Peacenlove
Explorer
Hallo all! My gaming group has for some time now converted to the Pathfinder rule system and i have found out that many classes, especially the spellcasting ones have acquired new sets of abilities. As i was playing a shadowcaster for a year now (and with the help of Realms of Chaos materials), it occured to me (and my DM helped a lot) to "update" the Shadowcaster class to Pathfinder rules. I also moved up and down some abilities (after some modifications) to avoid dead levels.
I would like to ask of you, is this "modified" shadowcaster up to par with the Pathfinder sorcerer? What changes would you propose? What should go away and what should be added?
I have to note that i have been influenced by Realms of Chaos material and this class shows it (Notables are the transformation of fundamentals to extraordinary abilities and the knowledge of all fundamentals, taken by the Shadow fundamentalist prestige class, and the Path Mastery abilities). However you do not need any knowledge of that material to comment on the class.
So i present you the...
PATHFINDER SHADOW CASTER
"What use is the light that casts not a shadow?"
(Image will come soon
)
Hit Die: d6
Class Skills:
The shadow caster's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Craft (any) (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (any) (Wis), Spell craft (Int), Stealth (Dex)
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the shadow caster class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The shadow caster is proficient with all simple weapons. He is not proficient with any type of armor or shield. Armor of any type interferes with your gestures, which can cause your mysteries to fail when they function as spells.
Fundamentals of Shadow (Su or Ex): As a shadow caster, you must master certain basic powers before proceeding to deeper secrets of shadow. These powers, known as fundamentals, function as supernatural abilities usable at will. You begin play with 3 fundamentals and gain an additional fundamental at 4th level and every 4 additional levels beyond 4th . The save DC of any fundamental is 10 + ½ Caster level + Charisma modifier.
At 9th level you store a tiny portion of the Plane of Shadow in a dark corner of your mind. Whenever magical forces are absent, you call forth that portion's power, in order to use your powers unhindered. You can use a fundamental as an extraordinary ability but doing so takes a full round action and no Meta shadow feats can be used in conjunction with that fundamental.
At 14th level you achieve complete mastery over the basics of Shadow Magic. Whenever you cast a fundamental and modify it with one or more Meta shadow feats, no daily use of those meta shadow feats are expended, nor does its casting time increase. You can now use Meta shadow feats on fundamentals used as extraordinary abilities and such fundamentals are cast at their normal casting time. In order to apply a Meta shadow feat to a fundamental, however, it must still have a remaining use.
Finally at 20th level you gain Knowledge of all fundamentals.
Mysteries and Paths: You invoke mystical secrets called mysteries. You gain 1 mystery at 1st level and every odd numbered level and 2 mysteries at 2nd level and every even 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 gain access to master mysteries. You can choose your new mystery from any category you have access to (including fundamentals). All the mysteries you learn are transcribed in the Shadow Tome.
Shadow Magic progresses in very specific stages. You may not “jump ahead” in a path, although you do not need to 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 3 mysteries of a previous level (it doesn't matter whether they are 3 different mysteries or 1 mystery selected 3 times, see below), and you must know all previous mysteries within a path to select a mystery from that path. 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.
When you are capable of casting only apprentice mysteries, you cast them as though they were arcane spells. They do not require verbal or material components or foci, but follow all the normal rules for arcane spells. Observers can make a DC 15 Perception check to note that your shadow is making different gestures from the ones you make when you cast the mystery. At 7th level your apprentice mysteries function as spell-like abilities. Your new initiate mysteries function as arcane spells and follow the rules above. Finally at 13th level your apprentice mysteries function as supernatural abilities, your initiate mysteries function as spell-like abilities and your new master mysteries function as arcane spells and follow the rules above.
You can learn a mystery more than once. Each time you relearn a mystery you gain another set of uses of that mystery per day. If you learn all the mysteries of a path twice, you gain an extra use of each mystery on that path, as well as the Path Focus feat for that path. If you learn them thrice, you gain 1 more use of each mystery on that path, stacking with the previous bonus, and the Greater Path Focus feat for that path. These are passive, extraordinary effects.
