, then 1 round/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

A vaguely dog-shaped form steps forth from the darkness. It assumes a defensive stance, ready to guard the area.

This mystery functions like the spell Mordenkainen’s faithful hound, except as noted here. The hound does not react to shadow illusions, but it does react to figments.

Whispers in the Night
Initiate, Voice of the Night
Level/School: 6th/Enchantment (Compulsion) [Language-Dependent, Mind-Affecting]
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Targets: One creature/level, no two of which can be more than 30 ft. apart
Duration: 1 hour/level or until completed
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

Near-invisible tendrils of shadow travel towards the targets, whispering your desires into their ears.

This mystery functions like the spell mass suggestion, except as noted here. A reasonable suggestion does not cause the save to be made at a penalty. However, creatures in shadowy illumination take a –1 penalty on their saving throw, while those in complete darkness take a –2 penalty.
Master Paths

Demise Unseen
7 Shadowself: As the spell simulacrum, but the copy is formed of shadowstuff.
8 Darkness Falls: Creates an area of total darkness.
9 Midnight Shadows: Deadly shadows kill creatures in 40-foot radius spread.

Mysteries
Darkness Falls
Master, Demise Unseen
Level/School: 8th/Evocation [Darkness]
Range: Touch
Target: Object or creature touched
Duration: One day/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes; see text

Your touch casts the area into utter darkness, blanketing everything in shadow.

This mystery causes an object or creature to radiate complete darkness out to a 60-foot radius. All creatures in the area gain total concealment (50% miss chance). Even creatures that can normally see in such conditions (such as with darkvision) have the miss chance in an area affected by darkness falls. Normal lights (torches, candles, lanterns, and so forth) are incapable of brightening the area, as are light spells and mysteries of lower level (such as daylight or black candle). Higher-level light spells and mysteries are not affected by darkness falls. Darkness falls counters or dispels any light spell or mystery of equal or lower spell level.
If darkness falls is cast on a creature, you must succeed on a melee touch attack in order to affect the target, and spell resistance applies. When used to target an object, it requires no touch attack and ignores spell resistance.

Midnight Shadows
Master, Demise Unseen
Level/School: 9th/Necromancy [Death]
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area: One living creature/level within a 40-ft. radius spread
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

A swirling mass of shadows erupts from the air, flailing through the air and killing all in their path.

This mystery functions as the spell wail of the banshee, except as noted here. The mystery is not a sonic effect and does not require creatures to hear it to be affected. However, creatures in an area of bright light (such as direct sunlight or the area of a daylight spell) receive a +4 bonus on their saving throw.

Shadowself
Master, Demise Unseen
Level/School: 7th/Illusion (Shadow)
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

Your own shadow wavers for a moment and then seems to grow longer. It begins to take form and solidifies into a perfect duplicate of you.

This mystery functions like the spell simulacrum, except as noted here. The created duplicate is formed of raw shadowstuff, rather than snow or ice, and can only be created as a duplicate of you. However, the duplicate looks perfectly like you and requires no Disguise check on your part; Spot checks made to detect the shadowself for what it is automatically fail, although a creature can still attempt a Sense Motive check to recognize it as a duplicate if they interact with it. This mystery does not cost any experience points to use, but you can control only one shadowself at a time. Any attempt to create a second shadowself while the first one is still in existence automatically fails.

Ill Winds
7 Travel the Night Air: You and your allies become living shadows.
8 Shadow Vortex: Swirling darkness deals damage and can pick up creatures.
9 Umbral Storm: Storm rains hail, lightning, and darkness.

Mysteries
Shadow Vortex
Master, Ill Winds
Level/School: 8th/Evocation [Air, Darkness]
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Effect: Vortex 10 ft. wide at base, 30 ft. wide at top, and 30 ft. tall
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: Reflex negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

A cold wind suddenly picks up. Without warning, a massive swirling vortex of darkness forms.

This mystery functions like the spell whirlwind, except as noted here. If shadow vortex is cast in an area of shadowy illumination or total darkness, victims receive a –2 penalty on all saves made against the vortex.

Travel the Night Air
Master, Ill Winds
Level/School: 7th/Transmutation
Range: Touch
Target: You and one touched creature per three levels
Duration: 1 hour/level (D)
Saving Throw: No and Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: No and Yes (harmless)

Darkness covers your body and spreads over each creature you touch, granting you shadowy forms that feel as light as air.

This mystery functions like the spell wind walk, except as noted here.

Umbral Storm
Master, Ill Winds
Level/School: 9th/Conjuration (Summoning)
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Effect: 360-ft.-radius storm cloud
Duration: Concentration, maximum 10 rounds (D)
Saving Throw: See text
Spell Resistance: Yes

The sky darkens and the shadows all around seem to grow darker. The very air thickens into a congealed mass of blackness.

This mystery creates an enormous black storm cloud. Purple lightning appears within the storm, although even the flashes of light do not seem to penetrate its awesome gloom. Each creature beneath the cloud must succeed on a Fortitude save or be blinded for 1d4x10 minutes as the shadow-like rain falls down. If you do not maintain concentration on the mystery after casting, the mystery ends. If you continue to concentrate, the mystery generates additional effects in each following round, as noted below. Each effect occurs during your turn.

2nd Round: Freezing rain falls down in the area, dealing 1d6 points of cold damage (no save).

3rd Round: You call six bolts of purple lightning down from the cloud. You decide where the bolts strike, but no two bolts may be directed at the same target. Each bolt deals 10d6 points of electricity damage. A creature struck can attempt a Reflex save for half damage.

