Tome of Shadow (Shadow Magic Revitalization)

[Realms of Chaos]

Alternate Class Abilities:

Bolster Shadow
Although most bards try to inspire competence in their companions. Some bards, however, decide that keeping their compatriots alive is of greater importance.
Class: Bard
Level: 3rd
Replaces: A bard taking this ability does not gain the inspire competence ability.
Benefit: A bard with this ability and 6 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use his music or poetics to bolster a companion’s shadow. The ally must be within 30 feet of bard and must be able to hear the bard but need not actually be able to see him. The bard needs neither line of sight nor line of effect to bolster an ally’s shadow. The ally gains temporary hit points equal to the highest number of ranks that that bard possesses in any Perform skill. In addition, they also gain cold resistance equal to half of the remaining amount of temporary hit points from this ability. Unlike most temporary hit points, temporary hit points from this ability do not stack with temporary hit points from any other source, and if they receive a greater amount of temporary hit points from another source, the cold resistance fades. The effect lasts as long as the bard concentrates, up to a maximum of 2 minutes, and two rounds after the last temporary hit point is lost or the bard stops concentrating, the target becomes sickened for the remainder of the encounter. The bard may not bolster their own shadow with this ability and may not bolster an ally more than once per day.

Cave Warden
As strange as the concept may sound after watching shadow magic, shadow is indeed a part of the natural world. This is perhaps realized in no place more than the numerous caves across the world. The Druids who take it upon themselves to guard these areas are granted with seemingly unnatural abilities.
Class: Druid
Level: 4th
Replaces: This alternate class feature replaces the standard druid’s resist nature’s lure ability, in addition to their ability to wild shape into fire, water, earth, and air elementals.
Benefit: You gain darkvision out to 60 feet, or your existing darkvision is extended by 60 feet.
At 16th level, you gain the ability to wild shape into a small, medium, large, or huge shadow elemental once per day. At 20th level, you gain the ability to wild shape into an elder shadow elemental and can enter their elemental form twice per day. At In all other ways, this functions as standard druid’s ability to wild shape into elementals.

Cursed Shadow
A Hexblade wields curses as weapon. By wielding the power of shadows, their power seems to become even more alien than it was before.
Class: Hexblade
Level: 10th
Replaces: A Hexblade with this alternate ability does not cast spells.
Benefit: At 10th level and every level afterwards, the Hexblade learns an apprentice mystery, which they cast as an arcane spell, using their charisma score to determine both is they can cast a mystery of a certain level and to determine their mystery’s spell DCs.

Dark Heritage
A Warlock often receives their power from various diabolic sources. Some lend unholy resilience. Others lend the power of shadows itself.
Class: Warlock
Level: 1st
Replaces: A Warlock with this alternate ability does not gain the fiendish resilience ability or the energy resistance ability.
Benefit:
The Warlock adds hide and move silently to their list of class skills.
At 3rd level, the Warlock gains Cold Resistance 1, which increases by an additional point every 4 levels.
At 8th level, a Warlock can see through darkness as easily as light.
At 13th level, a Warlock can take 10 on hide checks, even when under stress.
At 18th level, a Warlock can make hide checks even without cover or while observed, so long as they are at least in shadowy illumination.

Devout Heretic
Although they are reviled for the way in which they do so, some Cultists who worship gods gain some of their divine power.
Class:Cultist
Special Requirement: Must worship a real deity
Level: 1st
Replaces: This alternate class feature replaces the fundamental normally gained at first level.
Benefit: You gain the granted abilities of two domains offered by the deity you worship.

Ebon Sage:
A Shadowcaster is, through their methods, a counterpoint to the wizard, gaining what it has not and losing some of what it has. Some Shadowcasters choose to emulate wizards, providing a more balanced array of abilities.
Class: Shadowcaster
Levels: 1st, 3rd,4th,8th,11th,12th,14th,16th,20th
Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain extra fundamentals at 4th level and every 4 levels afterwards, you do not gain the umbral sight ability, you do not gain unlimited use of fundamentals at 14th level, you do not gain bonus feats, and you must spend 1 hour each day to gain back your mysteries.
Benefit: at 1st level, You gain Shadow Tome (see above) as a bonus feat and add all knowledge skills to your list of class skills.
At 3rd level, you gain shadow familiar as a bonus feat.
At 4th and 8th levels, you learn any single 0-level arcane spell. You may use it three times each day as an arcane spell, following all normal rules (including needed components). It is regained along with the other mysteries.
At 11th level, you gain any metashadow or item creation feat that you qualify for.
At 12th and 16th levels, you learn any single 1st-level arcane spell. You may use it three times per day as an arcane spell. In addition, at 12th level, all previously chosen 0-level spells become spell-like abilities.
At 14th level, you gain an extra daily use of all fundamentals and arcane spells learned by virtue of the Shadowcaster class. This applies both to ones gained in the future and those already gained.
At 20th level, you learn any single 2nd-level arcane spell. You may use it three times each day as an arcane spell. In addition, all previously learned 0-level spells become supernatural abilities and all 1st-level spells become spell-like abilities.

Escalating Shadows
Some shadowcasters, through unorthodox training, learn their art as an irreversible series of steps and progressions, rather than focusing on paths alone.
Class: Shadowcaster
Level: 1st
Replaces: You do not gain bonus feats or bonus fundamentals.
Benefit: You do not need to learn paths in order. The maximum level of mystery you can learn is equal to 1/2 of your character level. Once you take a mystery of a higher spell level, you may no longer select any mystery of lower spell levels.
In addition, rather than being able to use each mystery a certain number of times per day, you may cast mysteries of each spell level equal to twice the number of mysteries of that spell level known.
Lastly, your shadow moves more subtly when you cast mysteries, increasing the spot check DC to 20.

Haunted
Some users of Shadow Magic seem off. Although no one can identify anything wrong with them, something not quite natural seems to play across their features. This effect is a mistake, an enlargement of their shadow. This mistake, however, is useful to some.
Class: Shadowcaster or Cultist
Level: 1st
Replaces: Nothing.
Benefit: You emanate an aura of uneasiness out to 10 feet. All creatures within this aura take a –2 penalty on will saves against fear effects and all animals within range become one category closer to hostile towards you.
It takes only a dc 10 spot check to notice the movement of your shadow during shadowcasting.
You take a –2 penalty on Charisma-based checks except intimidate checks, with which you gain a +2 bonus.

Logical Mystery:
As a Shadowcaster continues along their path, their mysteries become more natural to them, allowing them more ease with their casting. At no point, however, do these mysteries become more natural to the outside world, however. Some Shadowcasters, wanting to surpass mundane magic in one more aspect, have worked to make their mysteries a part of the natural world, although doing so has slowed their progress.
Class: Shadowcaster
Level: 3rd
Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not learn a new mystery at 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th, 15th, 17th, and 19th levels.
Benefit: At each of the indicated levels, choose one mystery (including fundamentals) that you use as a Supernatural ability. You gain an extra daily use of that ability and can use it as an extraordinary ability, meaning that it can function even in antimagic zones and dead magic areas. Furthermore, the save dc (if any) of that mystery changes to 10 + 1/2 your class level + your charisma modifier. The Favored Mystery Feat still grants extra uses as if it were a supernatural ability.

Patron’s Weapon
Most Cultists try to refine and practice their art in silence, away from those who would oppress them. Some more proactive Cultists take the fight to their enemy to display their prowess.
Class: Cultist
Level: 2nd
Replaces: You do not gain the Patron’s Gift or Shadow Guardian abilities.
Benefit: As a full-round action, you may summon a melee weapon formed from shadows. Although the form of the weapon is decided as it is formed, it always has the same statistics (1d8+Str mod/19-20). The weapon is instantly destroyed the moment that it leaves your hands, making it unsuitable as a throwing weapon. If destroyed, a new one can be formed as a full-round action. You gain a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls made with the shadow weapon for every four class levels you possess.
Once per day, plus once per day for every five class levels you possess, you may make a single attack with the shadow weapon as a full-round action, treating the attack as a touch attack. If it hits, all mysteries cast by you within the next round are treated as spell-like abilities if they would otherwise be treated as spells or as supernatural abilities if they would otherwise be treated as spell-like abilities. Mysteries that would be cast as supernatural abilities (such as through the favored mystery feat) gain no benefits.
This weapon is a supernatural ability, and is suppressed in the area of an antimagic field.

Shadow Acolyte
Some clerics, worshipping gods of night, shadow, and darkness may end up with a certain amount of control over shadows.
Class: Cleric
Level: 1st
Special Requirement: The Cleric’s patron deity must have night, shadow, or darkness in their portfolio.
Replaces: This alternate class feature replaces the standard cleric’s ability to turn or rebuke undead.
Benefit: a number of times per day equal to your charisma modifier (minimum 1/day), you may use any fundamental of shadow as a supernatural ability. They use their charisma modifier to determine mystery DCs.
Note: At the DM’s discretion, patron deities with additional aspects in their portfolios may provide this ability.

Shadow Annul
Shadowcasters and Illusionists often end up drawing from overlapping sources of power. As such, they gain the unique ability to counterspell each other more efficiently.
Class:Shadowcaster or Wizard
Level: 1st
Requirements: A wizard taking this ability must be a specialist illusionist.
Replaces: A wizard taking this ability does not gain scribe scroll or a familiar.
A shadowcaster taking this ability only starts with one fundamental known.
Benefit: Wizards taking this ability can counterspell shadow magic with no penalty. Shadowcasters taking this ability can counterspell spells with no penalty.
In addition, regardless of class, anyone with this alternate ability gains improved counterspell as a bonus feat.

Shadow Blood
Sorcerers have inherited their power from dragons, celestials, or fiends, making one think that they are unrelated to shadow. However, every now and then, a sorcerer’s shadow magic leaks into their veins, tainting the blood that has granted them magic.
Class: Sorcerer
Level: 1st
Replaces: a sorcerer with this alternate class feature cannot learn spells with the [light] or [fire] descriptors, and may not use the energy substitution or energy admixture feats to deal fire damage. In addition, they may not exchange spells known at 12th level and every even level afterwards.
Benefit: add hide and move silently to your list of class skills.
At 4th level, your familiar (as well as all future familiars) gains the dark template.
At 8th level, you gain concealment in any condition other than bright light.
At 12th level, you gain cold resistance 10.
At 16th level, you gain the hide in plain sight class feature.
At 20th level, you learn any spell of your choice from the shadow subschool.

Shadow Specialization
A Wizard spends much time studying various types of magic. It is natural that some would choose to specialize in shadow magic.
Class: Wizard
Level: 1st
Replaces: This alternate class feature replaces the standard wizard’s ability to specialize in a school of magic. In addition, this replaces their ability to cast 0-level spells.
Benefit: you gain a bonus spell slot per spell level that can only be used to prepare spells with the shadow subschool.
In addition, instead of learning cantrips, choose 2 fundamentals of shadow. You may use each one 3/day as a spell-like ability. They use their intelligence to determine mystery DCs. You may later choose to learn cantrips by spending your new spells learned at each level or by scribing them from scrolls.

Shadowy Stunt
Rogues hide within the shadows for most of their careers. Some develop a special affinity with it, imitating feats normally reserved for Cultists and Shadowcasters
Class: Rogue
Special Requirement: Knowledge (the planes) 5 ranks
Level: 10th,13th,16, or 19th
Replaces: This alternate class feature replaces the special ability gained at each level that it is taken.
Benefit: The Rogue selects any Fundamental of Shadow or Apprentice Mystery and can cast it as a shadowcaster with a caster level of 1/2 the rogue’s class level, so long as their intelligence score is at least 10+the mystery’s level. The save dc of the mystery is determined by the Rogues Charisma modifier.