You can use each mystery you know once per day if it is cast as an arcane spell, twice per day if cast as a spell-like ability or thrice per day if cast as a supernatural ability. You must rest for 8 hours and meditate for 15 minutes each day to regain your use of mysteries.
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 Charisma modifier for mysteries cast as arcane spells and spell-like abilities and 10 + ½ Caster level + Charisma modifier for mysteries cast as supernatural abilities. Your levels in this class count for the purpose of determining your overall caster level.
Bonus Feats: Beginning at 3rd level you gain bonus feats equal to 1/3 the total number of paths that you have access to. Fundamentals do not apply for the purpose of bonus feats. You must meet the prerequisite (if any) in order to select a feat as a bonus feat. The list of feats you can select includes Favored Mystery, Greater Path Focus, Greater Sustaining Shadow, Greater Umbral Sight, Nocturnal Caster, Path Focus, Shadow Vision, and any Meta Shadow feat.
Umbral Sight (Su): When you reach 3rd level, your vision extends slightly into the Plane of Shadow. You gain dark vision out to 30 feet that stacks with any existing dark vision.
At 11th level you become able to see in any darkness, even that created by magical means, out to 60 feet, stacking with any similar ability.
Finally at 19th level you can see in darkness out to 60 feet as easy as in bright light, even discerning colors.
Sustaining Shadow (Ex): Beginning at 6th level, your bond to the Plane of Shadows allows you to absorb dark energies, mitigating certain biological needs. You don't need to eat or drink to maintain health.
At 10th level you don't need to sleep, and are immune to non-magical sleep effects (but you must still rest for 8 hours to regain your mysteries for the next day).
At 15th level you gain immunity to non-magical diseases and poisons.
At 16th level you don't need to breathe.
At 18th level you gain the Timeless Body ability.
At 20th level you gain the Perfect Shadow ability presented below.
Perfect Shadow: A Shadowcaster's body and magic undergoes significant changes through the heavy use of Shadow Magic. He becomes a Native Outsider rather than his previous creature type, and also stops aging altogether and has no maximum age.
Discreet Casting (Su): At 2nd level your obfuscation skills have altered the subtle movements of your shadow. The perception check to note that your shadow is making different gestures from the ones you make when you cast a mystery as an arcane spell rises to DC 15 + your ranks in your Stealth skill if you so choose.
Path Mastery (Su or Ex): Beginning at 5th level you gain a special ability for each completed path. The ability you gain depends on the completed path (see below for a detailed table). If you ever unlearn a mystery from a previously completed path you also lose its associated power.
No matter the number of paths you possess, you can only have active a limited number of Path Mastery abilities of the corresponding grade. However should a Path Mastery ability grant an extraordinary ability, it is always active and you do not need to select it to gain it. However you need to prepare it to gain any other supernatural abilities it might grant, and if you somehow uncomplete a path, you also lose the matching extraordinary ability.
At 5th level you can have only one Apprentice Path Mastery ability active. At 11th level and every 6 levels thereafter you can activate an additional Apprentice Path Mastery ability.
At 11th level in addition to any Apprentice Path Mastery abilities, you can have one Initiate Path Mastery ability active. At 17th level and every 6 levels thereafter you can activate an additional Initiate Path Mastery ability.
At 17th level in addition to any Apprentice and Initiate Path Mastery abilities, you can have one Master Path Mastery ability active. At 23th level and every 6 levels thereafter you can activate an additional Master Path Mastery ability.
You can change your activated Path Mastery abilities whenever you reclaim your mysteries.
Note: Path Masteries first appeared in the Descent of Shadows project made by Realms Of Chaos. They are reprinted here for easy access (a few have some changes). Only those who refer to the Tome of Magic and the Cityscape web enchantment mysteries are presented.
Path Mastery Abilities
Arcane Veil (Initiate)
You are protected from magical energies
Prerequisites: ability to caste the Greater Shadows Fade mystery.
Benefit: you gain Spell Resistance 10 + Shadow caster level.
Astray in the Dark (Apprentice)
You can fight from further away than other suspect.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Umbral Fist mystery.
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.
Blur of Shadows (Apprentice)
You cause the very ground to buckle and ripple.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Clinging Darkness mystery.
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 (Apprentice)
Your mastery of defense and retaliation has been honed.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Sharp Shadows mystery.
