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Tome of Shadow (Shadow Magic Revitalization)
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<blockquote data-quote="Realms of Chaos" data-source="post: 3732408" data-attributes="member: 54946"><p><strong><span style="font-size: 22px">A New PC Race:</span></strong></p><p></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 18px">Shadowgaunts</span></strong></p><p>Shadows may be related by others to darkness, negativity, and evil, but to some, it they are representative of neutrality and sanctuary. At least, so thought the like-minded ancestors of the Shadowgaunts. Centuries ago, on the plane of shadow, the metropolis of Gengardon was established. As soon as it became inhabited, however, it isolated itself, for quite a few centuries. When at last a gigantic shadowquake tore Gengardon apart, the only survivors within it were the Shadowgaunts, a race of people adapted specifically to the plane of shadow, and more specifically, for shadow magic.</p><p> Although the Shadowgaunts have made their presence known, very little is known about their exact origins. Although they often said to resemble elves or the enigmatic ethergaunts (from which their name was drawn), this is completely superficial. The most popular theory is that they are closer related to the treacherous mongrelfolk, having had their blood mixed both through interspecies breeding and extended contact with the morphic plane of shadow. Another theory places them as a creation of the founders who destroyed their creators. Either way, the shadowgaunts aren’t shedding any light on the matter.</p><p> <strong>Personality:</strong> Most shadowgaunts have a very mixed and confused personality, in which emotions are hardly noticeable from one another while they shift through their emotions incredibly quickly. Although some would call this a disorder, it appears quite natural among the shadowgaunts.</p><p> <strong>Physical Description:</strong> A shadowgaunt looks lithe and moves with a wavering motion, as if about to fall over. They range from just under 5 feet to just over 6 feet, and weigh between 85 and 140 pounds. Males and Females, if there is such a distinction, are not sexually dimorphic, looking exactly the same. Their skin, along with most of their preferred clothing, is a deep shade of grey. Their faces, if they can be considered as such, are distorted patterns upon their head. A small mouth is visible, along with a couple of pitch-white eyes; eyes that are incapable of seeing in color. Their arms sometimes hang by their feet but it appears they can extend and contract them at will.</p><p> Much like elves, Shadowgaunts do not sleep. Instead, they go into a state they call deanimation for 8 hours each week (fit into the week however they please), in which they appear completely dead to anyone who fails on a dc 20 heal check (although creatures eating them can tell the difference). If a week passes without deanimation, the Shadowgaunt enters the state without meaning to, and cannot be awoken for 8 hours.</p><p> <strong>Relations:</strong> Although Gengardon was torn apart nearly a few centuries ago, the Shadowgaunt effort to rebuild it has only lost steam within the last decade or so, and the Shadowgaunts are just beginning to leave the plane of shadow. As such, other races are still not quite sure what to make of them. Of their half-hearted trading attempts, most have been made with humans, who are currently trying not to judge by appearance. The race’s supposed similarity in appearance to the elves, combined with their penchant for shadow magic, makes elves and half-orcs alike somewhat uneasy in their presence. Gnomes and Halflings have had the most success communicating with the Shadowgaunts, so long as they watch what they say. Meanwhile, the rigidity of dwarven culture seems to baffle the Shadowgaunts, who seem to think that the traditions are made for them as well, earning them many a snide remark from dwarves, although when precious ore from the plane of shadow is at hand, they are smart enough to still their tongues.</p><p> <strong>Alignment:</strong> Shadowgaunts are unique, perhaps, in that they are unaware of how they are expected to act in the world. They seem chaotic by nature, stealing food and ignoring inconvenient laws, but they also seem to make earnest attempts at lawfulness, such as dragging a criminal to a garrison. On the good-evil axis, they seem to make intermittent attempts at each, as if to test them out. The ultimate decider of what alignment they take is what they attempt more (and, logically, enjoy more).</p><p> <strong>Shadowgaunt Lands:</strong> Despite its broken state, the majority of Shadowgaunts yet live in the ruins of, or at the outskirts of, Gengardon. The ones to have moved away since then have made other small claims on the plane of shadow and even on the Material Plane.</p><p> <strong>Religion:</strong> Religion, and especially consistency in prayer, appears to be a new concept to Shadowgaunts, and one they have yet to fully grasp. Clerics placed in charge of them must make sure they don’t travel to a church of an opposed clergy the next day.