Tainted Shadowcaster
A Shadowcaster uses dark and mysterious powers. Some wander too far in their studies, becoming depraved and warped creatures.
Class: Shadowcaster
Level: 1st
Replaces: Any bonus feats gained through high taint must be used to acquire a metashadow feat.
Benefit: you gain tainted shadowcaster as a bonus feat and immediately gain one point of depravity and corruption. In addition, all mysteries you cast gain the evil descriptor.
Whenever you gain a level in Shadowcaster, you gain an additional point of depravity and corruption.

Umbral Trickery:
Some bards tell tall tales of shadows used as a source of alien magic. Some bards are part of those stories.
Class: Bard
Level: 1st
Replaces: This alternate class feature replaces the standard bard’s ability to cast 0-level spells.
Benefit: you gain one fundamental of shadow, which you can use 3/day as a supernatural ability. At 2nd level, and again at 3rd level, you may choose additional fundamentals, each usable 3/day as supernatural abilities. They use their charisma score to determine mystery DCs.

 

[Realms of Chaos]

Racial Substitution Levels:

Gnome Shadowcaster:
As regular users of Shadow magic, gnomish shadowcasters are the next logical step. Gnomish shadowcasters approach this art just as an illusionist practices theirs, sneakily and with an emergency exit in reach. These gnomes have less of a penchant for stories and pranks but still create mischief all the same.
Hit Die: d6

Requirements:
To take a gnome shadowaster substitution level, a character must be a gnome about to take his 1st, 3rd, or 14th level of shadowcaster.

Class Skills: Gnome Shadowcaster substitution levels grant the same class skills as the standard shadowcaster class.
Skill points at each level: 2+Int modifier (or four times that number as a beginning character).

Class Features:
All of the following are the features of the gnome shadowcasters racial substitution levels.

Fundamental Mastery (Sp): Whenever a 1st level or higher gnome shadowcaster learns a fundamental, they gain that fundamental 1/day as a spell-like ability, in addition to its 3 or more uses as a supernatural ability. This ability replaces the mystery normally learned at 1st level.

Master of Surprise (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, whenever a gnomish uses a stilled, spell-like, or supernatural mystery, their opponent is caught flat-footed as the attack seems to come from nowhere. This effect replaces the umbral sight ability gained at 3rd and 11th levels.

Shadowy Jaunt (Su): Starting at 14th level, whenever a gnomish shadowcaster would be allowed an attack of opportunity, they may instead take an immediate action to teleport anywhere within 20 feet. This effect replaces use of fundamental at will, as would normally be gained at 14th level.

Gnome Shadowcaster Substitution levels

Level B.A.B. Fort  Ref  Will  Special
1st    +0     +2    +0   +2    Fundamental mastery, fundamentals of shadow, apprentice mysteries
3rd    +2     +3    +1   +3    Master of surprise
14th   +7     +9    +4   +9    Shadowy jaunt

Shadowswyft Shadowcasters: It is rare nowadays to hear anything of the elusive shadowswyfts. Most still live in seclusion as rogues and assassins. When one turns to spellcasting, however, they almost invariably take up shadowcasting.

Requirements:
To take a Shadowswyft Shadowcaster substitution level, a character must be a Shadowswyft about to take their 1st, 2nd, or 4th level of Shadowcaster

Class Skills: Shadowswyft Shadowcaster substitution levels grant the same class skills as the standard shadowcaster class.
Skill points at each level: 2+Int modifier (or four times that number as a beginning character).

Class Features:
All of the following are the features of the Shadowswyft shadowcasters racial substitution levels.

Planar Connection (Su): The Shadowswyft Shadowcaster gains a +1 bonus to the caster level of their Mysteries at night. This increases to a +2 bonus on the Plane of Shadows. This replaces 2 of the fundamentals normally gained at 1st level.

Negate Blindness (Ex): A 2nd level Shadowswyft Shadowcaster loses their light blindness.

Shadow’s Master: Whenever a 2nd level or higher Shadowswyft Shadowcaster would gain a bonus feat from access to multiple paths, they may instead learn an extra fundamental. This ability modifies but does not eliminate the normal bonus feats ability gained at 2nd level.

Shadow’s Guard (Su): A 4th level Shadowswift gains a +1 bonus to their AC as long as they remain in shadowy illumination or darkness. This bonus increases by +1 every 4 levels afterwards. This replaces the bonus fundamentals normally gained at 4th level and every 4 levels afterwards.

Shadowswyft Shadowcaster Substitution levels

Level B.A.B. Fort  Ref  Will  Special
1st    +0     +2    +0   +2    Planar connection, fundamentals of shadow, apprentice mysteries
2nd    +2     +3    +1   +3    Bonus feat, shadow’s master
4th    +2     +4    +1   +4    Shadow’s Guard

Drow Shadowcaster: Although the drow have little chance to advance in society as a Shadowcaster, some still take up this path, even managing to pass off as warlocks for short periods of time. Their increased power, it seems, is sponsored by Lolth, leading to a limited inclusion within the faith. Within the Underdark, there is much to be learned about the powers of shadow. Drow have learned much of it.

Requirements:
To take a Drow Shadowcaster substitution level, a character must be a Drow about to take their 1st, 3nd, or 11th level of Shadowcaster

Class Skills: Drow Shadowcaster substitution levels grant the same class skills as the standard shadowcaster class.
Skill points at each level: 2+Int modifier (or four times that number as a beginning character).

Class Features:
All of the following are the features of the Drow shadowcasters racial substitution levels.

Lolth’s Favor (Sp): With each racial substitution level gained, the Drow Shadowcaster gains an extra use of each of their racial spell-like abilities.

Unbound Sight (Ex): A Drow Shadowcaster does not possess light blindness. This replaces one of the fundamentals normally gained at 1st level.

Truedark Sight (Su): A 3rd level Drow Shadowcaster gains the ability to see through magical darkness out to 60 feet.
At 11th level, this ability improves, allowing them to see through magical and mundane darkness as if it were bright light, even allowing them to see color.
This ability alters, but does not replace, the umbral sight ability of the Shadowcaster.

Drow Shadowcaster Substitution levels

Level B.A.B. Fort  Ref  Will  Special
1st    +0     +2    +0   +2    Lolth’s favor, unbound sight, fundamentals of shadow, apprentice mysteries
3rd    +2     +3    +1   +3    Lolth’s favor, truedark sight (magical darkness)
11th   +7     +9    +4   +9    Lolth’s favor, truedark sight (se through darkness)

Shadar-Kai Shadowcaster: Many have forgotten the cursed Shadar-Kai. Not a surprise, as they have cloistered themselves away from the rest of the world for quite some time. Recently, however, sightings have started again. The Shadar-Kai are starting to return, and their souls seem to be more intact. This repair of their soul has been accomplished through study of Shadow Magic.
Hit Die: d6

Requirements To take a Shadar-Kai shadowcaster substitution level, a character must be a Shadar-Kai about to take his 1st, 4th, or 14th level of shadowcaster.

Class Skills
Shadar-Kai shadowcaster substitution levels have the class skills of the standard shadowcaster.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier (or four times this number as a beginning character).

Class Features
All the following are features of the Shadar-Kai ranger racial substitution levels.
Waning Curse (Su): The Will save DC to avoid the shadow curse is lowered to 10. In addition, the Shadar-Kai can be healed by a greater restoration on the material plane and by a restoration on the plane of Shadows.
Sneak Attack: At 4th level and every 4 levels afterwards, the Shadar-Kai’s sneak attack damage increases by +1d6. This replaces the bonus fundamentals gained at 4th level and every 4 levels afterwards.
Fade into Shadow (Su): At 14th level, by spending a full-round action, the Shadar-Kai can take 20 on a hide check. This replaces the normal unlimited use of fundamentals gained at 14th level.

Shadar-Kai shadowcaster substitution levels

Level B.A.B. Fort  Ref  Will  Special
1      +0     +2    +0   +2    Fundamentals of Shadow, apprentice mysteries, waning curse
4      +2     +4    +1   +4    Sneak attack +2d6
14     +7     +9    +4   +9    Fade into Shadow

 

[Realms of Chaos]

New Mundane Items

Sun Parasol: This parasol, when held up as a move action, fills the holder’s square with shadowy illumination.

Glare Spectacles: These spectacles block out sunlight. When warn, light sensitivity is ignored and light blindness is reduced to light sensitivity. In addition, the wearer gains a +2 bonus on saving throws against gaze attacks. Lastly, the spectacles block out useful light, imposing a –2 penalty on search and spot checks.

Shadow Infuser: Created by the Shadar-Kai long ago, these are worn on the back of Shadar-Kai that expect a long foray onto the material plane. A small reservoir holds liquid shadowstuff. When the Shadar-Kai would fall victim to their curse, the shadowstuff is injected into them, negating the curse. Only one dose of liquid shadowstuff can be held at a time.

Sonar Pick: In areas where mining is done underground, communication is sometimes established through special picks, that let loose a small noise when they hit against stone (DC 20 listen check hears). This can be used to coordinate locations. In addition, a character with the stonecunning ability who hits a stone with it and makes a dc 20 appraise check can identify what form of stone was hit. In battle, it functions as a light pick, but a clumsily made one, imposing a –1 penalty on attack and damage rolls made with it.

Rough Signet: In areas of darkness, the normal, colorful system of stamps and symbols are not nearly as effective. Although races with darkvision prefer to use it, other races use rough signets that are felt, rather than looked at, to check their authenticity.

New Alchemic Items

Instant Night: This black powder is highly compressed into little black balls. When thrown against the ground, it fills a 5-foot square with what appears to be darkness. The “darkness”, however, is really smoke, and therefore cannot be seen through with darkvision.

Sun Blocker: This white, pasty substance was originally developed by the Nightshade Covenant for their spies sent into the light of day. When applied to the body of a corporeal creature, any light sensitivity, light blindness, or weakness to light is cancelled out for 12 hours. It takes 1 minute to apply it.

Glow Mark: When normal creatures travel into areas of darkness, it is useful to have markers that are visible. This alchemically treated liquid glows with the approximate light of a candle. Enough liquid is in each tube to leave 10 effective markers or 1 reasonably long sentence.

Swarm Repellant: The bane of every adventurer in the subterranean are swarms. Luckily, some individuals have figured out a way to repel such swarms. When applied to a creature, that creature gains damage reduction 5/- against swarm damage and a +4 alchemic bonus on saving throws to resist becoming nauseated by swarms. Applying Swarm Repellant takes 1 minute one application lasts for 1 hour.

New Living Items

Dark Beetle: Originally discovered an cultivated by the Nightshade Covenant, these small beetles are pitch black and are about the size of a human fist. Originating from the plane of shadow, they recognize prey by heat rather than by sight. They detect sources of heat within 60 feet. Due to their strong legs and even stride, they can support an item weighing up to one pound tied to their back without a risk of it falling off. Typically, a dark beetle bearing a flask of alchemist fire or something similar is let loose onto the ground and its user runs away. On its initiative (0), it moves 10 feet towards the nearest source of heat it detects, or in any direction should it not detect heat. If it enters a target’s square, it impacts against them unerringly and the beetle dies, releasing whatever substance was tied to them. Undead members of the Covenant unleash them and let the beetles act as weapons. Keeping a Dark Beetle alive requires a constant supply of air and at least one meal of grubs each week.

Umbral Blossom: The dark blossom grows directly out of the soil, with no stem at all. It is dark grey flower found only on the plane of shadows, originally growing only one inch high and one inch in diameter. Whenever a mundane source of light approaches within 60 feet of the dark blossom, the light goes out and the flower grows (1 inch higher, 1 inch in radius, and one pound heavier). At least 1 such meal is needed each month to keep the dark blossom alive, along with rich soil. Some creatures with darkvision carry around a potted one (or place one in an important place) to douse the lights of intruders or potential victims.