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.
Curtain of Shadow (Initiate)
You are protected by a veil of shadows.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Unveil mystery.
Benefit: You gain concealment in all conditions other than bright daylight.
Dark Concealment (Initiate)
You can hide in the shadows you create.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Deadly Shade mystery.
Benefit: while in an area of magical darkness, you become invisible at the beginning of your every turn.
Dark Puppeteer (Master)
You have a knack for controlling others
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Shadow Surge mystery.
Benefit: When attacked, you may forego the use of one of your attacks of opportunity for this round to make a caster level 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. The Combat Reflexes feat applies to this ability.
Dark Trekker (Initiate)
You can move in shadow without leaving openings.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Voyage into Shadow mystery.
Benefit: While in shadowy illumination or darkness, you provoke no attacks of opportunity for movement.
Ebon Form (Master)
Your form is heavily reinforced by shadow.
Prerequisites: able to cast the Shadow Time mystery.
Benefit: In addition, under any condition other than direct sunlight, you gain fast healing 5 and you heal one point of ability damage per round (of your choice should multiple scores be damaged).
Ebon Hand (Apprentice)
You have learned how to channel shadow through your hands.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Umbral Touch mystery.
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.
Escaping Shade (Master)
You can escape from the toughest of situations.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Black Labyrinth mystery.
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.
Esoteric Knowledge (Apprentice)
Your have learned much from your time in the shadows.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Afraid of the Dark mystery.
Benefit: You gain all knowledge skills as class skills (this is an extraordinary ability).
In addition, a number of times per day equal to your Intelligence bonus (if any), you may re-roll a knowledge check. You must stay with the result of the re-roll, even if it is worse than the original.
Eyes of Twilight (Master)
You see everything around you.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Reflections of Things to Come mystery.
Benefit: you gain blind sight out to 60 feet.
Grasp of Shadow (Master)
Shadow holds others who neglect to move around you soon find themselves trapped.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Consume Essence mystery.
Benefit: As a swift action, you can cause shadows to entrap those within 10 feet / class 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 (DC 15 + 1 / round not spent moving). When you use another swift action to end the ability or move 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.
Night’s Guard (Apprentice)
Within the Darkness, none can harm you.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Dancing Shadows mystery.
Benefit: While in shadowy illumination, you gain a +2 bonus on initiative checks and a +4 dodge bonus to AC.
Phantom Assault (Master)
Shadows seem to surround your foes, leaving them vulnerable.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Army of Shadow mystery.
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 (Apprentice)
You can see what others can’t.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Killing Shadows mystery.
Benefit: You gain dark vision out to 30 feet and can see through magical darkness out to that range.
In addition, you may make a perception check as a swift action (this is an extraordinary ability).
Pull of the Grave (Master)
You can pull others to their doom.
Prerequisites: able to cast the Ephemeral Storm mystery.
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 or ability drain from a mystery, they roll two saving throws and take the lower result or take twice as much ability damage or ability drain. This is the equivalent of a 7th level spell.
Shadow Renewal (Initiate)
You have learned to sustain yourself with the power of shadow.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Shadow Investiture mystery.
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 stabilizes you.
Shadowy Imitator (Initiate)
You have learned the art of imitation from your command of shadows.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Greater Shadow Evocation mystery.
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 (Initiate)
You have learned to harness both mysteries and magic.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Flood of Shadows mystery.
Benefit: You gain use magic device as a class skill (this is an extraordinary ability).
In addition, you don’t take a –4 penalty when your mysteries interact with spells.
Subtle Voice (Apprentice)
You can communicate at a completely subconscious level.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Flicker mystery.
Benefit: You gain telepathy at a range of 5 feet and gain a +3 bonus on intimidate checks.
Twilight Guard (Initiate)
Your power of shadow serves to protect you.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Shadow Storm mystery.
Benefit: A number of times equal to your charisma modifier, as an immediate action, you can ignore 2 / class level points of elemental damage from any one attack or effect.
Here are also 3 feats that we use on our campaign. Any comments on those would be appreciated :smallbiggrin:
Greater Umbral Sight
Nothing can hide in the dark and escape your gaze.
Prerequisites: Umbral Sight (See in Darkness 60 feet).