</p><p> <strong>Language:</strong> Perhaps most strangely of all, Shadowgaunts don’t appear to have spoken any language before the breaking of Gengardon, despite their lack of empathy or telepathy of any kind. They still appear able to nonverbally communicate, but in a way no one else can quite understand. They have began to speak other languages, but they still have difficulty pronouncing some sounds.</p><p> <strong>Names:</strong> As the concept of language is new and names are unnecessary within groups of Shadowgaunts, the few to have adopted them live in the material plane. They are often monosyllabic and simple to pronounce. They never possess more than one name, however.</p><p> <strong>Shadowgaunt Male Names:</strong> Sou, Gon, Ter, Shar, Brig, Crag, Pur, Gus, Bob, Wok, Rob, Vor</p><p> <strong>Shadowgaunt Female Names:</strong> Sou, Ti, Ter, Boor, Shar, Cav, Pur, Rew, Wok, Cris, Vor, Wew</p><p> <strong>Adventures:</strong> Shadowgaunts, more than anything else, seem to travel on whims. It is possible for a Shadowgaunt to feel fully committed to their missions, but this is exceedingly rare. They travel where they want and seem to do what they want.</p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 15px">Shadowgaunt Racial Traits</span></strong></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">-2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -4 Constitution, +2 Intelligence: Shadowgaunts are surpisingly nimble and intelligent, but lack physical strength and have poor health.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Medium: As medium creatures, shadowgaunts have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Shadowgaunt base land speed is 20 feet.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Darkvision: Shadowgaunts can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and shadowgaunts can function just fine with no light at all.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Low-light Vision: Shadowgaunts can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Extended Reach: Shadowgaunts can extend their reach by 5 feet for the purposes of making touch attacks only. Their strength and coordination is not enough to wield a weapon at this extended range.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Add +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against mysteries or spells with the shadow subschool cast by the Shadowgaunt.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">+2 racial bonus on hide checks. The grey skin of the shadowgaunt is hard to see when they attempt to hide.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Automatic Languages: None. Bonus Language: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Favored Class: Shadowcaster. A multiclass shadowgaunt’s shadowcaster class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing. Shadowgaunts, due to such long exposure to the plane of shadow, are made for shadow magic.</li> </ul></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Realms of Chaos, post: 3732408, member: 54946"] [B][SIZE="6"]A New PC Race:[/SIZE][/B] [B][SIZE="5"]Shadowgaunts[/SIZE][/B] Shadows may be related by others to darkness, negativity, and evil, but to some, it they are representative of neutrality and sanctuary. At least, so thought the like-minded ancestors of the Shadowgaunts. Centuries ago, on the plane of shadow, the metropolis of Gengardon was established. As soon as it became inhabited, however, it isolated itself, for quite a few centuries. When at last a gigantic shadowquake tore Gengardon apart, the only survivors within it were the Shadowgaunts, a race of people adapted specifically to the plane of shadow, and more specifically, for shadow magic. Although the Shadowgaunts have made their presence known, very little is known about their exact origins. Although they often said to resemble elves or the enigmatic ethergaunts (from which their name was drawn), this is completely superficial. The most popular theory is that they are closer related to the treacherous mongrelfolk, having had their blood mixed both through interspecies breeding and extended contact with the morphic plane of shadow. Another theory places them as a creation of the founders who destroyed their creators. Either way, the shadowgaunts aren’t shedding any light on the matter. [B]Personality:[/B] Most shadowgaunts have a very mixed and confused personality, in which emotions are hardly noticeable from one another while they shift through their emotions incredibly quickly. Although some would call this a disorder, it appears quite natural among the shadowgaunts. [B]Physical Description:[/B] A shadowgaunt looks lithe and moves with a wavering motion, as if about to fall over. They range from just under 5 feet to just over 6 feet, and weigh between 85 and 140 pounds. Males and Females, if there is such a distinction, are not sexually dimorphic, looking exactly the same. Their skin, along with most of their preferred clothing, is a deep shade of grey. Their faces, if they can be considered as such, are distorted patterns upon their head. A small mouth is visible, along with a couple of pitch-white