[B]Non-Magical Items  Price               Weight[/B]
Dark Beetle        300 gp              2 lbs.
Glare Spectacles   20 gp               1 lb.
Glow Mark          1 gp                —
Instant Night      30 gp               —
Rough Signet       5 sp                —
Shadow Infuser     50 gp + 10 gp/dose  5 lbs.
Sonar Pick         20 gp               4 lbs.
Sun Blocker        10 gp               —
Sun Parasol        5 sp                1 lb.
Swarm Repellant    40 gp               —
Umbral Blossom     200 gp              1 lb.

New Materials:

Shadow Ore: On the plane of shadows, a rare ore, infused with shadowstuff, grows in veins. The ore is several times more malleable than gold, granting a +2 circumstance bonus on all profession (miner) checks to mine it and craft checks made to turn it into an item. In addition, Shadow Ore is lightweight, weighing only half of the weight of normal items. Lastly, if Shadow Ore is exposed to even trace amounts of another type of metal during the forging process, the shadow ore gains that metal’s properties (with the exception of weight) for 1 after completion. Only one type of metal can be imitated at a time.
Weapons or armors fashioned from Shadow Ore are always masterwork items as well; the masterwork cost is included in the prices given below.

[B]Type of Shadow Ore Item    Item Cost Modifier[/B]
Light Armor                +500 gp
Medium Armor               +2,000 gp
Heavy Armor                +5,000 gp
Shield                     +500 gp
Other Items                +250 gp/lb.

[B]Type of Added Metal        Item Cost Modifier[/B]
Adamantine                 +200 gp
Alchemical Silver          +20 gp
Astral Drift Metal         +50 gp
Baatorian Greensteel       +100 gp
Blended Quartz             +100 gp
Cold Iron                  +100 gp
Entropium                  +50 gp
Gehennan Morghuth-Iron     +200 gp
Kheferu                    +100 gp
Mithral                    +150
Pandemonic Silver          +250 gp
Solanian Truesteel         +50 gp
Starmetal                  +500 gp
Susalian Chainweave        +1,000 gp
Thinaun                    +300 gp
Urdrukar                   +100 gp
Ysgardian Heartwire        +75 gp

Night Stone: Nightstone is a rare rock that exists only in shadowy illumination or darkness, making it far more common on the plane of shadow. Night Stone is strangely malleable, allowing it to imitate any steel item with the proper craft check. Night Stone items weigh half again as much as their steel counterparts, but armor made from it has its armor check penalty decreased by two and its maximum dexterity bonus increased by two. Lastly, if exposed to daylight, or if placed within the radius of a daylight spell, the stone crumbles to dust.

[B]Type of Night Stone Item   Item Cost Modifier[/B]
Ammunition                 +20 gp
Light Armor                +400 gp
Medium Armor               +1,000 gp
Heavy Armor                +1,500 gp
Weapon                     +100 gp

 

[Realms of Chaos]

New Magic Items:
Boots of Dark Flame:
Price: 10,800 gp
Body Slot: Feet
Caster Level: 3rd
Aura: Faint; (DC 16) evocation
Activation: Swift (command)
Weight: 2 lbs.

These black, leather boots feel cold to the touch.

When activated, Boots of Dark Flame burst into harmless flames for 1 round. During this time, every space that the boots pass through is ignited with black flames, dealing 1d6 cold damage to any who pass through that space. The flames last for 3 rounds.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Black Fire
Cost to Create: 5,400 gp, 432 XP, 11 days.

Boots of Unhindered Travel:
Price: 1,800
Body Slot: Feet
Caster Level: 1st
Aura: Faint; (DC 15) transmutation
Activation: Standard (command)
Weight: -

These boots bear images of rubble, vines, and other such impediments.

While wearing these boots, a spoken command word allows its wearer to walk unhindered across difficult terrain for 1 round, but not across terrain magically animated to hinder movement.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Shadowstep
Cost to Create: 900 gp, 72 XP, 2 days.

Bottomless Pouch:
Price: 1,000 gp
Body Slot: –
Caster Level: 1st
Aura: Faint; (DC 15) conjuration
Activation: Standard (manipulation)
Weight: –

This small, brown belt pouch appears completely empty.

This whenever this belt pouch is reached into, you can pull out any small, nonmagical item you wish, within the limits of the tools of the trade mystery. The items last for 1 hour, after which time they disappear.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Tools of the Trade
Cost to Create: 500 gp, 40 XP, 1 day

Bracers of Shadow:
Price: 1,000 gp (+1), 4,000 gp (+2), 9,000 gp (+3), 16,000 gp (+4), 25,000 gp (+5), 36,000 gp (+6), 49,000 gp (+7), 64,000 gp (+8)
Body Slot: Arms
Caster Level: 2nd (+1), 4th (+2), 6th (+3), 8th (+4), 10th (+5), 12th (+6), 14th (+7), 16th (+8)
Aura: Faint; (DC 16) abjuration (+1); Faint; (DC 17) abjuration (+2); Moderate; (DC 18) abjuration (+3); Moderate; (DC 19) abjuration (+4); Moderate; (DC 20) abjuration (+5); Strong; (DC 21) abjuration (+6); Strong; (DC 22) abjuration (+7); Strong; (DC 23) abjuration (+8)
Activation: -
Weight: 1 lb.

These bracers are pitch black and attach to the arms like a second skin.

As long as the wearer is in shadowy illumination (but not darkness or bright light), they gain a deflection bonus to their AC that ranges from +1 to +8.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Caul of Shadow
Cost to Create: 500 gp, 40 XP, 1 day (+1); 2,000 gp, 160 XP, 4 days (+2); 4,500 gp, 360 XP, 9 days (+3); 8,000 gp, 640 XP, 16 days (+4); 12,500 gp, 1,000 XP, 25 days (+5); 18,000 gp, 1,440 XP, 36 days (+6); 24,500 gp, 1,960 XP, 49 days (+7); 32,000 gp, 2,560 XP, 64 days (+8).

Cloak of Shadowfighting:
Price: 33,600 gp
Body Slot: Shoulders
Caster Level: 7th
Aura: Moderate, (DC 18) transmutation, abjuration, and illusion
Activation: Automatic activation
Weight: 1 lb.

This black cloak seems to blow as if caught in an unseen breeze.

This cloak grants whoever wears it’s the power to keep fighting even in their darkest hour. The first time in a 24-hour period that its wearer is knocked below half of their total hit points, they are protected by a dancing shadows effect, granting them total concealment for 7 rounds.
The first time in a 24-hour period that its wearer is knocked below 2 hit point/level, they are automatically protected by a bolster effect, granting them 35 temporary hit points for up to 70 minutes.
Lastly, the first time in a 24-hour period that its wearer is attacked while below 1 hit point/level, the cloak briefly fuses into their skin, granting them DR 10/Magic for 1 round.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Bolster, Dancing Shadows, Shadow Skin.
Cost to Create: 16,800 gp, 1,344 XP, 34 days.

Ebon Quill:
Price: 1,800 gp
Body Slot: None (held)
Caster Level: 1st
Aura: Faint; (DC 15) conjuration
Activation: Free (command)
Weight: –

This ghostly white quill seems to glow with an unearthly light.

This writing quill remains completely white, regardless of how it is treated and what it is dipped into. Furthermore, it glows with the strength of a candle. With a command word, the ink is continually covered in an endless supply of ink until the command word is spoken once more.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Liquid Night
Cost to Create: 900 gp, 72 XP, 2 days

Ebon Veil:
Price: 200 gp
Body Slot: Head
Caster Level: 1st
Aura: Faint; (DC 15) abjuration
Activation: automatic
Weight: –

This black veil seems strangely inviting.

This small, black veil protects its wearer in times of misfortune. The first time each day that the wearer fails a saving throw, they gain a +1 resistance bonus on their next saving throw, so long as it is made within the next hour.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Midnight Veil
Cost to Create: 100 gp, 8 XP, 1 day

Ephemeral Eye:
Price: 2,400 gp
Body Slot: None
Caster Level: 1st
Aura: Faint; (DC 15) divination
Activation: standard (mental)
Weight: –

This small quartz orb possesses a deep whole on one size, reminiscent of an eye’s pupil.

This small, quartz orb floats through the air at its owner’s command, looking wherever you wish it to with a fly speed of 30 feet (perfect maneuverability). It sends its owner back a mental image of everything that it sees. The Ephemeral Eye cannot be ordered out of its owner’s line of sight. If the Ephemeral Eye leaves your line of sight, it become inactive for 24 hours. The Ephemeral Eye can remain active for 1 minute each day, but this duration need not be consecutive. The Ephemeral eye has an AC of 18 while active and has 1 hit point.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Bend Perspective
Cost to Create: 1,200 gp, 96 XP, 3 days.

Ghost Knife:
Price: 50 gp
Body Slot: None (held)
Caster Level: 1st
Aura: Faint; (DC 15) conjuration
Activation: standard (manipulation)
Weight: –

The small cube of ivory almost seems to glow.

This small cube of ivory, when grasped into the palm, bursts into a dagger (not dealing damage to its holder). The dagger is normal in all ways except that it deals damage to ethereal and incorporeal creatures as if it were a force effect. The moment that the dagger is released for any reason, the dagger and cube are both destroyed.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Ghostly Dagger
Cost to Create: 25 gp, 2 XP, 1 day

Gloves of Ranged Trickery:
Price: 5,000
Body Slot: Hands
Caster Level: 1st
Aura: Faint; (DC 15) transmutation
Activation: Standard (command)
Weight: 1 lb.

These white gloves appear to have been stained black

Gloves of Ranged Trickery provide a +5 enhancement bonus on sleight of hand checks.
In addition, when the command word is whispered, the gloves can be made to fly off of their wearer’s hands, fly up to 20 feet away, make a sleight of hand check (including both its and its owner’s bonuses), and return. If prevented from returning, they get as close as possible (using an effective strength score of 4) and then fall to the ground.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Quicker than the Eye, Umbral Hand
Cost to Create: 2,500 gp, 200 XP, 5 days.

Helmet of Dark Lore:
Price: 2,400
Body Slot: Head
Caster Level: 3rd
Aura: Faint; (DC 16) divination
Activation: – and immediate (mental)
Weight: 1 lb.

muffled echoes continuously emerge from this iron helmet.

This Ebon Helmet is filled with shadows that whisper into its wearer’s ears. It grants its wearer a +2 bonus on all knowledge check. In addition, once per day, the wearer may reroll a knowledge check.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Darkened Lore
Cost to Create: 1,200 gp, 96 XP, 3 days

Mask of Truth:
Price: 10,800 gp
Body Slot: – or Head
Caster Level: 5th
Aura: Faint; (DC 17) divination
Activation: Standard (command)
Weight: 1 lb.

This pitch black mask is almost completely featureless, featuring only a mouth hole.

This black mask seems featureless but its wearer has no problems seeing through it. By placing it on your head and speaking a command word, you can discern lies (as the spell) for 5 rounds. By placing it on the head of a corpse and speaking the command word, you can ask up to 2 questions of the corpse, as speak with dead. Regardless of how it is used, the Mask of Truth can only be used 3 times each day.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Pry the Truth
Cost to Create: 5,400 gp, 432 XP, 11 days

Pendant of Immediate Mysteries:
Price: 26,400 gp
Body Slot: Throat
Caster Level: 11th
Aura: Moderate: (DC 20) evocation
Activation: -
Weight: 1 lb.

This Pendant bears a deep black stone, in which dim lights sometimes appear to swirl about.