Benefit: Your Umbral Sight radius increases by 30 feet.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times. Its effect stack.
Note: This feat can be taken as a bonus shadow caster feat.
Greater Sustaining Shadow
From now on your shadow, not your body, supports your life.
Prerequisites: Sustaining Shadow (no need to breathe)
Benefit: If you lose a limb or body part, the lost portion regrows in 10 minutes. You can reattach the severed member instantly by holding it to the stump. The dismembered limb withers away into dust after 10 minutes and no hit points are recovered during this process.
In addition when you would be healed by any effect an amount of hit point or ability damage, multiply the amount by 1,5 (rounded down).
Note: This feat can be taken as a bonus shadow caster feat.
Dark Magic Scholar
You continue to unravel the hidden secrets of the shadows.
Prerequisites: Shadow caster level 19th.
Benefit: Your Master mysteries become Spell Like abilities, gaining extra uses per day and following all the normal rules for spell like abilities.
I am also planning to change the way metashadow feats work and make them 3/day but with a limitation on the mystery level they can be applied just like the Empower and Quicken spell like ability feats. Any thoughts/personal fixes on that? (and yes i have read Ari Marmell's fixes but if you play by those fixes what would you propose for this class to be fixed and/or changed in order to be consistent with the changes?)
I would like to ask of you, is this "modified" shadowcaster up to par with the Pathfinder sorcerer? What changes would you propose? What should go away and what should be added?
I have to note that i have been influenced by Realms of Chaos material and this class shows it (Notables are the transformation of fundamentals to extraordinary abilities and the knowledge of all fundamentals, taken by the Shadow fundamentalist prestige class, and the Path Mastery abilities). However you do not need any knowledge of that material to comment on the class.
So i present you the...
PATHFINDER SHADOW CASTER
"What use is the light that casts not a shadow?"
(Image will come soon
)Hit Die: d6
Code:
[b]Shadow Caster[/b]
[b]Level[/b] [b]B.A.B[/b] [b]Fort[/b] [b]Ref[/b] [b]Will[/b] [b]Special[/b]
1st +0 +2 +0 +2 Apprentice Mysteries, Fundamentals of Shadow (At Will)
2nd +1 +3 +0 +3 Discreet Casting
3rd +1 +3 +1 +3 Umbral Sight (Dark vision 30 ft), Bonus Feats; see text
4th +2 +4 +1 +4 Bonus Fundamental
5th +2 +4 +1 +4 Path Mastery (Apprentice)
6th +3 +5 +2 +5 Sustaining Shadow (no need to eat)
7th +3 +5 +2 +5 Apprentice Mysteries (Spell-Like), Initiate Mysteries
8th +4 +6 +2 +6 Bonus Fundamental
9th +4 +6 +3 +6 Fundamentals of Shadow (Extraordinary)
10th +5 +7 +3 +7 Sustaining Shadow (no need to sleep)
11th +5 +7 +3 +7 Umbral Sight (See in Darkness 60 ft),Path Mastery (Initiate)
12th +6 / +1 +8 +4 +8 Bonus Fundamental
13th +6 / +1 +8 +4 +8 Apprentice Mysteries (Supernatural), Initiate Mysteries (Spell-Like), Master Mysteries
14th +7 / +2 +9 +4 +9 Fundamentals of Shadow (Mastery)
15th +7 / +2 +9 +5 +9 Sustaining Shadow (Immune to poison / disease)
16th +8 / +3 +10 +5 +10 Bonus Fundamental, Sustaining Shadow (no need to breathe)
17th +8 / +3 +10 +5 +10 Path Mastery (Master)
18th +9 / +4 +11 +6 +11 Sustaining Shadow (Timeless Body)
19th +9 / +4 +11 +6 +11 Umbral Sight (See in Darkness perfectly)
20th +10 / +5 +12 +6 +12 Library of Basics, Sustaining Shadow (Perfect Shadow)Class Skills:
The shadow caster's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Craft (any) (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (any) (Wis), Spell craft (Int), Stealth (Dex)
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the shadow caster class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The shadow caster is proficient with all simple weapons. He is not proficient with any type of armor or shield. Armor of any type interferes with your gestures, which can cause your mysteries to fail when they function as spells.