eyes; eyes that are incapable of seeing in color. Their arms sometimes hang by their feet but it appears they can extend and contract them at will. Much like elves, Shadowgaunts do not sleep. Instead, they go into a state they call deanimation for 8 hours each week (fit into the week however they please), in which they appear completely dead to anyone who fails on a dc 20 heal check (although creatures eating them can tell the difference). If a week passes without deanimation, the Shadowgaunt enters the state without meaning to, and cannot be awoken for 8 hours. [B]Relations:[/B] Although Gengardon was torn apart nearly a few centuries ago, the Shadowgaunt effort to rebuild it has only lost steam within the last decade or so, and the Shadowgaunts are just beginning to leave the plane of shadow. As such, other races are still not quite sure what to make of them. Of their half-hearted trading attempts, most have been made with humans, who are currently trying not to judge by appearance. The race’s supposed similarity in appearance to the elves, combined with their penchant for shadow magic, makes elves and half-orcs alike somewhat uneasy in their presence. Gnomes and Halflings have had the most success communicating with the Shadowgaunts, so long as they watch what they say. Meanwhile, the rigidity of dwarven culture seems to baffle the Shadowgaunts, who seem to think that the traditions are made for them as well, earning them many a snide remark from dwarves, although when precious ore from the plane of shadow is at hand, they are smart enough to still their tongues. [B]Alignment:[/B] Shadowgaunts are unique, perhaps, in that they are unaware of how they are expected to act in the world. They seem chaotic by nature, stealing food and ignoring inconvenient laws, but they also seem to make earnest attempts at lawfulness, such as dragging a criminal to a garrison. On the good-evil axis, they seem to make intermittent attempts at each, as if to test them out. The ultimate decider of what alignment they take is what they attempt more (and, logically, enjoy more). [B]Shadowgaunt Lands:[/B] Despite its broken state, the majority of Shadowgaunts yet live in the ruins of, or at the outskirts of, Gengardon. The ones to have moved away since then have made other small claims on the plane of shadow and even on the Material Plane. [B]Religion:[/B] Religion, and especially consistency in prayer, appears to be a new concept to Shadowgaunts, and one they have yet to fully grasp. Clerics placed in charge of them must make sure they don’t travel to a church of an opposed clergy the next day. [B]Language:[/B] Perhaps most strangely of all, Shadowgaunts don’t appear to have spoken any language before the breaking of Gengardon, despite their lack of empathy or telepathy of any kind. They still appear able to nonverbally communicate, but in a way no one else can quite understand. They have began to speak other languages, but they still have difficulty pronouncing some sounds. [B]Names:[/B] As the concept of language is new and names are unnecessary within groups of Shadowgaunts, the few to have adopted them live in the material plane. They are often monosyllabic and simple to pronounce. They never possess more than one name, however. [B]Shadowgaunt Male Names:[/B] Sou, Gon, Ter, Shar, Brig, Crag, Pur, Gus, Bob, Wok, Rob, Vor [B]Shadowgaunt Female Names:[/B] Sou, Ti, Ter, Boor, Shar, Cav, Pur, Rew, Wok, Cris, Vor, Wew [B]Adventures:[/B] Shadowgaunts, more than anything else, seem to travel on whims. It is possible for a Shadowgaunt to feel fully committed to their missions, but this is exceedingly rare. They travel where they want and seem to do what they want. [B][SIZE="4"]Shadowgaunt Racial Traits[/SIZE][/B] [LIST] [*]-2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -4 Constitution, +2 Intelligence: Shadowgaunts are surpisingly nimble and intelligent, but lack physical strength and have poor health. [*]Medium: As medium creatures, shadowgaunts have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. [*]Shadowgaunt base land speed is 20 feet. [*]Darkvision: Shadowgaunts can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and shadowgaunts can function just fine with no light at all. [*]Low-light Vision: Shadowgaunts can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions. [*]Extended Reach: Shadowgaunts can extend their reach by 5 feet for the purposes of making touch attacks only. Their strength and coordination is not enough to wield a weapon at this extended range. [*]Add +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against mysteries or spells with the shadow subschool cast by the Shadowgaunt. [*]+2 racial bonus on hide checks. The grey skin of the shadowgaunt is hard to see when they attempt to hide. [*]Automatic Languages: None. Bonus Language: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic) [*]Favored Class: Shadowcaster. A multiclass shadowgaunt’s shadowcaster class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing. Shadowgaunts, due to such long exposure to the plane of shadow, are made for shadow magic. [/LIST] [/QUOTE]
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