Once per day, its wearer may cast a mystery or spell with the shadow subschool as an immediate action.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Contingent Shadow
Cost to Create: 13,200 gp, 1,056 XP, 27 days

Portable Pyre:
Price: 750 gp
Body Slot: – (held)
Caster Level: 5th
Aura: Faint; (DC 17) evocation
Activation: – and standard (manipulation)
Weight: –

This miniature pyre creates neither smoke nor heat

This miniature pyre provides light as an everburning torch. In addition, when planted into the ground, it turns invisible (and no longer provides light), The next time that something enters its square, it explodes as the invisible pyre mystery (CL 5).
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Invisible Pyre
Cost to Create: 375 gp, 30 XP, 1 day

Robe of Fixed Follies:
Price: 5,600 gp
Body Slot: Body (non-armor)
Caster Level: 7th
Aura: Moderate; (DC 18) divination
Activation: – (automatic)
Weight: 2 lbs.

This mottled grey robe is covered in patches, stitches, and scorch marks.

The first time each day that its wearer fails an attack roll, saving throw, or skill check by 5 or more, they reroll it with a +5 bonus.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Answers Unbidden
Cost to Create: 2,800 gp, 224 XP, 6 days

Scarab of Echoes:
Price: 16,200
Body Slot: Throat
Caster Level: 9th
Aura: Moderate; (DC 19) universal
Activation: Swift (command)
Weight: –

This ghostly white scarab appears to have been crafted from crystal

Once per day, when the command word is spoken, the next 4th level or lower spell cast within 30 feet of the scarab within the next round is stored in it. On its owner’s next round, they automatically spend a standard action to cast that spell themselves, making new decisions where applicable. Whether it absorbs and echoes a spell or not, it remains inactive for 24 hours.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Echo Spell
Cost to Create: 8,100 gp, 648 XP, 17 days

Shadow Incense:
Price: 3,300 gp
Body Slot: —
Caster Level: 11th
Aura: Moderate; (DC 20) abjuration
Activation: See Text
Weight: 1 lb.

This rectangular block of faintly-scented incense is a deep shade of grey.

When lit, the wispy smoke of this incense forms spiraling patterns on the floor, recognizable through a dc 15 spot check.Any shadowcaster who regains their mysteries while within 20 feet of the lit incense has all of their mysteries empowered for 24 hours, as if through the metashadow feat.
A block of Shadow Incense burns for 1 hour and disappears 1 hour after it is ignited (even if the fire would be prevented from burning it away).
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Flood of Shadow, Empower Mystery
Cost to Create: 1,650 gp, 132 XP, 4 days.

Shadow’s Retaliation:
Price: 34,000 gp
Body Slot: Shoulders
Caster Level: 5th
Aura: Faint; (DC 17) abjuration
Activation: immediate (mental)
Weight: 1 lb.

This dark blue cape seems to stick by its wearer’s back, as if covered in a sticky paste

This cape helps its wearer respond to physical attack. When attacked, the wearer may speak a command word as an immediate action to gain the benefits of the Sharp Shadows and Shadowskin mysteries against one attack.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Shadowskin, Sharp Shadows
Cost to Create: 17,000 gp, 1,360 XP, 34 days

Sphere of Sequestration:
Price: 6,000
Body Slot: – (held)
Caster Level: 15th
Aura: Strong; (DC 22) abjuration
Activation: Standard (thrown)
Weight: 5 lb.

This small metallic sphere is completely smooth and surprisingly heavy

This small, smooth sphere is used as a projectile weapon. If it successfully hits its mark, the sphere disintegrates and the foe is removed from existence for 1d4+1 rounds, as by the Shadow Sequestration mystery. If the sphere misses its mark, it does not disintegrate but requires a dc20 search check to find again.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Shadow Sequestration
Cost to Create: 3,000 gp, 240 XP, 6 days

 

[Realms of Chaos]

New Cursed Items

Bedroll of the Fool:
Price: 2,000 gp
Body Slot: -
Caster Level: 1st
Aura: Faint; (DC 15) enchantment
Activation: -
Weight: 1 lb.

This bedroll is covered with peaceful images of flowers and fields

Anyone who sleeps in this bedroll for 8 hours heals an extra hit point per level. If a target is awoken early while sleeping in this bedroll, however, they take 1d4 wisdom damage.

Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Turbulent Dreams
Cost to Create: 1,000 gp, 80 xp, 2 days.

Boots of Immobilization:
Price: 3,000 gp
Body Slot: Feet
Caster Level: 5th
Aura: Faint; (DC 17) transmutation and conjuration.
Activation: – and standard (command)
Weight: –

These boots display images of bogs, sand dunes, and tar pits.

These boots function much like boots of unhindered travel. Whenever its wearer runs or charges, however, the curse of the boots activate, immobilizing its wearer for 1 round.

Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Shadowstep, Clinging Darkness
Cost to Create: 1,500 gp, 120 XP, 3 days.

Coin of Impediment:
Price: 10,000 gp
Body Slot: –
Caster Level: 15th
Aura: Strong; (DC 22) transmutation
Activation: –
Weight: –

You see a single, lonely gold piece, sitting on its own

Any creature bearing a coin of impediment on their person (even if it is in an extradimensional space) has the weight of all coins they possess increased to 1 pound at the beginning of the next encounter (including ones held in extradimensional space). The new weight remains until the coin of impediment is removed from its owner’s person.

Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Treacherous Hoard
Cost to Create: 5,000 gp, 400 XP, 10 days

Incense of Explosion:
Price: 750 gp
Body Slot: –
Caster Level: 5th
Aura: Faint; (DC 16) evocation
Activation: standard (manipulation)
Weight: 1 lb.

This cube of dark grey incense smells vaguely of smoke

When this cube of incense is lit, it explodes, dealing 5d6 damage to everyone within a 30 foot-radius (DC 15 reflex save for half). Half of this damage is fire damage, and the other half is pure shadow energy.

Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Invisible Pyre
Cost to Create: 375 gp, 30 XP, 1 day

New Artifact

Sphere of Mystery:
Price: N/A
Body Slot: None (held)
Caster Level: 21st
Aura: Overwhelming; (DC 25) universal.
Activation: one minute (manipulation)
Weight: –

This item appears to be nothing more than an orb of swirling shadows, but is solid enough to be picked up. When you stick your hand inside of it, you feel various switches, knobs, and levers floating through the orb

This orb is a powerful artifact of shadow. In order to operate successfully, you must first cast a mystery or a spell of the shadow subschool into the orb. An attempt to press a button, push a swith, or pull a lever without doing so deals 5d6 damage to the holder. After inserting shadow into the orb, the holder may make a dc 40 use magic device check. Upon success, an arcane caster who put in a spell gets a free wish spell, a divine caster who put in a spell gets a free miracle spell, or a mystery-user who put in a mystery gets a free desires manifest mystery. The use magic device check takes one minute to perform, provoking attacks of opportunity each round. Each time beyond the first that a single caster attempts to utilize the orb, there is a cumulative 5% chance that the orb of mystery turns into an sphere of annihilation upon completion, destroying the holder.
Prerequisites: N/A
Cost to Create: N/A

 

[Realms of Chaos]

Shadow Charm
I was looking around at all of the various things that a “strategic caster” would need and there was one thing that I couldn’t find. I originally designed it as a single item in my head but it grew into its own category of items. Although I have decided to name them shadow charms, their true identity sounds so much better to me…remote detonators.

Enchant Shadow Charm
You can create the small items known as shadow charms.
Prerequisites: Caster level 1st
Benefit: You can create any shadow charm whose prerequisites you meet. Crafting a shadow charm takes one day for each 1,000 gp in its base price. To craft a shadow charm, you must spend 1/25 of its base price in XP and use up raw materials costing one-half its base price.

Using Shadow Charms
Each Shadow Charm is crafted to hold a specific mystery with an area or a target, and a shadow charm only functions for an individual that has been carrying it for at least 24 hours, after which time the individual (if a shadow magic user) learns the identity of the contained mystery. After that period, its owner may place it down on the ground (dropping an item is a free action, as normal, although more time may be taken to hide it well). At anytime within 24 hours of leaving it, its owner may cause the spell within it to activate. If the owner wills it to activate from within 100 feet of it, it takes a mere standard action. If it is willed to activate from further, the owner must spend a full-round action, provoking attacks of opportunity, to give up one of their own daily uses of the contained mystery (for this reason, only shadow magic users can activate them from a distance, although no use magic device check is needed to do so). Shadow Charms may not be activated from across planar boundaries. When a Shadow Charm activates, if it holds an area effect, it is centered upon the square holding the Shadow Charm, or, in the case of a cone, emanates from it in a random direction. If it holds a targeted effect, it effects any creature in its square, or a random adjacent target (who gets a +2 bonus on any saving throw allowed) if no appropriate target resides in its square. It can only be activated once.

Finding Shadow Charms
Finding Shadow Charms is a tricky business. The base search dc to find one is 10+spell level, which is increased by +5 in shadowy illumination or by +10 in darkness. In addition, anyone using detect magic or mystic reflections must make a spellcraft check (DC 15+spell level), although more powerful divinations such as analyze dweomer automatically locate them. In addition to mundane destruction (1 HP, Hardness 2, Break DC 15) or dispelling, a successful disable device check (DC 20+spell level) removes the connection between a shadow charm and its latest owner, effectively disarming it.

Shadow Charm Pricing
The base price of a shadow charm is 100 x spell level x caster level

 

[Realms of Chaos]

New Prestige Classes:

The Abyssym
”I have seen what lurks in the darkness. I have every right to fear it”
-Grimpt Telgon, Priest of Pelor

Shadows react differently with each type of magic it is paired with. When paired with arcane magic, it struggles to rip away, the force of which cancels out an opponent’s magic. When applied to the inherent magic of a warlock however, the exact opposite reaction ensues. The two forms of magic meld together, forming a mesh of shadowy magic. While children of night ascend into shadow, the Abyssym ascends into darkness.
BECOMING AN ABYSSYM
Due to the prerequisites, it is perhaps best to assume that most are shadowcasters. Cultists have no more difficulty meeting the prerequisites, but shadowcasters will be able to get the most versatility due to their larger selection of mysteries.
Entry Requirements
Alignment: Any Nongood
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 6 ranks, Knowledge (the planes) 6 ranks, Spellcraft 6 ranks
Shadowcasting: Able to cast 2nd-level mysteries
Special: Eldritch blast 2d6

THE ABYSSYM HIT DIE: D4

[B]Level   Base     Fort   Ref    Will   Special                           Mysteries
        Attack   Save   Save   Save
        Bonus[/B]
1        +0       +2     +0     +2     Eldritch Blast +1d6,              +1 level of existing mystery-using class/+1 level of existing invocation-using class
                                       See in Darkness
2        +1       +3     +0     +3     Abyssym of Cold                   +1 level of existing mystery-using class/+1 level of existing invocation-using class
3        +1       +3     +1     +3     Bonus Metashadow Feat             +1 level of existing mystery-using class/+1 level of existing invocation-using class
4        +2       +4     +1     +4     Eldritch Blast +2d6               +1 level of existing mystery-using class/+1 level of existing invocation-using class
5        +2       +4     +1     +4     Abyssym of Fear,                  +1 level of existing mystery-using class/+1 level of existing invocation-using class
                                       Eldritch Splice
6        +3       +5     +2     +5     Bonus Invocation                  +1 level of existing mystery-using class/+1 level of existing invocation-using class
7        +3       +5     +2     +5     Eldritch Blast +3d6               +1 level of existing mystery-using class/+1 level of existing invocation-using class
8        +4       +6     +2     +6     Abyssym of Darkness               +1 level of existing mystery-using class/+1 level of existing invocation-using class
9        +4       +6     +3     +6     Bonus Metashadow Feat             +1 level of existing mystery-using class/+1 level of existing invocation-using class
10       +5       +7     +3     +7     Greater Eldritch Splice,          +1 level of existing mystery-using class/+1 level of existing invocation using class
                                       Eldritch Blast +4d6

Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level): Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Hide, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (the planes), Listen, Move Silently, Search, Spellcraft, Spot, Use Magic Device

