[3.5] Shadow Weave Classes/Abilities?

[Da'Shain]

I recently got to look at a copy of the Player's Guide to Faerun, and I'm considering a few feats and PrCs from it for my character's advancement (no Incantatrix, though, sadly). Looking over the Shadow Adept PrC got me interested in the Shadow Weave, and I'm wondering if there are other feats and PrCs out there involving manipulation of it. The Shadow Adept is interesting fluff-wise, but it seems like there's little reason to progress in it beyond the first level, and my DM has said that he's prohibiting 1 or 2-level dips unless there's a very good in-character reason for it.

I'm not totally sure whether the Shadow Weave even exists in his game (it's kinda hybrid Faerun/Eberron), but if it does, I'd like to know: do other books have more information about it and how to manipulate it?

[Fax Celestis]

Well, there's the Shadowcaster out of Tome of Magic, and yes it can go into Shadow Adept.

[RagnaroksChosen]

I recently got to look at a copy of the Player's Guide to Faerun, and I'm considering a few feats and PrCs from it for my character's advancement (no Incantatrix, though, sadly). Looking over the Shadow Adept PrC got me interested in the Shadow Weave, and I'm wondering if there are other feats and PrCs out there involving manipulation of it. The Shadow Adept is interesting fluff-wise, but it seems like there's little reason to progress in it beyond the first level, and my DM has said that he's prohibiting 1 or 2-level dips unless there's a very good in-character reason for it.

I'm not totally sure whether the Shadow Weave even exists in his game (it's kinda hybrid Faerun/Eberron), but if it does, I'd like to know: do other books have more information about it and how to manipulate it?

All I have to say is gnome illusionist ACF and shadow craft mage from ROS.

[AslanCross]

Faiths of Eberron has the Escalation Mage, which is essentially a slightly nerfed Incantatrix that burns itself up by borrowing power from the Shadow (not the one from The Gamers. I mean the Eberron deity) in exchange for metamagic effects. Unlike Incantatrix, the Escalation Mage is only 6 levels long and is pretty easy to get into.
Since the world your DM is using is a hybrid, this might just fly.

[Da'Shain]

I saw the Escalation Mage, but my character is rather committed to not worshipping any gods, and I don't think my DM would let me take the class without worshipping the Shadow.

I actually meant Shadow Weave specifically, not illusion magic or things with Shadow in the name. Are there any more abilities that revolve specifically around the Shadow Weave created by Shar from Faerun?

[Fax Celestis]

I saw the Escalation Mage, but my character is rather committed to not worshipping any gods, and I don't think my DM would let me take the class without worshipping the Shadow.

I actually meant Shadow Weave specifically, not illusion magic or things with Shadow in the name. Are there any more abilities that revolve specifically around the Shadow Weave created by Shar from Faerun?

Yes, Shadowcasters have an "in Faerun" sidebar that explains their interaction.

[RagnaroksChosen]

I actually meant Shadow Weave specifically, not illusion magic or things with Shadow in the name. Are there any more abilities that revolve specifically around the Shadow Weave created by Shar from Faerun?

Um that is the shadow weave echantment, illsuion, necromancy....
shadowcrafter any thing with shadow in the name falls nicly intot he whole shadow weave thing...

Theres a prc from underdark that plays into it as well.

[arguskos]

I saw the Escalation Mage, but my character is rather committed to not worshipping any gods, and I don't think my DM would let me take the class without worshipping the Shadow.

I actually meant Shadow Weave specifically, not illusion magic or things with Shadow in the name. Are there any more abilities that revolve specifically around the Shadow Weave created by Shar from Faerun?

Other than the Shadow Weave feats, which you obviously know about, and the Shadow Adept (who's awesome, btw), there is surprisingly little that is Shadow Weave specific that I know of.

[Toliudar]

There are a lot of prestige classes that could easily be reflavoured for the shadow weave. Blackguard, Void Disciple and Blighter come to mind immediately - pity that they suck.

[Akal Saris]

There's really much less crunch for the shadow weave specifically than there is fluff, now that you mention it.

Champions of Ruin: Pgs. 87-90 are fluff about being a Sharran cultist, and has the Initiate of Shar feat (not specifically shadow weave), as well as a few darkness-related spells.

Champions of Valor probably has some stuff on killing shadow adepts...

Waterdeep, City of Splendors pg. 45 details the Church of Shar in Waterdeep.

Magic of Faerun has a note on Shadow Weave magic items - they are +1 CL/DC for enchantment/illusion/necro and -1DC with some other schools, like the feats - so a strict benefit if you're a user. They also backfire and hurt non shadow adepts.

[Da'Shain]

Yes, Shadowcasters have an "in Faerun" sidebar that explains their interaction.

Cool. I'm not seeing it, though ... is it in the Tome of Magic?

There are a lot of prestige classes that could easily be reflavoured for the shadow weave. Blackguard, Void Disciple and Blighter come to mind immediately - pity that they suck.

Yeah, I know there are a bunch that would fit thematically, but I was wondering if there was any more crunch that was designed specifically for the Shadow Weave.

There's really much less crunch for the shadow weave specifically than there is fluff, now that you mention it.

Doesn't seem to be too much fluff either, that I can find. I'll check those books out when I can get my hands on them.


Thanks for the suggestions, though, guys. What caught my eye about the Shadow Weave was its bonuses to necromancy, illusion and enchantment, which are most of my character's arsenal, as well as the feat which gives you +4 to overcome SR on normal Weave users. I'm playing a Rakshasa, so the level adjustment makes it a bit hard to overcome some people's SR. The other benefits are pretty nice too, but I wanted to know if there were still more beyond the ones in the PGtF.

[Dimers]

I wanted to know if there were still more beyond the ones in the PGtF.

Strangely, there's next to nothing in Magic of Faerun either. Shadow Weave users are mentioned briefly in the text for the mage killer PrC, and they can enter the class but don't get any crunch beyond the class's usual attributes. There are no prestige classes, items or feats designed specifically for Shadow Weave users in the book. It does, however, have quite a few tasty necromantic spells.

[Da'Shain]

Yeah, I thought it was a pretty cool idea, sort of the dark side of magic. But I guess it's mostly a fluff thing, with not too many actual rules for it.

[gorfnab]

Cool. I'm not seeing it, though ... is it in the Tome of Magic?

Tome of Magic page 110 bottom of the page, Shadow Weave of Toril

[sambo.]

There are a lot of prestige classes that could easily be reflavoured for the shadow weave. Blackguard, Void Disciple and Blighter come to mind immediately - pity that they suck.

NOCTUMANCER!

[Da'Shain]

Thanks! I missed it due to skimming, I guess.

Yeah ... the Noctumancer actually does look awesome, but I don't know if the game I'm in will last long enough for me to get the requisite 3 levels in Shadowcaster. Actually, I don't even know if my DM is allowing stuff from the Tome of Magic

[sambo.]

Thanks! I missed it due to skimming, I guess.

Yeah ... the Noctumancer actually does look awesome, but I don't know if the game I'm in will last long enough for me to get the requisite 3 levels in Shadowcaster. Actually, I don't even know if my DM is allowing stuff from the Tome of Magic

see if your DM will allow Precocious Apprentice cheese! (mine did, so i'm playing a sorc1/shadowcaster3/noctumancer1 )

to be fair to the DM, shadow magic is a little complex, i can understand if some DM's outright ban it.

[rooster]

See if your DM will allow you to trade Sorcerer spellcasting for Shadowcasting? It might be a step down in power, but if it's flavor you're after...
(You might even use ToM's rules for gradually replacing spellcasting with Shadowcasting from p.115.)

And ToM's Child of Night isn't restricted to Shadowcasters. With a couple Knowledge ranks, your Rakshasa could probably qualify.

[Da'Shain]

I don't think he's banned it specifically, but I do know that he banned Psionics, and he probably isn't too familiar with stuff from the Tome of Magic so he probably wouldn't allow that either.

Sadly, the game is epic level, so no chance on the Precocious Apprentice either.


I think I'll just go Shadow Adept for the next several levels, and train up Profession(Gambler) so that I can go into Fatespinner afterwards (again, assuming it lasts that long).

[Da'Shain]

See if your DM will allow you to trade Sorcerer spellcasting for Shadowcasting? It might be a step down in power, but if it's flavor you're after...
(You might even use ToM's rules for gradually replacing spellcasting with Shadowcasting from p.115.)

And ToM's Child of Night isn't restricted to Shadowcasters. With a couple Knowledge ranks, your Rakshasa could probably qualify.

I actually have no levels in Sorc. I went straight from Rakshasa into Ur-Priest 2/Mystic Theurge 8, so I don't think he would let me swap out any of those levels (and I probably wouldn't, even if he did). I'm definitely gonna keep this in mind for my next character, though. The more I look at the Noctumancer, the more I want to play one.

The Child of Night, on the other hand, looks even more underwhelming than Shadow Adept, TBH. There's not much in there I want, mechanically, and I think flavor-wise Shadow Adept fits better with what I'm looking for.

[Dimers]

I missed it due to skimming, I guess.

And speaking of missing due to skimming -- I just noticed that MF does have a section on magic items specifically for Shadow Weave, p.174.

[peacenlove]

Found 2 feats in Races of Faerun Its shadow song (+1 dc and penetration to enchantment and sonic spells, must have bardic music) and Shadow Shield (gives +2 bonus to saves vs Shadow weave and shadow descriptor spells and they stack)

Also Champions of Ruin has Node feats for regions tied to the Shadow Weave, also called shadow weave nodes. In the same book (also in the Underdark book) nodes are explained further (but they are only useful if you have a big stationary place to host them such as a stronghold)

Lastly in the old mind's eye (free content from the wizards site) articles you can find the subpsionics, a system for psionics that is identical to the Shadow Weave for arcanists. But its 3.0 edition material and sadly not updated.

About races, the shadovars (or shades) in the FR campaign setting worship Shar and the Shadow Weave and all of them are (very powerful) Shadow weave arcanists (this adds up to the fluff side i hope ) They are +4 lvl adjustment though and ridiculously subpar especially at high levels.

[Akal Saris]

Good finds :)

[Da'Shain]

Nice, thanks! Glad to see there's at least some other crunch for this cool idea.

The nodes seem weird, though. Expending feats on taking advantage of a certain location when you're likely to be traveling away from them most of the time seems like a poor investment to me.

Did I read right that all the shades' powers, including ability score bonuses and skill bonuses, do not work in well-lit areas? That seems ridiculous to me, although I suppose they're meant to function in the Plane of Shadow or some similar locale.