"It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness." -- William L. Watkinson

Quote Originally Posted by Duncan Aotrom, Candle of Shadow
I kindle the candle and darkness will flow from it.
Duncan Aotrom

Duncan was old. Very old. Almost all his life he was a wizard's apprentice. Probably, he could have become a full wizard years ago, but... You know, wizards, those people who are obsessed with knowledge and magic. It wasn't about Duncan. He always was obsessed with light, shadows and candles. Most likely, his life story would have ended this way. Forever apprentice till death and only on his gravestone would it be posthumously written "Wizard!"
But fate decreed otherwise, one day his teacher had a colleague who remained in visiting. He looked at Duncan and said: "You have talent for shadow magic! I could give you one grimoire if your master had no objection to it." Master hadn't. Firstly, Duncan took the idea without enthusiasm, but when he began reading he imperceptibly sank into a book with all his mind.

TN Human Shadowcaster 5/Candle Caster 1
Spoiler: Stats
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Abilities Initial Venerable Age 4 ECL Total
STR 10 -6 4
DEX 10 -6 4
CON 14 -6 8
INT 18 3 1 22
WIS 9 3 12
CHA 13 3 16


Spoiler: Build
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Level Class BAB Fort Reflex Will Skills Feats Class Features Mysteries & Fundamentals
1st Wizard 1 0 0 0 2 32: {+4} Concentration: 4; {+4} Craft (Candlemaking): 4; {+4} Decipher Script: 4; {+4} Knowledge (Arcana): 4; {+2} Knowledge (Local): 2; {+1} Knowledge (Nature): 1; {+4} Knowledge (Religion): 4; {+1} Knowledge (The planes): 1; {+4} Spellcraft: 4; {+4 CC} UMD: 2; Extraordinary Artisan1, Greate FortitudeH, Scribe ScrollB Summon familiar, scribe scroll -
2nd Shadowcaster 1 0 2 0 4 8: {+1} Concentration: 5; {+1} Craft (Candlemaking): 5; Decipher Script: 4; {+3} Hide: 3; {+1} Knowledge (Arcana): 5; Knowledge (Local): 2; Knowledge (Nature): 1; Knowledge (Religion): 4; Knowledge (The planes): 1; {+1} Spellcraft: 5; {+1 CC} UMD: 2.5; Fundamentals of shadow, apprentice mysteries Arrow of Dusk, Sight Obscured, Umbral Hand, Carpet of Shadow
3rd Shadowcaster 2 1 3 0 5 8: {+1} Concentration: 6; {+1} Craft (Candlemaking): 6; Decipher Script: 4; {+2} Hide: 5; {+1} Knowledge (Arcana): 6; Knowledge (Local): 2; Knowledge (Nature): 1; Knowledge (Religion): 4; Knowledge (The planes): 1; {+1} Move Silently: 1; {+1} Spellcraft: 6; {+1 CC} UMD: 3; Legendary Artisan3, Sudden ExtendB Bonus feat; see text Steel Shadows
4th Shadowcaster 3 1 3 1 5 9: {+1} Concentration: 7; {+1} Craft (Candlemaking): 7; Decipher Script: 4; {+1} Hide: 6; {+1} Knowledge (Arcana): 7; Knowledge (Local): 2; Knowledge (Nature): 1; Knowledge (Religion): 4; Knowledge (The planes): 1; {+3} Move Silently: 4; {+1} Spellcraft: 7; {+1 CC} UMD: 3.5; Umbral sight (darkvision 30 ft.) Black Fire
5th Shadowcaster 5 2 4 1 4 9: {+1} Concentration: 8; {+1} Craft (Candlemaking): 8; Decipher Script: 4; {+1} Hide: 7; {+1} Knowledge (Arcana): 8; Knowledge (Local): 2; Knowledge (Nature): 1; Knowledge (Religion): 4; {+3} Knowledge (The planes): 4; Move Silently: 4; {+1} Spellcraft: 8; {+1 CC} UMD: 4; Sustaining shadow (eat 1 meal/week), bonus fundamental Black Candle, Clinging Darkness, Sight Eclipsed
6th Candle Caster 1 2 4 1 6 9: {+1} Concentration: 9; {+1} Craft (Candlemaking): 9; Decipher Script: 4; Hide: 7; {+1} Knowledge (Arcana): 9; Knowledge (Local): 2; Knowledge (Nature): 1; {+5} Knowledge (Religion): 9; Knowledge (The planes): 4; Move Silently: 4; {+1} Spellcraft: 9; UMD: 4; Ritual Transference6, Scribe ScrollB Scribe candle Voice of Shadows

# Epic Feats
E1 Magical Artisan (Extraordinary Artisan)
E2 Magical Artisan (Legendary Artisan)
E3 Magical Artisan (Scribe Scroll/Candle)
E4 Enhance Item (Scribe Scroll/Candle)
E5 Enhance Item (Legendary Artisan)
E6 Enhance Item (Extraordinary Artisan)
E7 Exceptional Artisan
E8 Enhance Item (Exceptional Artisan)
E9 Magical Artisan (Exceptional Artisan)
E10 Magical Artisan (Enhance Item (Extraordinary Artisan))
E11 Magical Artisan (Enhance Item (Legendary Artisan))
E12 Magical Artisan (Enhance Item (Scribe Scroll/Candle))
E13 Magical Artisan (Enhance Item (Exceptional Artisan))