CLASS FEATURES
As an abyssym, you blend together your shadow magic and invocations with great ease.
Mysteries: At each level, you gain new mysteries and an increase in caster level as if you had also gained a level in a mystery-using class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefits a character of that classes would have gained. If you had more than one mystery-using class before becoming an abyssym, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining caster level and mysteries known.
Invocations: At each level, you gain new invocations known and an increase in caster level as if you had also gained a level in an invocation-using class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level (this does not include eldritch blast). You do not, however, gain any other benefit a characterof that class would have gained. If you had more than one invocation-using class before becoming an eldritch disciple, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining caster level and invocations known.
Eldritch Blast:At 1st level, and then again at 4th, 7th, and 10th levels, the damage from your eldritch blast is increased by +1d6
See in Darkness (Su): Borrowing from shadow magic and fiendish blood alike, you improve your sight, allowing you to see through darkness and magical darkness out to 60 feet.
Abyssym of Cold (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, you can start to modify your eldritch blasts and mysteries through the interaction of energies that they generate. As a free action, you may add the cold descriptor to the next eldritch blast or mystery that you cast. Any creatures that are targeted or who are caught in the area of this eldritch blast or mystery take 1 cold damage/caster level (if a mystery) or invoker level (if an eldritch blast)
Bonus Metashadow Feat: At 3rd level, and again at 9th level, you gain any metashadow feat that you qualify for as a bonus feat.
Abyssym of Fear (Ex): Starting at 5th level, you can draw more power into your mysteries and eldritch blasts. As a free action, you may add the fear subschool and the mind-affecting descriptor to the next eldritch blast or mystery that you cast. Any creatures that are targeted or who are caught in the area of this eldritch blast or mystery must make a will save or become shaken for 1d4 rounds. This ability may be used with abyssym of cold.
Eldritch Splice (Ex): Starting at 5th level, the roiling powers of your magics start to mix. You may apply any eldritch essence or blast shape invocation to any applicable mystery. In addition, you may apply any applicable metashadow feat to your eldritch blast or an invocation, by using up a daily use of that mystery.
Bonus Invocation: At 6th level, an abyssym learns a new invocation, which must be an eldritch essence or blast shape invocation of a grade that they have access to.
Abyssym of Darkness: At 9th level, an abyssym can power their mysteries and eldritch blasts even further. As a free action, you may add the darkness descriptor to the next eldritch blast or mystery that you cast. If the area or target of the invocation or mystery is occupied by a spell with the light descriptor of a lower or equal spell level, the light is dispelled. If the mystery or eldritch blast has a target, a 20 foot-radius emanation, originating from that target, is covered in shadowy illumination for 1d4 rounds. If the mystery or eldritch blast has an area, that area is covered in shadowy illumination for 1d4 rounds. This ability may be used with abyssym of cold and abyssym of fear.
Greater Eldritch Splice (Su): At 10th level, your shadow magic and invocations have nearly roiled together to become one. Once per hour, plus one additional time per day per point of charisma bonus (if any), as a standard action, you may cast both a mystery and an invocation simultaneously. If the mystery would be cast as a spell, it is cast as a spell-like ability. If the mystery would be cast as a supernatural or extraordinary ability, so is the invocation. If both the mystery and the invocation allow saving throws, each one uses the higher of the two save DCs. This ability may not be used in combination with the abyssym of cold, abyssym of fear, or abyssym of darkness abilities.

PLAYING AN ABYSSYM
The depths of your power have been realized. By combining the your tainted blood with shadow magic, you have managed to grasp true power. You have learned that power invariably complements power and search out for any and all new sources to complement that which you already hold. You need not forsake or forget about your compatriots, for they are a power all their own, able to compensate for your shortcomings. Neither, however, do you desire to oppress them, for doing so would make them liabilities. More than your other pursuits, you seek to ascend into darkness, as darkness is your birthright and strength.
The Nightshade covenant sees you in much the same manner as the Votaries of Vecna view children of night, as a paragon of their cause. The Votaries of Vecna, for this reason, is not particularly friendly towards abyssyms, although membership is not denied to them should they truly wish for it. The Tenebrous Cabal admires your control of shadow magic and its interactions with invocations.

COMBAT
At low levels, you are just like any other mystery user or invocation user. As such, is may be wiser to remain at the back of the battlefield, harassing your opponents with mysteries, or, should you run out, with eldritch blasts.
As you advance, your shadow magic and invocations warp and fuse, granting you far greater versatility than practitioners of either path possess. Although this greatly increases your power, it is still best, throughout your career, to remain away from the fray.

ADVANCEMENT
As a practitioner of both learned shadow magic and innate invocations, your methods are somewhat improvised, but not random. Some of the processes must be actively learned and practiced in some manner, but the mixing of the two energies happens all on its own, triggered by increasing the ties to both forms of magic simultaneously. Your ascension to shadow, unlike that of the children of night, is arcane, rather than physical.
Your mental abilities are key as you level up, especially charisma, which makes your abilities more virulent. Of course, you now have to choose both mysteries and invocations carefully. Most of your mysteries will either have an area, modifiable through blast shape invocations, or will deal damage, which allows eldritch essences to function upon them.

RESOURCES
Abyssyms usually take up a live and let live approach towards other abyssyms. They have nothing that they can learn from one another and they naturally vie for sources of power if left in the same vicinity. When an abyssym joins a shadow magic organization, they are more expected to lead than to receive aid, although they may find some if they ask. The most reliable source of aid that an abyssym can call upon are the fiends from which they gained their power. Fiends (devils, demons, and yugoloths alike) respect their desire to ascend to shadow and are generally more willing to help them to such an end.

ABYSSYMS IN THE WORLD
“Children of night, as you call them, have quite their journey midway. I, meanwhile, intend to finish it.”
-Nelson Greymane, Abyssym

Abyssyms communicate a new viewpoint on shadow, seeing it as a midway point towards darkness. These enigmatic arcane practitioners have by far extended the range of what their powers can do through the mixing of two taboo forms of magic. Some players would be overjoyed to mix these dark magics together.

DAILY LIFE
Despite the scarcity of abyssyms in the world, it is easy to describe their everyday life. They typically work by night (or by dusk, if they should need some inconspicuous light). The first part of their day is spent studying or practicing their art, occasionally followed by some experimentation with their abilities. Afterwards, they proceed in their pursuit of power. This pursuit can take multiple forms, ranging from studying an ancient shrine in a library to exploring a tomb for a powerful item.
When abyssyms acquire a position of status, they treat it as another source of power, using it to gain more if possible. As abyssyms need to remain more or less free in their pursuit of power and ascension, they tend to ignore high-maintenance positions, sometimes leading to large problems.

NOTABLES
Despite their scarcity, rumors and stories of one particular abyssym have reached across the planes. Mae Kiar, it is said, managed to bodily and spiritually ascend into darkness after capturing the soul of the balor her family’s soul belonged to. The exact method by which she captured the soul, as no such method exists either in shadow magic nor invocations, remains unknown to this day. Mae Kiar today still lives as a deity of darkness and shadow (see later post for details).

ORGANIZATION
The Tenebrous Cabal officially greets abyssyms with open arms. Unofficially, they are not trusted and the cabal often sends spies to try and gain insight into their power. None has ever found their way onto the parliament of shadow.
The Votaries of Vecna will allow abyssyms to join, but they keep an even shorter leash on them, allowing nothing less than complete and utter compliance from them.
The Nightshade Covenant, which is dedicated to darkness as much as shadow, is the only group that really welcomes someone to aspires to merge their powers with darkness.

NPC REACTIONS:
As a combination of two untrusted sources of magic, very few people think highly of abyssyms. Common folk are normally frightened to death of them, seeing them as darkness incarnate. Stronger opponents seek to drive away such a threat, if possible. Warlocks tend to view you indifferently but most shadow magic users are unfriendly, as the basis of an abyssym’s philosophy is that darkness, and not shadow, is the true eternal power.
Nearly everyone is an enemy of an abyssym, from the paladins that wish them dead, to the mystery users who think them wrong, to the shadow organizations that think them wrong, to the everyday farmer who fears them as he fears death. Most warlocks are used to such solitude, however.

ABYSSYM LORE
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcane) or Knowledge (the planes) can research abyssyms to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including the information from lower DCs.
DC 10:Abyssyms are dark practitioners of both shadow magic and invocations
DC 15:Abyssyms are never good news, and they are almost always evil and self-centered.
DC 20: The mixing of shadow magic and invocations allows them to meld together, lending the abyssym great versatility.
A bardic knowledge check or a Gather Information check can reveal the same information as these Knowledge checks, but in each case the DC is 5 higher than the given value.

ABYSSYMS IN THE GAME
Abyssyms are rare, as they not only need the tainted bloodline of a warlock but the dedication to learn shadow magic and the devotion to shadow that fuels the mixing of the two. For this reason, it is logical to assume that the PCs have neither heard of nor fought one yet
The abyssym is appropriate for players who like both component forms of magic, as the abyssym makes each more versatile. To make the player’s investment worthwhile, try to vary your encounters, for if the player is forced to rely on the exact same tactics in each encounter, then the experience may quickly become dull.

ADAPTATION
Due to the unique nature of both component classes and the ways that they are allowed to interact, it is much harder to adapt this class. To make it more PC friendly, you could easily reverse engineer the abyssym so that it is actually working towards light from darkness. This way, good players will have an equal chance to partake in the benefits of this class.

SAMPLE ENCOUNTER:
Encounters with abyssyms should take advantage of their tremendous versatility. Regardless of their opponent, they should appear as if they were completely prepared. Use of both mysteries and invocations also helps to hammer home exactly what they are fighting against.
EL 8: Nelson Greymane has been an abyssym for under a year, but he is slowly getting the hang of it. The PCs might run into him when researching an ancient power, or they might be in direct conflict with him if they stand in his way. Alternately, the PCs may be contacted to help Nelson reach a new reservoir of strength.
Nelson Greymane CR 8
Male Human Shadowcaster 3/Warlock 3/Abyssym 2
TN Medium humanoid (human)
Init +1; Senses See in Darkness; Listen +0, Spot +0
Languages Common, Abyssal, Infernal
AC 18, touch 11, flat-footed 17
hp 36 (8 HD) DR 1/cold iron
Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +9
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee +2 Club +5 (1d6+1)
Ranged Eldritch Blast +6 (3d6)
Base Atk +4 ; Grp +3
Atk Options Abyssym of Cold
Special Actions Detect Magic, Still Mystery, Extend Mystery, Enlarge Mystery
Combat Gear 2 orbs of shadow (apprentice 1st), 2 Gems of Night
Invocations (CL 5; 1d20+5 to overcome SR)
Least—Breath of Night, Spiderwalk, Summon Swarm
Mysteries Known (CL 5th)
Apprentice paths:
3rd—Invisible Pyre (spell, 1/day)
2nd—Frigid Smoke (spell, 1/day), Sight Eclipsed (spell, 1/day)
1st—Cursed Flame (spell, 1/day), Steel Shadows (spell, 1/day)
Fundamentals
0—Mystic Reflections (supernatural, 3/day), Caul of Shadow (supernatural, 3/day), Arrow of Dusk (supernatural, 3/day)
Abilities Str 8, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 16
Feats Still Mystery, Enlarge Mystery, Extend Mystery, Weapon Focus (Eldritch Blast).
Skills Concentration +9, Hide +12 Intimidate +7, Knowledge (arcana) +7, Knowledge (the planes) +7, Move Silently +12, Spellcraft +6
Possessions combat gear plus +2 club and 400gp

 

[Realms of Chaos]

The Dark Mind
”Every dark corner of our mind has potential.”
-Talias Versago, Dark Mind

Every synapse, every deep and dark corner of the mind has potential for use. A Dark Mind uses the power of shadows to continually put their synapses to work. Where no information would be transfered, however, shadows of thoughts manifest to fill the gap. Some would call them insane, for indeed, the strain of continual thought, even through sleep, does effect them. They know the truth, however. They know that they have unlocked their entire mind.

