THE SHADOW MAGE 
A prestige class based on the d&d 2nd edition shadow mage 
and the shadowdancer prestige class in the 3rd ed. dmg
Created/Converted by: Greg Leach (leachg@nwrel.org)

Description:
The places where light and darkness meet have long symbolized opposition and balance, the clash of good and evil, even of chaos and law. Training as a shadow mage teaches mages to use these contrasts to reach the secret source and union of all shadow and harness its power. Shadow mages tend to be grim sentinels who have exchanged the bright spark of a normal existence for the power of twilight and darkness. Very few shadow mages are of good alignment; a great number are neutral, and some have embraced the darkness completely and turned to ways of evil. 

Shadow mages are closely tied to the Demiplane of Shadow. They have discovered that every shadow in the real world has a mystic connection or source in Shadowland. An arcane spell caster with skill and a strong heart can use the most mundane shadows as a doorway to this realm of dusk, calling forth its powers for their own purposes. A number of shadow mages eventually become shades, or creatures whose physical forms have been completely replaced by shadow-stuff, although this doesn’t happen to player character shadow mages except in extraordinary circumstances. 

Hit dice: d4

Requirements:
Feats:	Blind fighting
Knowledge arcana: 5 ranks
Hide in shadows: 6 ranks
Move silently: 3 ranks
Scry: 3 ranks
Spell caster: 3+ levels of arcane spell casting.
Special: Shadow mages may not cast spells from the school of Evocation.  A shadow mage who breaks this rule, loses all abilities of the prestige class until they take another level in it, at which point, all shadow mage abilities are returned.  Many wizards who become shadow mages therefore chose Evocation as their opposition school.
	
Class Skills:
Alchemy, Concentration, Craft, Hide, Knowledge (various), Move Silently, Profession, Scry, and Spellcraft.

Class Features:

Base						
Class	Attack	Fort    Ref       Will					
Level	Bonus	Save  Save     Save     Spells per Day 		   Special
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	+1 level of existing class	Low-light vision, Shadow casting, Hide in plain sight	
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	+1 level of existing class	Shadow Illusion	
3rd	+1	+1	+1	+3	+1 level of existing class	Shadow Scry	
4th	+2	+1	+1	+4	+1 level of existing class	Blindsight 10’	
5th	+2	+1	+1	+4	+1 level of existing class	Shadow form	
6th	+3	+2	+2	+5	+1 level of existing class	Shadow Scry (+4)	
7th	+3	+2	+2	+5	+1 level of existing class	Blindsight 20’	
8th	+4	+2	+2	+6	+1 level of existing class	Darkvision	
9th	+4	+3	+3	+6	+1 level of existing class	Shadow Scry (+8)	
10th	+5	+3	+3	+7	+1 level of existing class	Greater shadow form, Blindsight 30’	

Spells per Day
As spell casters, shadow mages continue training in their existing parent class and gain the spells per day as if they had advanced in that class.  For example, an 8th level sorcerer that takes a level in shadow mage will gain the spells per day of a 9th level sorcerer.  However, shadow mages gain no other benefits of their parent classes (e.g. bonus feats, class abilities, etc.).  Also, if a player meets the requirements for more than one arcane spell casting class, they must choose which is to be the parent class throughout their training as a shadow mage.

Low-Light Vision
Due to their intimate familiarity with shadows and darkness, shadow mages gain the ability to see better than normal in low light levels.  A first level shadow mage can see in moonlight as if it were daylight.

Shadow Casting
A shadow mage’s effectiveness is closely tied to the amount of light present, and therefore the closeness of the Demiplane of Shadow, at the time they cast their spells.  At a disadvantage in bright daylight, shadow mages’ spells get progressively stronger as the light dims.  Below is a chart that shows this progression.

Condition	DC Modifier	
Bright daylight or continual light 	-2	
Weak daylight, dusk, or light 	0	
Late twilight, strong moonlight, lantern light 	+1	
Weak moonlight, torch light 	+2	
Candlelight, starlight	+3	
Total darkness 	+4	

Hide in Plain Sight
Shadow mages can use the hide skill even while being observed.  As long as they are within 10 ft. of some sort of shadow, shadow mages can hide themselves from view in the open without anything to actually hide behind.  They cannot, however, hide in their own shadows.  Hide in plain sight is a supernatural ability.

Shadow Illusion
When a shadow mage reaches 2nd level, they can create visual illusions from surrounding shadows.  This spell-like ability is identical to the arcane spell silent image and may be employed once per day.

Shadow Scry
Every object casts a shadow or can be consumed by shadow and darkness.  These shadows can be powerful allies to those that have control over them; or, if those shadows are turned against creatures, they can be interminable enemies that can’t be shaken – after all, how can one get rid of one’s own shadow?  

The shadow mage, being a master of shadows can use this to their advantage.  Beginning at 3rd level, the shadow mage is able to use shadows to scry on creatures.  Since a creature’s shadow is inextricably tied to the creature’s material form, there is conflict between the mage’s attempt to turn the shadow against it’s caster.  This conflict takes place on a subconscious level for the creature being scryed upon.  They do, however, get a saving throw to counter the shadow mage’s attempt.  When using shadow scry, the shadow mage makes an opposing roll of their scry skill vs. the creature’s Will save.  If successful, the shadow mage is able to mentally take the form of the shadow.  Therefore they are able to see and hear their surroundings, as well as know their location in the Demiplane of Shadow, which overlaps the Material Plane.  They are not able to affect their surroundings, however (without aids such as a crystal ball of telepathy).  Shadow sight can be thwarted by measures that would thwart regular scrying attempts.

As the shadow mage’s connection with Shadowland improves, they get bonuses to their scrying skill (+4 at 6th level, and +8 at 9th level), but only for shadow scrying.   Shadow scry can be used once a day for every 2 levels of shadow mage, and is initiated as a full round action. One must concentrate to maintain the scrying (1 min/level).  Shadow scry is a spell-like ability.

Blindsight
Shadow mages gain the extraordinary ability to use their connection with Shadowland to operate effectively without vision.  This ability makes invisibility and darkness (even magical darkness) irrelevant.  This ability operates to a range of 10’ at 4th level, 20’ at 7th level, and finally 30’ at 10th level. (See DMG for further rules on Blindsight)

Shadow Form
Upon reaching 5th level as a shadow mage, the mage is able to assume the form of a shadow.  To assume the shadow form, the mage must undergo a transformation for one full round.  While in shadow form, the shadow mage is treated as if they are using the spell ethereal jaunt except instead of entering the Ethereal Plane, they are in the Demiplane of Shadow.  Shadow form can be used for 1 round/level per day, divided in any manner.  Shadow form is a supernatural ability.

Dark vision
Due to their intimate connection with shadow, shadow mages continue to improve their ability to see normally in darkness. As a shadow mage advances to the 8th level, they become more attuned to darkness and ignore changes in visibility that would partially or completely blind other characters and are able to see up to 60’ in utter darkness.

Greater Shadow Form
Greater shadow form is like the Shadow Form ability except the mage and other creatures joined by linked hands (along with their equipment) take the shadow form.  The shadow mage can bring up to one other creature per three caster levels to the Demiplane of Shadow.  Once in shadow form, the creatures need not stay together.

When shadow form expires, all affected creatures return to normal existence.