Fundamentals of Shadow (Su or Ex): As a shadow caster, you must master certain basic powers before proceeding to deeper secrets of shadow. These powers, known as fundamentals, function as supernatural abilities usable at will. You begin play with 3 fundamentals and gain an additional fundamental at 4th level and every 4 additional levels beyond 4th . The save DC of any fundamental is 10 + ½ Caster level + Charisma modifier.
At 9th level you store a tiny portion of the Plane of Shadow in a dark corner of your mind. Whenever magical forces are absent, you call forth that portion's power, in order to use your powers unhindered. You can use a fundamental as an extraordinary ability but doing so takes a full round action and no Meta shadow feats can be used in conjunction with that fundamental.
At 14th level you achieve complete mastery over the basics of Shadow Magic. Whenever you cast a fundamental and modify it with one or more Meta shadow feats, no daily use of those meta shadow feats are expended, nor does its casting time increase. You can now use Meta shadow feats on fundamentals used as extraordinary abilities and such fundamentals are cast at their normal casting time. In order to apply a Meta shadow feat to a fundamental, however, it must still have a remaining use.
Finally at 20th level you gain Knowledge of all fundamentals.
Mysteries and Paths: You invoke mystical secrets called mysteries. You gain 1 mystery at 1st level and every odd numbered level and 2 mysteries at 2nd level and every even 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 gain access to master mysteries. You can choose your new mystery from any category you have access to (including fundamentals). All the mysteries you learn are transcribed in the Shadow Tome.
Shadow Magic progresses in very specific stages. You may not “jump ahead” in a path, although you do not need to 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 3 mysteries of a previous level (it doesn't matter whether they are 3 different mysteries or 1 mystery selected 3 times, see below), and you must know all previous mysteries within a path to select a mystery from that path. 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.
When you are capable of casting only apprentice mysteries, you cast them as though they were arcane spells. They do not require verbal or material components or foci, but follow all the normal rules for arcane spells. Observers can make a DC 15 Perception check to note that your shadow is making different gestures from the ones you make when you cast the mystery. At 7th level your apprentice mysteries function as spell-like abilities. Your new initiate mysteries function as arcane spells and follow the rules above. Finally at 13th level your apprentice mysteries function as supernatural abilities, your initiate mysteries function as spell-like abilities and your new master mysteries function as arcane spells and follow the rules above.
You can learn a mystery more than once. Each time you relearn a mystery you gain another set of uses of that mystery per day. If you learn all the mysteries of a path twice, you gain an extra use of each mystery on that path, as well as the Path Focus feat for that path. If you learn them thrice, you gain 1 more use of each mystery on that path, stacking with the previous bonus, and the Greater Path Focus feat for that path. These are passive, extraordinary effects.
You can use each mystery you know once per day if it is cast as an arcane spell, twice per day if cast as a spell-like ability or thrice per day if cast as a supernatural ability. You must rest for 8 hours and meditate for 15 minutes each day to regain your use of mysteries.
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 Charisma modifier for mysteries cast as arcane spells and spell-like abilities and 10 + ½ Caster level + Charisma modifier for mysteries cast as supernatural abilities. Your levels in this class count for the purpose of determining your overall caster level.
Bonus Feats: Beginning at 3rd level you gain bonus feats equal to 1/3 the total number of paths that you have access to. Fundamentals do not apply for the purpose of bonus feats. You must meet the prerequisite (if any) in order to select a feat as a bonus feat. The list of feats you can select includes Favored Mystery, Greater Path Focus, Greater Sustaining Shadow, Greater Umbral Sight, Nocturnal Caster, Path Focus, Shadow Vision, and any Meta Shadow feat.
Umbral Sight (Su): When you reach 3rd level, your vision extends slightly into the Plane of Shadow. You gain dark vision out to 30 feet that stacks with any existing dark vision.
At 11th level you become able to see in any darkness, even that created by magical means, out to 60 feet, stacking with any similar ability.
Finally at 19th level you can see in darkness out to 60 feet as easy as in bright light, even discerning colors.
Sustaining Shadow (Ex): Beginning at 6th level, your bond to the Plane of Shadows allows you to absorb dark energies, mitigating certain biological needs. You don't need to eat or drink to maintain health.