BECOMING A DARK MIND
The most common dark minds are psions, but psychic warriors and wilders have no real problems qualifying for its prerequisites. All that is really required is the desire to fill the mind, and the willingness to deal with what comes of doing so.

Entry Requirements
Skills: Knowledge (psionics) 8 ranks, Knowledge (the planes) 4 ranks, Concentration 8 ranks
Psionics: Able to manifest 2nd-level powers.
Special: Must have been exposed to shadow at some point prior to taking this class, either through travel on the Plane of Shadow, being subject to a mystery or a spell with the shadow subschool, or through physical contact with a shadow or dark creature.

THE HIT DIE: D6

[B]Level   Base     Fort   Ref    Will   Special                                     Mysteries
        Attack   Save   Save   Save
        Bonus[/B]
1        +0       +2     +0     +2     Mental Torment, Apprentice Mysteries,       +1 level of existing manifesting class
                                       Mind Forced Open
2        +1       +3     +0     +3     Mental Shadow, Fundamental of Shadow        +1 level of existing manifesting class
3        +1       +3     +1     +3     Forced Awareness, Fundamental of Shadow     +1 level of existing manifesting class
4        +2       +4     +1     +4     Mind’s Shadow, Fundamental of Shadow        +1 level of existing manifesting class
5        +2       +4     +1     +4     Hollow Mind, Synergistic Thought            +1 level of existing manifesting class
                                       Fundamental of Shadow

Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level): Concentration, Craft, Hide, Knowledge (psionics), Knowledge (the planes), Move Silently, Psicraft, Spot

CLASS FEATURES
As a dark mind, you force your mind open to get the greatest possible performance out of it.
Powers Known: When a new dark mind level is attained, the character gains additional power poins and access to new powers as if she had also gained a level in any one manifesting class she belonged to previously. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If a character had more than one manifesting class before she became a dark mind, she must decide to which class she adds each level of dark mind for purpose of determining power points per day, powers known, and manifester level.
Mysteries Known: You have the ability to cast a small number of mysteries. To cast a mystery, you must have an intelligence score of at least 10 + the mystery level, so if you have an intelligence score of 10 or lower, you cannot cast mysteries. High ability scores do not provide bonus mysteries. Saving throws against your mysteries have a DC of 10 + mystery level + your Int modifier.
Your selection of mysteries is extremely limited. You begin in this class knowing only a single 1st-level mystery. Every level afterward, you gain an additional mystery known. As with the shadowcaster class, you may not skip ahead in a given path. Your mysteries must all be drawn from an apprentice path, and you cast them all as arcane spells. You can use each mystery you know once per day. You gain a fundamental at 2nd level and every level afterwards, each of which is cast as a supernatural ability usable three times per day.
Mental Torment (Ex): The strain of having one’s brain continually used, even during one’s sleep, wears one down. You are continually fatigued and require 10 hours of sleep (or 4 hours of meditation) to regain health. This fatigue does not make the process of regaining spells or power points any more difficult than normal. Any effect that removes fatigue only works for 1d4 hours, after which time the condition returns. In addition, you gain Body Fuel as a bonus feat.
Mind Forced Open (Ex): Once per level each week, you may take 20 on any intelligence based check without expending any extra time.
Mental Shadow (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, you start to back up your mind with a shadowy copy. Whenever you become psionically focused, you remain that way until you have expended your psionic focus twice or until your power point reserve drops to 0.
Forced Awareness (Ex): One benefit of having two minds is that one can be more active at any given time. Starting at 3rd level, you no longer need to sleep, although you are still perpetually fatigued. The strain on the body is far greater, however, leaving the dark mind continually exhausted. The strain of exhaustion does not hinder the regaining of mysteries or power points.
Mind’s Shadow (Ex): Starting at 4th level, your shadow mind can operate individually for short periods of time. Whenever you take ability damage or ability drain to a mental ability score, you gain a temporary equal bonus to that ability score, which decreases by 1 point every hour. If your ability damage or ability drain is healed, simultaneously reduce your temporary bonus by the amount healed.
Hollow Mind (Ex): Starting at 5th level, you can hide your true mind behind your shadow mind. As a result, you are protected as if by the personal mind blank power.
Synergistic Thought (Ex): At 5th level, your dark mind is finally completed. As it forces awareness and works synergistically with the normal mind, all of the dark mind’s mental ability scores are increased by 2. Your health, however, has taken a real battering, lowering your constitution score by 2.

PLAYING A DARK MIND
You have mastered the mind. You alone use every piece of it and have a second, shadowy copy to rely on. The mysteries behind thought are no longer mystery. Your actions now are your own, although many a dark mind has been driven insane by their perpetual fatigue. Without any further goal to look forward to beyond the full formation of your dark mind, you may choose your own destiny.
As a general rule of thumb, you are not allowed into shadow organizations, as your true allegiance remains with the mind. Psionic organizations scoff at your methods but praise your success nonetheless. Some hold you as a paragon, able to think through multiple minds.

COMBAT
Despite your increased mental capacity, your combat capabilities have not changed, with one exception. The addition of shadow magic grants you new abilities, abilities that do not require power points to activate. Although the mysteries will be pretty weak, they should not be discounted.

ADVANCEMENT
Your ways are always learned through experimentation. Even so, the willingness to learn is not enough. You must have also had some encounter with shadow, which leaves a kernel of darkness in your mind, which the dark mind expands.
Continual advancement is desirable for the dark mind, for to quite the path early is to take the strain of the class and not reap all of its benefits. Although you need not be any more careful than normal with your selection of powers, you should select your mysteries and fundamentals carefully.

RESOURCES
The most reliable resource that a dark mind possesses is other dark minds. Although some psionic experts almost worship dark minds for their abilities, only another dark mind can truly appreciate the torment that they had to endure to go through. Make sure not to invest too much in these friends, however, for they can crack at a moment’s notice.
Magic and (to a greater extent) psionic items can also help you in your travels, wherever they may take you. Most useful among them are items that help offset your newfound physical frailness.

DARK MINDS IN THE WORLD
“Yes, I’m his friend. Or, at least I’m the first mind’s friend. The second mind is still deciding.”
-Derk Craigor, companion of a dark mind

The dark mind prestige class is a perfect class for those who wish to play an insane character while still being completely playable. This prestige class opens up a new horizon of role-playing opportunities. It gives the same advantages of the class from which they came, and gives them new ones as well, in the form of increased mental faculties and shadow magic.

DAILY LIFE
Daily life is hard to define for a dark mind, as the process that generates their second mind is almost completely automatic after it is started. Some practice with shadow magic and psionics is usually stuck into the day somewhere. Otherwise, they live their day completely normally, albeit with some small (insane?) discrepancies. One common practice among many dark minds is an hour-long ritual of meditation, meant to quiet their mind for a short respite. Although this does not calculate to any in-game effect, it normally prolongs the onset of insanity in dark minds.

NOTABLES
There are very few dark minds of note. The most famous is, or was, named Teka (his last name was lost to history). After completing the development of a second mind, he attempted what no one had ever tried before, to develop more. He opened a portal in his mind to the plane of shadows, hoping the shadows would flood in to develop infinite minds. Instead, both minds imploded into that portal, sending his thoughts out of his body and onto the plane of shadows. His minds merged with the plane, granting him a semblance of divinity. Even so, no dark mind envies the madness he found with the infinite minds he did indeed create for himself in the end.

ORGANIZATION
Dark minds have varied success within shadow organizations. The Tenebrous Cabal does not let them join, as their shadow magic is a mere side effect to another endeavor. The Nightshade Covenant neither denies them membership nor greets them openly. The Votaries of Vecna allows them in with relative ease, so long as they try to dedicate themselves to shadow and the mind in equal part.

NPC REACTIONS:
Most common folk get the impression that dark minds are both powerful and unstable. When they learn how the dark mind gets power, their views are proved correct. Most shadow magic users are indifferent or unfriendly towards dark minds, seeing them as accidental dabblers in the art, although more adept than a shadowsmith. Psionics-users are indifferent or friendly towards dark minds, as they respect their ability to think using two minds simultaneously.

DARK MIND LORE
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (psionics) or Knowledge (the planes) can research dark minds to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including the information from lower DCs.
DC 10: Dark Minds are mentally unstable and physically frail psionics-users.
DC 15: Dark Minds flood every crevice of their mind with shadow, lending them some power with shadow magic.
DC 20: The Dark Mind eventually creates a second mind out of shadow, lending them several benefits.
A bardic knowledge check or a Gather Information check can reveal the same information as these Knowledge checks, but in each case the DC is 5 higher than the given value.

DARK MINDS IN THE GAME
Dark Minds are rare, due to the required kernel of shadow that they need to pursue the path. Furthermore, their exhaustion often gives them a lethargic and antisocial view on the world. For these reasons, it is not too unbelievable that they have simply never run across a Dark Mind in the past.
Anyone who enjoys shadow magic, or deep role playing, would make a potentially good Dark Mind. As their powers aren’t specified, the player should enjoy their investment so long as you don’t take special measures to hinder them (such as placing them in a dungeon requiring many climb, swim, and jump checks to get through).

ADAPTATION
The Dark Mind is relatively easy to adapt. In a campaign without psionics, the power of the mind could instead be attributed to divination. A campaign without shadow magic can simply drop the shadow magic. Furthermore, some campaigns might link the dual nature of the dark mind to Demogorgon, making them formidable and insane foes.

SAMPLE ENCOUNTER:
Encounters with Dark Minds should try to feature both their shadow magic and their psionics. In addition, any hint of insanity or other such off-ness can make a dark mind truly memorable, especially if one is encountered on multiple occasions.
EL 10: Talias Versago has been a dark mind for about as long as she can remember, which currently stretches back only a couple of months. She has been one for years and the strain has driven her insane. If met in a rare moment of mental clarity, she could serve as a potential informant or partner. Otherwise, she may well unleash an unprovoked attack against the party as they walk down the road.
Talias Versago CR 10
Female halfling Wilder 5/Dark Mind 5
CN small humanoid (halfling)
Init -1; Senses Listen +2, Spot +0
Languages Common, Halfling, Elven, Gnome
AC 11, touch 11, flat-footed 11
hp 37 (10 HD)
Fort +6, Ref +2, Will +11
Speed 20 ft. (6 squares)
Melee +1 light mace +4 (1d6-2)
Ranged Light crossbow +5 (1d8/19-20)
Base Atk +5 ; Grp -2
Special Actions Wild Surge +2, Mind Forced Open, Body Fuel, Mental Leap, Inquisitor
Combat Gear 1 orb of shadow (apprentice 1st)
Power Points/Day: 25, 25 remaining; Wilder Powers Known (ML 10th)
2nd—biofeedback
1st—mind thrust, vigor
Mysteries Known (CL 5th)
Apprentice paths:
3rd—flicker (spell, 1/day)
2nd—congress of shadows (spell, 1/day), thoughts of shadow (spell, 1/day)
1st—voice of shadow (spell, 1/day), mesmerizing shade (spell, 1/day)
Fundamentals
0—umbral hand (supernatural, 3/day), mystic reflections (supernatural, 3/day), caul of shadow (supernatural, 3/day), arrow of dusk (supernatural, 3/day)
Abilities Str 4, Dex 9, Con 10, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 17
SQ Psychic Enervation, Elude Touch, Surging Euphoria, Volatile Mind, Mental Torment, Mental Shadow, Forced Awareness, Mind’s Shadow, Hollow Mind, Synergistic Thought
Feats Body Fuel, Up the Walls, Speed of Thought, Mental Leap, Inquisitor
Skills Autohypnosis +15, Concentration +12, Intimidate +16, Knowledge (psionics) +16, Knowledge (the planes) +16, Psicraft +16, Swim +0
Possessions combat gear plus +1 Light Mace, Light Crossbow with 20 bolts, Gauntlets of Ogre Power, Amulet of Health +2, Type II bag of Holding

 

[Realms of Chaos]

INITIATE OF THE SEVEN ENIGMAS
“I study what I do not learn and see what is not there. My craft is of naught and has brought me power. However, if my work is a shadowy nothing, from where can this power come forth?”
-Serez Kezren, Initiate of the Seven Enigmas

Initiates of the Seven Mysteries are far unlike other mystery-users. Rather than improve their power over shadows, they study the mechanics of the shadows themselves, and by extension, the mechanics of all of reality. Those who plumb into the mysteries behind mysteries find themselves weaving their shadow magic in unimaginable ways.