4th Round: Hailstones rain down in the area, dealing 5d6 points of bludgeoning damage (no save).

5th through 10th Rounds: Thick clouds of magical darkness reduce visibility. The clouds obscure all sight, including darkvision, beyond 5 feet. A creature 5 feet away has concealment (20% miss chance). Creatures farther away have total concealment (50% miss chance, and the attacker cannot use sight to locate the target). Speed is reduced by three-quarters. Spells cast within the area are disrupted unless the caster succeeds on a Concentration check against a DC equal to the umbral storm’s save DC + the level of the spell the caster is trying to cast.

Initiate Path Mysteries

Ripples of the Dark Water
4: The Deep Calls: Deals 10d6 damage to a target over 5 rounds.
5: Swim the Dark Seas: Move through the shadowy waters.
6: Drown in Darkness: Causes target to drown.

Mysteries
Drown in Darkness
Initiate, Ripples of the Dark Water
Level/School: 6th/Conjuration (Creation)
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One living creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

The target’s shadow climbs up its body and seems to enter their mouth. Almost immediately, the target begins coughing and choking.

You conjure shadows to suffocate the target, affecting it much as if it were drowning and had failed to continue holding its breath (Dungeon Master’s Guide page 304). The subject’s hit points immediately drop to 0 and it falls unconscious. In the next round, it loses another hit point and is dying. In the following round, it dies.

Coughing and other attempts by the subject to physically expel the shadow from its lungs are useless. However, another creature can stabilize the subject by exposing him to bright light before he dies, such as direct sunlight or the area of a daylight spell.

Undead, constructs, and creatures that do not need to breathe are unaffected by this spell.

Swim the Dark Seas
Initiate, Ripples of the Dark Water
Level/School: 5th/Conjuration (Teleportation)
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 hour/level or until expended; see text
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

As you step into the cold water, shadow envelopes your body and pulls you in. With the blink of an eye, you emerge from the water—at another location.

You gain the ability to enter bodies of water and move from one to another. The first body you enter and all others you enter must be of the same illumination (see below) and must be large enough to contain you. By moving into a body of water in shadowy illumination, for example, you instantly know the location of all bodies of shadowy illumination within transport range (see below) and may choose whether you want to pass into one or simply step back out of the body you moved into

You may move into a body of water up to one time per caster level (passing from one body of water to another counts only as moving into one body). The spell lasts until the duration expires or you exit a body of water. Each transport is a full-round action.

Type of Illumination Transport Range
Total darkness 1,500 feet
Shadowy illumination 1,000 feet
Bright illumination 500 feet

The Deep Calls
Initiate, Ripples of the Dark Water
Level/School: 4th/Transmutation [Darkness, Mind-affecting, Water]
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5ft./2 levels)
Target: One creature that cannot breath in water.
Duration: 5 rounds; See text
Saving Throw: Will negates
SR: No

With a wave of your hand you cause the shadows to befuddle a creatures senses, whenever within an area of shadowy illumination or less the creatures mind responds as if the creature was drowning in icy cold water, dealing it 10d6 cold damage over the course of 5 rounds(see the following table) as long as it remains within shadowy illumination or less.

Round Damage
1 1d6
2 2d6
3 4d6
4 2d6
5 1d6

Here's a few more mysteries - one of which branched out to using psionic powers for inspiration. We now have six fundamentals, six apprentice paths, six initiate paths, and three master paths, if my count is correct - we've almost matched Tome of Magic :eek:

Fundamental Mysteries

Clouded Eyes: Target’s sight is blinded for 1 round.
Meddling Darkness: As the power distract.
Sight Unseeing: New sense of sight grants +5 bonus on Search and Spot checks.

Mysteries
Clouded Eyes
Fundamental
Level/School: 1st/Evocation [Darkness]
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

A deep blackness suddenly fills the target’s eyes, concealing the world from their view.

If the target fails their Will save, they are blinded for 1 round. Nonvisual senses, such as hearing and scent, are unaffected.

Meddling Darkness
Fundamental
Level/School: 1st/Enchantment [Mind-Affecting]
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One creature
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 min./level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

A cloud of darkness, noticeable only to you, engulfs the target. It subtly alters the target’s perception, blinding him of the truth.

This mystery functions like the power distract, except as noted above.

Sight Unseeing
Fundamental
Level/School: 1st/Evocation [Darkness]
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Casting their sight into the shadows, the target can see a thousand different images at once without truly looking.

This mystery grants a +5 circumstance bonus on Search checks, Spot checks, and any other checks that involve sight.

Comments and Recommendations:
Some of you out there may note that there have always been certain spell effects that I was never really willing to put into the form of mysteries. The reason for this was because I didn't want to plaigurize (well, not much, anyways).
In any case, I love almost all of these mysteries, all 54 of them. Inside the spoilers you will find goodies such as an apprentice "necromancer" path, proper replacements for simulacrum and meteor swarm, and many other goodies besides.

Important Note:
I just did a tabulation and with all of the mysteries listed in or linked to with this thread (plus those in the Tome of Magic), there is a grand total of about 378 mysteries/fundamentals in existance (more if Peacenlove provides a link to his celestial mysteries).
To give an idea of just how many that is, the player's handbook has about 371 spells for the Wizard (if you use the full SRD, you also get genesis and a couple spells from the psionic handbook). In otherwords, adding this thread and the Tome of Magic to an otherwise SRD game means that both the wizard and the shadowcaster have about an equally-sized spell-list.

This requires a celebration. Who brought the champaign? :smallbiggrin: