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Shadow Touch (Relics & Rituals) - Anyone had *good* experiences?
- Thread starter Frost
- Start date
Twowolves
Explorer
I run a Scarred Lands game, but I am not so familiar with this one. Is it the spell that lets you catch someone flat-footed by attacking his shadow? If so, there is a similar spell in, um, PHBII I think, and all it does is let you make one melee attack/round (maybe just one attack) at range, explaining it as the caster reaching through the target's shadow to hit them.
A gentle reminder about the specs of this spell might help!
As an aside, I threw Prevarication's Bounty right out the window, and either modified or substituted dozens of other RR or RRII spells, so if you have more questions, I'd be happy to give my opinion on them, if it would be of any help.
A gentle reminder about the specs of this spell might help!
As an aside, I threw Prevarication's Bounty right out the window, and either modified or substituted dozens of other RR or RRII spells, so if you have more questions, I'd be happy to give my opinion on them, if it would be of any help.
Frost
First Post
Shadow Touch is a 3rd level wizard/sorcerer/cleric spell that lets the caster make a touch attack. If he hits, he deals 1d6+1 per two caster levels of temporary STR damage (maximum +6, Fort save for half ability damage). If a creature is reduced to 0 or less, he dies and rises as a shadow under control of the caster 1d4+1 rounds later. A caster can control up to 2 HD of shadows per caster level at one time (this is on not top of any undead created by animate dead; i.e., can't exceed the 2 HD per level maximum).
Last edited:
Voadam
Legend
So the difference between this and the level 1 ranged ray of enfeeblement is that it can be done multiple times to stack str damage upon one creature until death. With spectral hand you get the ranged part back again.
Are you worried about the enslaved shadow spawning out of control? The caster only controls the one he killed, not any created by his minion, and shadows don't control their spawn either I believe.
Are you worried about the enslaved shadow spawning out of control? The caster only controls the one he killed, not any created by his minion, and shadows don't control their spawn either I believe.
Frost
First Post
I have my copy of R&R in front of me and corrected the spell info in the post above.
My problem is about the shadows created and them being done so at a low level. For example, in the PH, the only way to create a shadow is through Create Greater Undead (8th level spell) and even then the shadow created isn't under the caster's control.
I understand that Shadow Touch involves an attack and isn't necessarily an instant summoning spell. However, if the PC happens upon some low level humanoids (like he did), he has a found a gold mine.
So right now, the 7th level wizard is running around with 4 shadows under his control. Given their incorporeal nature, they are can drop a lot of things no sweat. For example, purple worm ahead? No sweat. The party can sit back and let the shadows do the dirty work.
And yes, that doesn't even touch upon the spawn they might create and whether the PC can control them via proxy (yes, shadows do control their spawn).
My problem is about the shadows created and them being done so at a low level. For example, in the PH, the only way to create a shadow is through Create Greater Undead (8th level spell) and even then the shadow created isn't under the caster's control.
I understand that Shadow Touch involves an attack and isn't necessarily an instant summoning spell. However, if the PC happens upon some low level humanoids (like he did), he has a found a gold mine.
So right now, the 7th level wizard is running around with 4 shadows under his control. Given their incorporeal nature, they are can drop a lot of things no sweat. For example, purple worm ahead? No sweat. The party can sit back and let the shadows do the dirty work.
And yes, that doesn't even touch upon the spawn they might create and whether the PC can control them via proxy (yes, shadows do control their spawn).
Voadam
Legend
Create Spawn (Su)
Any humanoid reduced to Strength 0 by a shadow becomes a shadow under the control of its killer within 1d4 rounds.
That does seem to allow proxy control. Shadows can spawn like crazy.
Create Greater undead does not allow control of the created creatures, that must be done through other means such as control undead spells or command undead turning options.
Viewing it as the shadow minion aspect, yeah I think that is too much compared to core methods of doing the same thing (creating and controlling a shadow). If the shadow was not controlled though or only lasted a certain amount of time . . .
Any humanoid reduced to Strength 0 by a shadow becomes a shadow under the control of its killer within 1d4 rounds.
That does seem to allow proxy control. Shadows can spawn like crazy.
Create Greater undead does not allow control of the created creatures, that must be done through other means such as control undead spells or command undead turning options.
Viewing it as the shadow minion aspect, yeah I think that is too much compared to core methods of doing the same thing (creating and controlling a shadow). If the shadow was not controlled though or only lasted a certain amount of time . . .
Twowolves
Explorer
Yeah, that is a bit of a problem. But then again, I've seen evil PC's just find a regular shadow in a dungeon, the cleric rebukes it, and it's off to the races in that case as well, and at about the same levels as we are talking here.
I'd make sure you played up the fact that A) any spawn slain by a shadow under his control isn't under also under his control and B) running around with a bunch of life draining undead is probably an evil act. Then endeavor to have an evil cleric rebuke them and turn them back on the PC.
Or raise the level of the spell.
I'd make sure you played up the fact that A) any spawn slain by a shadow under his control isn't under also under his control and B) running around with a bunch of life draining undead is probably an evil act. Then endeavor to have an evil cleric rebuke them and turn them back on the PC.
Or raise the level of the spell.
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