BECOMING AN INITIATE OF THE SEVEN ENIGMAS
Initiates require relatively little to start along their track, other than the knowledge of how to and the concentration to manipulate their mysteries, accompanying some talent with the mysteries in question. Although a few cultists can take up this path, the number of shadowcasters who do so outnumber them immensely.

Entry Requirements
Skills: Concentration 10 ranks, Knowledge (arcane) 10 ranks, Knowledge (the planes) 10 ranks
Shadowcasting: ability to cast at least 2 initiate-level mysteries.

THE INITIATE OF THE SEVEN ENIGMAS HIT DIE: D4

[B]Level   Base     Fort   Ref    Will   Special                           Mysteries
        Attack   Save   Save   Save
        Bonus[/B]

 1       +0       +0     +0     +2     Enigmas in mysteries              +1 level of existing mystery-using class
                                       The First Enigma (Imitation)
 2       +1       +0     +0     +3     The Second Enigma (Illusion)      
 3       +1       +1     +1     +3     The Third Enigma (Manipulation)   +1 level of existing mystery-using class
 4       +2       +1     +1     +4     The Fourth Enigma (Reflection)    
 5       +2       +1     +1     +4     The Fifth Enigma (Form)           +1 level of existing mystery-using class
 6       +3       +2     +2     +5     The Sixth Enigma (Shadow)        
 7       +3       +2     +2     +5     The Seventh Enigma (Existance)    +1 level of existing mystery-using class

Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level): Concentration, Craft, Knowledge (arcane), Knowledge (the planes), Profession, Spellcraft.

CLASS FEATURES
As you advance, your actual shadowcasting may degrade but your power with mysteries remains as strong as ever.
Mysteries: at each odd level, you gain new mysteries and an increase in aster level as if you had also attained a level in a shadowcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one shadowcasting class before becoming an Initiate of the Seven Enigmas, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining mysteries per day, caster level, and mysteries known.
Enigmas in Mysteries (Su): An Initiate of the Seven Mysteries finds power through the very mechanics of mysteries. Manipulating mysteries in this way is quite taxing. Whenever an enigma is utilized, they must succeed on a concentration check (dc 10+1/previous enigma successfully utilized that day). With a failure, the enigma fails to manifest and the daily use is wasted. Each enigma is a supernatural ability.
The First Enigma (Imitation): The first mystery, often not noticed by onlookers, is that of imitation. After all, Shadow magic is nothing more than use of an objects shadow to control the object in question. Once per day per class level, by sacrificing a daily use of any mystery, the Initiate of the Seven Mysteries can gain an extra daily use of any mystery of a lower level. This extra use lasts for 24 hours or until used.
The Second Enigma (Illusion): The first, and most basic allusion to shadow magic invariably appears in the power of illusion, giving form to imitation. Once per day per class level, by sacrificing a daily use of any mystery, the Initiate of the Seven Mysteries can imitate the effects of any illusion spell at least 1 spell level lower, other than those with the shadow subschool.
The Third Enigma (Manipulation): The third mystery is that of manipulation, providing versatility for stagnant illusions. Once per day per class level, the Initiate of the Seven Mysteries may apply one metashadow feat to a mystery without using a daily use of that metashadow feat or increasing its casting time.
The Fourth Enigma (Reflection): The fourth mystery is that of reflection, manipulated to provide an effect of equal power. Once per day per class level, on a round after casting a mystery, the Initiate of the Seven Mysteries may spend a full-round action to repeat the casting of that mystery (which apparently emanates from your shadow), without the expenditure of an additional daily use.
The Fifth Enigma (Form): The fifth mystery is that of form, allowing prolonged manipulation of reflection. Once per day per class level, the Initiate of the Seven Mysteries can cast a mystery as an extraordinary ability, adding 2 to its save DC.
The Sixth Enigma (Shadow): The sixth mystery is that of shadow, reflection given form. Once per day per class level, the Initiate of the Seven Mysteries can cast a mystery as a move action.
The Seventh Enigma (Existence): The final mystery is that of existence, covering both shadow and its reflection. Once per day per class level, as an immediate action, the Initiate of the Seven Mysteries can ignore the effects of a 3rd-level or lower spell or mystery for one round. If its duration ends or if its area is vacated by the end of that round, it is completely ignored. Otherwise saving throws and spell resistance (if any) are checked for at the end of the round.

PLAYING AN INITIATE OF THE SEVEN ENIGMAS
Your ability to warp shadow magic has given it an entirely new feel in your hands. Just as the Plane of Shadow shifts, so does its magic. There is nothing wrong with what you do. You are simply directing the flow of the plane of shadow, to a lesser extent. These abilities are normally learned but have appeared naturally in some promising young prodigies.
Shadow-based organizations, as a whole, are confused about Initiates of the Seven Enigmas. They willingly let their shadowcasting degrade but increase their manipulation of it. Some view this view as intricacy while other (more ignorant) groups consider this laziness.
Initiates of the Seven Enigmas, more than anywhere else, are found as teachers, due to their scholarly outlook. In this niche, other shadow magic users accept them almost universally.

COMBAT
An Initiate of the Seven Enigmas makes for an interesting combatant. Due to a slightly lacking supply of mysteries, many assume that they are less versatile. The abilities they receive in return for this degradation, however, could not prove this viewpoint more false.
As you progress, your ability to modify and empower your mysteries becomes more powerful, and versatile. You must remember, however, not to take on more enemies than you can take, however, as each successive use of your abilities become harder and harder to release.

ADVANCEMENT
Your ways are almost guaranteed to have been learned ones. It is also likely that you learned from another Initiate of the Seven Enigmas. Some tomes describe the processes well enough to be used alone, however, and even others make purely intuitive leaps after observing movement on the plane of shadow over long periods of time.
Continuing advancement needs constant practice, study, and vigilance. Although you may not learn the strongest of abilities any time soon, you have happened upon a wellspring of new abilities.
Once you have started along this path, the mysteries taken count for much more than normal, due to your degraded progression. Other than this small issue however, the only things that you’ll truly need will be items and feats to help your concentration skill.

RESOURCES
As a respectable sage or teacher within an organization, you might find loose ends of yours being met for you. Alas, magic items are often not provided. As a student of shadow, any opportunity to study its mechanics, such as in magic items utilizing mysteries, it a worthy investment. As you are still reliant upon your shadowcasting to protect you, items that increase your charisma and intelligence (or wisdom, for cultists) scores are vital. As you are likely to have relative frailty, any item that enhances your defenses is another boon.

INITIATES OF THE SEVEN ENIGMAS IN THE WORLD
“The search for such knowledge as the workings of existence is a worthy endeavor. What worries me is that she, of all people, may succeed.”
-Glimdon Salagger, Foruton Librarian

The Inititiates of the Seven Enigmas allows the DM to showcase both the intellectual-side and alien-mindset behind shadow magic.

DAILY LIFE
Initiates of the Seven Enigmas live in much the same ways as any other wizards. They must continue to learn their mysteries through constant study. To keep their minds steady, they often meditate. The only unusual part of their studies is the practicing of their enigmas. Although not necessary, most Initiates of the Seven Enigmas try to use each of their enigmas once after regaining their mysteries, to help them validate their studies. Once an Initiate of the Seven Enigmas finds a decent source of knowledge, they are loathe to leave it, and sometimes remain even long after their nature is revealed.

NOTABLES
Initiates of the Seven Enigmas rarely choose to take notoriety directly, rather gaining it through those who they have provided tutelage. One, Totalas Grimp, educated many members of the Parliament of Shadow. For this reason, he is probably one of the most well-known Initiates.

ORGANIZATION
Initiates of the Seven Enigmas rarely join a shadow organization. At least, not officially. Unofficially however, they are seen as unparalleled sources of knowledge. For this reason, many Initiates intrude upon the hospitality of several organizations over their career. This situation has led to a relatively stable symbiotic relationship between the two. Initiates of the Seven Enigmas help shadow organizations by passing on rumors or assisting in the teaching of new recruits. Meanwhile, the initiate benefits from safety, a roof above their heads, and a good steady of knowledge.

NPC REACTIONS:
Most people respond to an Initiate of the Seven Enigmas in the same way that they would respond to any sage or philosopher. If their nature is discovered, less changes than one would expect. As the Initiate normally keeps to herself, most townsfolk have no problem with harboring them. In addition, due to an Initiate’s determination to learn, they are likely to ignore any sign to leave that falls short of direct violence or persecution. Even the most hardcore of priests thinks of them (incorrectly) as a frail practitioner of iffy magic, and therefore of little threat. Even so, it is easier to capture the one teacher than the many pupils.

INITIATE OF THE SEVEN ENIGMAS LORE
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcane) or Knowledge (the planes) can research Initiates of the Seven Enigmas to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including the information from lower DCs.
DC 10: The Initiate of the Seven Enigmas is a philosopher among shadowcasters.
DC 15: The Initiate of the Seven Enigmas sacrifices a bit of power from their Shadow Magic to gain more versatility with it.
DC 20: The Initiate of the Seven Enigmas manipulates their powers through loopholes in reality called enigmas, which they activate through sheer force of will.
A bardic knowledge check or a Gather Information check can reveal the same information as these Knowledge checks, but in each case the DC is 5 higher than the given value.

INITIATE OF THE SEVEN ENIGMAS IN THE GAME
Initiates of the Seven Enigmas are the thinking intellectuals of Shadow Magic, studying it rather than taking it for granted. They are best used not for introducing shadow magic, but as a surprise when shadow magic’s novelty wears thin. The Initiates, remember, can modify the very nature of the mysteries they use, enough so to surprise any party.
With the unusual and thoughtful nature of this Prestige Class, this may prove to be the aspiration of a Shadowcaster or Cultist PC. The creativity that this class allows is an invaluable addition to any party.

ADAPTATION
With a few slight tweaks, the Initiate of the Seven Enigmas could be dedicated to shadow spells rather than to shadow magic. At an even more rudimentary scale, they could be dedicated to the mechanics of shadow magic or even to the mechanics of magic as a whole.