It is a simple idea. Shadowcaster for the Darkness, Candle Caster for the Light.
What is the weakness of Shadowcaster that Candle Caster could compensate for? Of course being short on ammo. Candle Caster has a sorta Scribe Scroll, so I decided to optimize it. I need to decrease creating prices and to increase efficiency, namely save DCs. You can see the result in the next table.
Spoiler: Scribing
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Level 1st (CL 1) 2nd (CL 3) 3rd (CL5) 1st (CL6) 2nd (CL6) 3rd (CL6) Save DC bonus
Full price (gp) 25 gp 150 gp 375 gp 150 gp 300 gp 450 gp
6th 9.38 gp, 0.750 XP 56.25 gp, 4.500 XP 140.63 gp, 11.250 XP 56.25 gp, 4.500 XP 112.50 gp, 9.000 XP 168.75 gp, 13.500 XP
E1 7.03 gp, 0.563 XP 42.19 gp, 3.375 XP 105.47 gp, 8.438 XP 42.19 gp, 3.375 XP 84.38 gp, 6.750 XP 126.56 gp, 10.125 XP
E2 5.27 gp, 0.422 XP 31.64 gp, 2.531 XP 79.10 gp, 6.328 XP 31.64 gp, 2.531 XP 63.28 gp, 5.063 XP 94.92 gp, 7.594 XP
E3 3.96 gp, 0.316 XP 23.73 gp, 1.898 XP 59.33 gp, 4.746 XP 23.73 gp, 1.898 XP 47.46 gp, 3.797 XP 71.19 gp, 5.695 XP
E4 3.96 gp, 0.316 XP 47.46 gp, 3.797 XP 118.65 gp, 9.492 XP 47.46 gp, 3.797 XP 94.92 gp, 7.594 XP 142.38 gp, 11.391 XP +6
E5 3.96 gp, 0.316 XP 47.46 gp, 3.797 XP 118.65 gp, 9.492 XP 47.46 gp, 3.797 XP 94.92 gp, 7.594 XP 142.38 gp, 11.391 XP +12
E6 3.96 gp, 0.316 XP 47.46 gp, 3.797 XP 118.65 gp, 9.492 XP 47.46 gp, 3.797 XP 94.92 gp, 7.594 XP 142.38 gp, 11.391 XP +18
E7 3.96 gp, 0.316 XP 47.46 gp, 3.797 XP 118.65 gp, 9.492 XP 47.46 gp, 3.797 XP 94.92 gp, 7.594 XP 142.38 gp, 11.391 XP +18
E8 3.96 gp, 0.316 XP 47.46 gp, 3.797 XP 118.65 gp, 9.492 XP 47.46 gp, 3.797 XP 94.92 gp, 7.594 XP 142.38 gp, 11.391 XP +24
E9 2.97 gp, 0.237 XP 17.80 gp, 1.424 XP 44.49 gp, 3.560 XP 17.80 gp, 1.424 XP 35.60 gp, 2.848 XP 53.39 gp, 4.271 XP +24
E10 2.22 gp, 0.178 XP 13.35 gp, 1.068 XP 33.37 gp, 2.670 XP 13.35 gp, 1.068 XP 26.70 gp, 2.136 XP 40.05 gp, 3.204 XP +24
E11 1.67 gp, 0.133 XP 10.01 gp, 0.801 XP 25.03 gp, 2.002 XP 10.01 gp, 0.801 XP 20.02 gp, 1.602 XP 30.03 gp, 2.403 XP +24
E12 1.25 gp, 0.100 XP 7.51 gp, 0.601 XP 18.77 gp, 1.502 XP 7.51 gp, 0.601 XP 15.02 gp, 1.201 XP 22.53 gp, 1.802 XP +24
E13 0.94 gp, 0.075 XP 5.63 gp, 0.451 XP 14.08 gp, 1.126 XP 5.63 gp, 0.451 XP 11.26 gp, 0.901 XP 16.89 gp, 1.352 XP +24

Feats beyond E10 are in my build just to demonstrate full potential of combo, but even without the last three I can craft candles with less than 1/10 of market price and with negligible consumption of XP. Plus, with the Ritual Transference feat I could create candles with almost any spell. Yes, it could be a problem to use it myself, but it can be sold with 463% revenue or I can just work together with party-members who have needed spells in the spell list.

My own spells to deal with enemies are Clinging Darkness and Voice of Shadows. First is total movement-lock, second - well control. Enemy drops weapon, stays still and does nothing, lies on the ground. Yes, it is only 1 round, 2 with Sudden Extend abuse, but it is almost unavoidable with Will DC 35.

If I wanna kill I use Black Fire. With Clinging Darkness it kills anybody who isn't immune to cold.

Also I have Steel Shadows and Sight Eclipsed for obvious reasons.

I think you agree with me, the possibility of obtaining +2 Int item isn't an overly bold assumption for me. And with it I have +4 more to my DCs.

One level of Wizard was traded off at the 5th level via Creeping Darkness rule (ToM, p. 115).
I needed this level to be able to take Extraordinary Artisan and Legendary Artisan before entering Candle Caster. Having these both feats I clearly can trade wizard, because since 3rd level they work as prerequisites to each other.

And actually, I have nothing more to say.

Spoiler: Sources
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Type Name Book Page
Race Human PHB 12
Class Wizard PHB 55
Class Shadowcaster Tome of Magic 111
Prestige Class Candle Caster Tome and Blood 52
Feat Extraordinary Artisan Eberron Campaign Setting 53
Feat Greate Fortitude PHB 94
Feat Scribe Scroll PHB 99
Feat Legendary Artisan Eberron Campaign Setting 56
Feat Sudden Extend Complete Arcane 83
Feat Ritual Transference PHB 2, Web Enhancement link
Feat Magical Artisan Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 36
Feat Enhance Item Epic Level Handbook 114
Feat Exceptional Artisan Eberron Campaign Setting 52