At 10th level you don't need to sleep, and are immune to non-magical sleep effects (but you must still rest for 8 hours to regain your mysteries for the next day).
At 15th level you gain immunity to non-magical diseases and poisons.
At 16th level you don't need to breathe.
At 18th level you gain the Timeless Body ability.
At 20th level you gain the Perfect Shadow ability presented below.
Perfect Shadow: A Shadowcaster's body and magic undergoes significant changes through the heavy use of Shadow Magic. He becomes a Native Outsider rather than his previous creature type, and also stops aging altogether and has no maximum age.
Discreet Casting (Su): At 2nd level your obfuscation skills have altered the subtle movements of your shadow. The perception check to note that your shadow is making different gestures from the ones you make when you cast a mystery as an arcane spell rises to DC 15 + your ranks in your Stealth skill if you so choose.
Path Mastery (Su or Ex): Beginning at 5th level you gain a special ability for each completed path. The ability you gain depends on the completed path (see below for a detailed table). If you ever unlearn a mystery from a previously completed path you also lose its associated power.
No matter the number of paths you possess, you can only have active a limited number of Path Mastery abilities of the corresponding grade. However should a Path Mastery ability grant an extraordinary ability, it is always active and you do not need to select it to gain it. However you need to prepare it to gain any other supernatural abilities it might grant, and if you somehow uncomplete a path, you also lose the matching extraordinary ability.
At 5th level you can have only one Apprentice Path Mastery ability active. At 11th level and every 6 levels thereafter you can activate an additional Apprentice Path Mastery ability.
At 11th level in addition to any Apprentice Path Mastery abilities, you can have one Initiate Path Mastery ability active. At 17th level and every 6 levels thereafter you can activate an additional Initiate Path Mastery ability.
At 17th level in addition to any Apprentice and Initiate Path Mastery abilities, you can have one Master Path Mastery ability active. At 23th level and every 6 levels thereafter you can activate an additional Master Path Mastery ability.
You can change your activated Path Mastery abilities whenever you reclaim your mysteries.
Note: Path Masteries first appeared in the Descent of Shadows project made by Realms Of Chaos. They are reprinted here for easy access (a few have some changes). Only those who refer to the Tome of Magic and the Cityscape web enchantment mysteries are presented.
Path Mastery Abilities
Arcane Veil (Initiate)
You are protected from magical energies
Prerequisites: ability to caste the Greater Shadows Fade mystery.
Benefit: you gain Spell Resistance 10 + Shadow caster level.
Astray in the Dark (Apprentice)
You can fight from further away than other suspect.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Umbral Fist mystery.
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.
Blur of Shadows (Apprentice)
You cause the very ground to buckle and ripple.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Clinging Darkness mystery.
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 (Apprentice)
Your mastery of defense and retaliation has been honed.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Sharp Shadows mystery.
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.
Curtain of Shadow (Initiate)
You are protected by a veil of shadows.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Unveil mystery.
Benefit: You gain concealment in all conditions other than bright daylight.
Dark Concealment (Initiate)
You can hide in the shadows you create.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Deadly Shade mystery.
Benefit: while in an area of magical darkness, you become invisible at the beginning of your every turn.
Dark Puppeteer (Master)
You have a knack for controlling others
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Shadow Surge mystery.
Benefit: When attacked, you may forego the use of one of your attacks of opportunity for this round to make a caster level 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. The Combat Reflexes feat applies to this ability.
Dark Trekker (Initiate)
You can move in shadow without leaving openings.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Voyage into Shadow mystery.
Benefit: While in shadowy illumination or darkness, you provoke no attacks of opportunity for movement.
Ebon Form (Master)
Your form is heavily reinforced by shadow.
Prerequisites: able to cast the Shadow Time mystery.
Benefit: In addition, under any condition other than direct sunlight, you gain fast healing 5 and you heal one point of ability damage per round (of your choice should multiple scores be damaged).
Ebon Hand (Apprentice)
You have learned how to channel shadow through your hands.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Umbral Touch mystery.
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.
Escaping Shade (Master)
You can escape from the toughest of situations.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Black Labyrinth mystery.