SAMPLE ENCOUNTER:
To be used at peak efficiency, the Initiate of the Seven Enigmas should only be thrown at the party once the rules of shadow magic have been established, only to have them knocked down by their new foe. Only after watching the Initiate do they realize the truly morphic power of shadow.
EL 10: Serez Kezren is currently occupying a small town’s library. Although they know her nature and have made their wishes for her to leave quite clear (to the point of a few failed assassinations), she is determined to remain until her studies are complete.
Serez Kezren CR 10
Female elf Shadowcaster 7/Initiate of the Seven Enigmas 3
TN Medium humanoid (elf)
Init +1; Senses Low-light vision; Darkvision 30 feet; Listen +1, Spot +1
Languages Common, Elven, Sylvan, Gnome, Draconic, Goblin
AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 18
hp 34 (10 HD)
Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +8
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee +1/Masterwork Quarterstaff +6 (1d6+1/1d6)
Ranged Light crossbow +6 (1d8/19-20)
Base Atk +5 ; Grp +5
Special Actions Shadowcast, Still Mystery, Extend Mystery, Enlarge Mystery, Empower Mystery, Maximize Mystery, Quicken Mystery, The First Enigma (imitation), The Second Enigma (Illusion), The Third Enigma (Manipulation)
Combat Gear 3 orbs of shadow (apprentice 1st), 3 potions of cure moderate wounds, Shadow Maniple, Ring of Nullification, Gem of Night
Mysteries Known (CL 9th)
Initiate Paths
4th—Bolster (spell, 1/day), Shadow Evocation (spell, 1/day), Shadows Fade (spell, 1/day)
Apprentice paths:
1st—Turbulent Dreams (spell-like, 2/day), Cursed Flame (spell-like, 2/day), Steel Shadows (spell-like, 2/day), Carpet of Shadow (spell-like, 2/day), Dusk and Dawn (spell-like, 2/day), Life Fades (spell-like, 2/day)
Fundamentals
0—umbral hand (supernatural, 3/day), Mystic Reflections (supernatural, 3/day), Caul of Shadow (supernatural, 3/day), Arrow of Dusk (supernatural, 3/day)
Abilities Str 10, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 17, Wis 8, Cha 14
SQ Able to notice secret of concealed doors, Sustaining Shadow (eat 1 meal/week), Enigmas In Mysteries
Feats Shadowcast, Still Mystery, Empower Mystery, Extend Mystery, Maximize Mystery, Quicken Mystery, Enlarge Mystery
Skills Concentration +13, Intimidate +15, Knowledge (arcana) +16, Knowledge (the planes) +16, Spellcraft +16
Possessions combat gear plus +1/Masterwork Quarterstaff, Light Crossbow with 20 bolts, Cloak of resistance +1, 75 gp.

 

[Realms of Chaos]

SHADOW FUNDAMENTALIST
”More often than not, smoke and explosions are signs of ineptitude, not expertise.”
-Silias Gerer, Shadow Fundamentalist

The Shadow Fundamentalist knows, all too well, that the larger, more ostentatious of mysteries are worth very little if the basics of shadow magic remain unlearned. By mastering the fundamentals of shadow magic, they can gain a bottomless reservoir of power.

BECOMING A SHADOW FUNDAMENTALIST
Shadowcasters make up almost the entire population of shadow fundamentalists. The art is so focused that multiclassed characters simply have little incentive to pursue it. A few high-level cultists have attempted this path, but the number to have completed it can be counted on one human’s fingers.

Entry Requirements
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 5 ranks, Knowledge (the planes) 5 ranks
Shadowcasting: ability to cast 5 or more fundamentals

THE SHADOW FUNDAMENTALIST HIT DIE: D6

[B]Level   Base     Fort   Ref    Will   Special                           Mysteries
        Attack   Save   Save   Save
        Bonus[/B]
1        +0       +2     +0     +2     Fine Manipulation                 +1 level of existing mystery-using class
2        +1       +3     +0     +3     Unlimited Fundamentals            +1 level of existing mystery-using class
3        +1       +3     +1     +3     Library of Basics                 +1 level of existing mystery-using class

Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level): Concentration, Craft, Hide, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (the planes), Move Silently, Profession, Spellcraft, Spot

CLASS FEATURES
as a shadow fundamentalist, you focus on the manipulation of fundamentals.
Mysteries: At each level, you gain mysteries known and an increase in caster level as if you had also gained a level in a casting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefits a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one mystery-using class before becoming a Shadow Fundamentalist, you must decide which class to add each level for the purpose of determining caster level and mysteries known.
Fine Manipulation (Su): whenever you cast a fundamental and modify it with one or more metashadow feats, no daily use of those metashadow feats are expended. In order to apply a metashadow feat to a fundamental, however, it must still have a remaining daily use.
Unlimited Fundamentals: At 2nd level, you may cast your fundamentals at will. If you already possess this ability, you cast your fundamentals at +2 caster level.
Library of Basics: At 3rd level, you gain access to all fundamentals.

PLAYING A SHADOW FUNDAMENTALIST
Most NPC shadow fundamentalists are indistinguishable from normal shadowcasters. They are, however, noticeably more drawn towards experimentation and novelty.
You know that your shadow magic is no weaker than those of others. In addition, you have a reliable, if weaker, source of secondary power to return to should your mysteries fail.
Thanks to your consistent skill at higher-level shadow magic, you are welcomed into most shadow magic organizations. Your unnatural fascination with the weakest of all forms of shadow magic, however, makes others somewhat weary of you. Though you may be accepted into organizations, don’t expect it to be with open arms.

COMBAT
Aside from slight discrepancies in your personality, your differences are most visible in combat. For you, it is not uncommon to unleash a quickened, empowered, maximized arrow of dusk each round, even in the midst of your more powerful shadowcasting. You protect yourself with seemingly insignificant wards and boons, which come together to make you a more formidable opponent.

ADVANCEMENT
The journey of a shadow fundamentalist has been written in script by several masters of the art and the same basic discoveries are almost always made in the same manner and in the same order. Nonetheless, none of these scripts are used those trying to discover the path, for discovery of the path is invariably an accident. Therefore, while the same cornerstone discoveries are going to be made in a set order, the actual process is one of self-discovery and experimentation.
As you advance, there is no reason to choose your mysteries or feats more carefully than any other shadowcaster, although it goes without saying that you should avoid learning additional fundamentals if it can be avoided.

RESOURCES
You rarely obtain tangible benefit from other shadow fundamentalists, but they, sharing some of your views, are more willing to here out even your most outrageous ideas, give you an interesting tidbit of information, or even keep you overnight. Organizations to which you belong rarely give you much of value, either. As an extension of you shadowcasting philosophy, you are a bit of a packrat, knowing that hundreds of small items may provide the difference between life and death.

SHADOW FUNDAMENTALISTS IN THE WORLD
“They may be unorthodox, but at least they are creative”
-Eddas Coradran, Lord of the First House, Parliament of Shadows

The shadow fundamentalist is a choice for those willing to explore the reaches of what other mystery-users take for granted. They are the inventive, the creative, the shrewd. Any shadow-casting class can take it but it is most common among neutral and chaotic shadowcasters, who find the most enjoyment in such novelty.

DAILY LIFE
A shadow fundamentalists time is largely devoted to research, both into new, more powerful mysteries, and into how their fundamentals fit into such mysteries. Otherwise, they spend their time advancing their various other agendas, or adventuring to obtain new scraps of knowledge or interesting items.

NOTABLES
Shadow fundamentalists are few and far between, but when one’s presence becomes known, few tend to forget them. An excellent example is Grombo “no-nose” Kilten, a gnomish shadow fundamentalist who managed to create five new fundamentals before losing his nose in the creation process of a sixth. Another is Malkin Tumwater, the only shadow fundamentalist to ever make it to the Parliament of Shadows.

ORGANIZATION
The Nightshade Covenant allows in shadow fundamentalists but tends to ignore them in the midst of the struggles between their factions. After all, a pitiful fundamental seems unlikely to blot out the sun. The Tenebrous Cabal accepts them the most openly, respecting their tireless research into matters of shadow. The Votaries of Vecna regard their fundamentals as unnecessary tinkering, preferring to judge them by their total power in shadow magic.

NPC REACTIONS:
Most people react to shadow fundamentalists exactly as they would to a shadowcaster. Very few can actually tell a difference. In general, shadowcasters are indifferent towards shadowcasters. Many arcane casters refer jokingly to their choice of specialty, at least…until they face one in combat.

SHADOW FUNDAMENTALIST LORE
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcane) or Knowledge (the planes) can research Shadow Fundamentalists to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including the information from lower DCs.
DC 10: Some shadowcasters called shadow fundamentalists willingly focus on the weakest of their abilities.
DC 15: Despite all odds, shadow fundamentalists gain surprising proficiency with their fundamentals.
DC 20: Although shadow fundamentalists focus first and foremost on their fundamentals, their shadowcasting in general does not suffer.
A bardic knowledge check or a Gather Information check can reveal the same information as these Knowledge checks, but in each case the DC is 5 higher than the given value.

IN THE GAME
Shadow Fundamentalists have been well dispersed though many organizations, countries, and worlds. When introducing them, it is perhaps better to make them out to be an eccentric shadowcaster. Actually introducing their abilities might be better done through a tome or scroll depicting such varied possibilities with fundamentals, allowing shadowcaster PCs to pursue the class at their own pace.
This prestige class adds a noticeably lighter side to shadow magic, although not enough of one to effect views of it as a whole. As long as the player has an opportunity to cast fundamentals, they can be happy with their choice. Whenever one of their fundamentals truly helps them, they can feel a sense of accomplishment.

ADAPTATION
Shadow Fundamentalists, as their tricks are relatively simple, can easily be adapted to use more mundane sources of power, perhaps using smoke, darkness, or feeble illusions to accomplish their ends. Another, more obvious option is to simply convert it to affect cantrips and orisons instead of fundamentals.

SAMPLE ENCOUNTER:
Encounters with shadow fundamentalists should show off their intricacies of their art. It is not unusual for one to shoot out an empowered, maximized, quickened arrow of dusk every round, possibly followed by another mystery, the drinking of a small potion, or another empowered, maximized arrow of dusk. They are a flurry of fundamentals in combat, and a first impression should show that.
EL 5: Simon Tellware has recently mastered the art of casting fundamentals. Recently noticed and hired by the Tenebrous Cabal, he has been gathering scraps of esoteric lore for the past couple of months, stopping every now and again to collect obscure baubles and such.

Simon Tellware CR 5
Male Human Shadowcaster 2/Shadow Fundamentalist 3
TN Medium humanoid (human)
Init +0; Senses Listen +5, Spot +5
Languages Common, Elven, Dwarven
AC 17, touch 11, flat-footed 17
hp 25 (5 HD)
Fort +8, Ref +2, Will +6
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee Quarterstaff +2 (1d6/1d6)
Ranged Light crossbow +2 (1d8/19-20)
Base Atk +2 ; Grp +2
Special ActionsExtend Mystery, Empower Mystery, Maximize Mystery, Quicken Mystery
Combat Gear 1 orb of shadow (apprentice 1st), 1 dark lantern, 6 potions of cure light wounds
Mysteries Known (CL 5th)
Apprentice paths:
2nd—Frigid Smoke (spell, 1/day)
1st—Cursed Flame (spell, 1/day, DC 13), Steel Shadows (spell, 1/day)
Fundamentals
0—Umbral Hand (supernatural, at will), Mystic Reflections (supernatural, at will), Caul of Shadow (supernatural, at will), Arrow of Dusk (supernatural, at will, +2 ranged touch), Black Candle (supernatural, at will), Liquid Night (supernatural, at will), Shadow Hood (supernatural, at will, DC 12), Trick of the Light (supernatural, at will, DC 12), Darkened Eyes (supernatural, at will), Tools of the Trade (supernatural, at will), Shadow Vigor (supernatural, at will), Midnight Veil (supernatural, at will), Shadowstep (supernatural, at will), Shadowy Touch (supernatural, at will), Ghostly Blade (Supernatural, at will, +2 melee attack roll)
Abilities Str 10, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 15, Wis 8, Cha 14
SQ Fine Manipulation
Feats Extend Mystery, Empower Mystery, Maximize Mystery, Quicken Mystery
Skills Concentration +6, Hide +5, Intimidate +7, Knowledge (arcana) +7, Knowledge (the planes) +7, Move Silently +5 Spellcraft +7, Spot +5
Possessions combat gear plus Quarterstaff, Light Crossbow with 20 bolts, Cloak of resistance +1, 25 gp.