Can shadow-companion spawn?

[Antikinesis]

Can a shadow dancer's shadow companion spawn new shadows?

A shadow dancer can summon and command one or more shadow companions, based on her level. If a shadow drains an opponent's strength to zero, killing that opponent, then the opponent rises as a shadow in 1d4 rounds, under the command of the killing shadow.

The potential for abuse should be obvious... one shadow dancer running around with an army of disposable shadows under her command, only needing to keep the original shadow companion safe to avoid the penalties of a shadow companion being destroyed.

Are there any official rules to prevent this abuse? (As usual, my books are at home, so I'm relying on the SRD at the moment.) In the absence of such rules, I'm inclined to strip the spawn ability from shadow companions.

Thanks for any insights!

-AK

 

[mikebr99]

The thing that I'd point out to the character suggesting this is that all the new Shadows WILL be evil and very resentfull of thier plight and the fact that you are controlling them (indirectly). These new shadows will try their upmost to distract their leader so they can take you out... probably while you and your companions are in combat.

 

[Arravis]

We house-rule it that it CAN spawn shadows, but they are free-willed shadows.

 

[Antikinesis]

The thing that I'd point out to the character suggesting this is that all the new Shadows WILL be evil and very resentfull of thier plight and the fact that you are controlling them (indirectly). These new shadows will try their upmost to distract their leader so they can take you out... probably while you and your companions are in combat.

Thanks for the reply.

To be fair, the player's original question was something along the lines of, "What happens if my companion spawns a shadow? Is he mine, too?" (I took the liberty of expanding the question to illustrate the potential for abuse.)

I already warned the player that toying with evil shadows would jeopardize his alignment, and he'd lose control of any spawned shadows if the original one is destroyed. He's not yet dissuaded.

-AK

 

[mikebr99]

Thanks for the reply.

To be fair, the player's original question was something along the lines of, "What happens if my companion spawns a shadow? Is he mine, too?" (I took the liberty of expanding the question to illustrate the potential for abuse.)

I already warned the player that toying with evil shadows would jeopardize his alignment, and he'd lose control of any spawned shadows if the original one is destroyed. He's not yet dissuaded.

-AK

I am also not looking forward to this class ability... as the Shadowdancer in my party is also the biggest min/maxer...

 

[Orco42]

I've always ruled that they can spawn other shadows and they can not disobey the shadowdancer.

But as soon as the shadowdancer's shadow is destroyed all of the shadows that were under the control of the dead shadow are going to take out the shadowdancer.

So let him spawn a bunch of shadows then kill the main shadow and have fun.

 

[AuraSeer]

IMC, I'd house rule that the companion shadow cannot spawn underlings. It's supposed to be a nifty little class feature, not the general of a do-it-yourself undead army. In game, I'd explain that the creature's tie to the shadowdancer connects it more strongly to the Material Plane, thus weakening its connection to the Negative Energy Plane and preventing its reproduction.