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.
Esoteric Knowledge (Apprentice)
Your have learned much from your time in the shadows.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Afraid of the Dark mystery.
Benefit: You gain all knowledge skills as class skills (this is an extraordinary ability).
In addition, a number of times per day equal to your Intelligence bonus (if any), you may re-roll a knowledge check. You must stay with the result of the re-roll, even if it is worse than the original.
Eyes of Twilight (Master)
You see everything around you.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Reflections of Things to Come mystery.
Benefit: you gain blind sight out to 60 feet.
Grasp of Shadow (Master)
Shadow holds others who neglect to move around you soon find themselves trapped.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Consume Essence mystery.
Benefit: As a swift action, you can cause shadows to entrap those within 10 feet / class 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 (DC 15 + 1 / round not spent moving). When you use another swift action to end the ability or move 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.
Night’s Guard (Apprentice)
Within the Darkness, none can harm you.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Dancing Shadows mystery.
Benefit: While in shadowy illumination, you gain a +2 bonus on initiative checks and a +4 dodge bonus to AC.
Phantom Assault (Master)
Shadows seem to surround your foes, leaving them vulnerable.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Army of Shadow mystery.
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 (Apprentice)
You can see what others can’t.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Killing Shadows mystery.
Benefit: You gain dark vision out to 30 feet and can see through magical darkness out to that range.
In addition, you may make a perception check as a swift action (this is an extraordinary ability).
Pull of the Grave (Master)
You can pull others to their doom.
Prerequisites: able to cast the Ephemeral Storm mystery.
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 or ability drain from a mystery, they roll two saving throws and take the lower result or take twice as much ability damage or ability drain. This is the equivalent of a 7th level spell.
Shadow Renewal (Initiate)
You have learned to sustain yourself with the power of shadow.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Shadow Investiture mystery.
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 stabilizes you.
Shadowy Imitator (Initiate)
You have learned the art of imitation from your command of shadows.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Greater Shadow Evocation mystery.
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 (Initiate)
You have learned to harness both mysteries and magic.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Flood of Shadows mystery.
Benefit: You gain use magic device as a class skill (this is an extraordinary ability).
In addition, you don’t take a –4 penalty when your mysteries interact with spells.
Subtle Voice (Apprentice)
You can communicate at a completely subconscious level.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Flicker mystery.
Benefit: You gain telepathy at a range of 5 feet and gain a +3 bonus on intimidate checks.
Twilight Guard (Initiate)
Your power of shadow serves to protect you.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Shadow Storm mystery.
Benefit: A number of times equal to your charisma modifier, as an immediate action, you can ignore 2 / class level points of elemental damage from any one attack or effect.
Here are also 3 feats that we use on our campaign. Any comments on those would be appreciated :smallbiggrin:
Greater Umbral Sight
Nothing can hide in the dark and escape your gaze.
Prerequisites: Umbral Sight (See in Darkness 60 feet).
Benefit: Your Umbral Sight radius increases by 30 feet.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times. Its effect stack.
Note: This feat can be taken as a bonus shadow caster feat.
Greater Sustaining Shadow
From now on your shadow, not your body, supports your life.
Prerequisites: Sustaining Shadow (no need to breathe)
Benefit: If you lose a limb or body part, the lost portion regrows in 10 minutes. You can reattach the severed member instantly by holding it to the stump. The dismembered limb withers away into dust after 10 minutes and no hit points are recovered during this process.
In addition when you would be healed by any effect an amount of hit point or ability damage, multiply the amount by 1,5 (rounded down).
Note: This feat can be taken as a bonus shadow caster feat.
Dark Magic Scholar
You continue to unravel the hidden secrets of the shadows.
Prerequisites: Shadow caster level 19th.
Benefit: Your Master mysteries become Spell Like abilities, gaining extra uses per day and following all the normal rules for spell like abilities.
I am also planning to change the way metashadow feats work and make them 3/day but with a limitation on the mystery level they can be applied just like the Empower and Quicken spell like ability feats. Any thoughts/personal fixes on that? (and yes i have read Ari Marmell's fixes
but if you play by those fixes what would you propose for this class to be fixed and/or changed in order to be consistent with the changes?)
Last edited:
