Minaret
First Post
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TEARS OF THE SHADOW MISTRESS:
Sitrini kept her head down and her eyes sternly closed lest a tear escape its confines. Her smoky black locks flowed across her face like a velvet curtain as she knelt against the cold stone of the deserted building. Long ago this alabaster-skinned wisp of a thing promised she would never again cry for herself – this was an oath she meant keep to the end. Tonight’s torments would pass, they always did. The details of her encounter this evening didn’t matter, it only mattered that she survived. The frightened child that had once clung helplessly to the sundered remains of her dead mother’s body no longer existed. Years ago the waves of hardship had crashed upon the shores of her innocent world and threatened to drown her in their depths, but Sitrini had survived the onslaught and fought her way out of the darkness. Weary and worn, Sitrini had not let herself perish in the desolation of her childhood. Sitrini was now a young woman; tempered by her trials, stronger and unbroken from the experience.
Feeling the chill of the encroaching night, and lacking a blanket or cloak, Sitrini moved to a sheltered corner of the building, pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapped her arms around herself, and began to rock herself into a shallow sleep. A sleep devoid of fear or self-pity. Sitrini had learned to wear her string of loss and misery with pride, like a necklace of the heirloom pearls – darkened, scarred, and pitted by frequent and unrelenting abuse, but radiant nonetheless.
Distracted by fatigue, Sitrini almost missed the movement near her. Lifting her head slowly, she glimpsed a figure slip from the shadows and glide toward her with the sultry grace of a dancer. Sitrini stopped rocking and marveled at the figure’s poise. Even in the graying light of dusk, its movements were so fluid and alluring they mesmerized. As the seductive and clearly feminine figure approached, Sitrini could not make out its facial features for they were shrouded in a veil of lace thin shadows. By the time the figure was close enough to stroke Sitrini’s pale cheek, the young woman was seduced and enthralled. While the beautiful apparition tenderly stroked Sitrini’s hair, a single tear began to trace a path down its cheek. With the gentleness of a feather drifting in the breeze, Sitrini effortlessly caught the errant tear on the tip of her finger before it could fall to the ground. Closing her fingers around the glistening orb, Sitrini brought it to her breast. Stepping forward the figure stretched out her arms and engulfed Sitrini in an embrace of soothing sable shades. The familiar pain and anguish that Sitrini had worn for years receded, replaced with a comforting peace and a new felt sense of purpose – Sitrini was now one of the Tears of the Shadow Mistress.
Tears:
Although their individual stories vary, from misbegotten orphan to misunderstood outcast, all Tears see the world as being populated by predators and prey, the users and the used. Attempting to depose of every scavenging jackal is a fool’s errand. They will just be replaced by another from the endless pack of stalking beasts. It is an equal fallacy to try and save all the ignorant masses. They are mindless pigeons upon which the jackals feed, their lot will never change. The only pragmatic course then is to save the few, unique souls who tread the path outside the roles of predator and prey. To the Tears, these enlightened free-thinkers are the beautiful swans of the world. The Mistress’s Tears fill the role of guide and guardian, pulling the vulnerable swans from the jaws of the scavenging jackals. The Tears refer to this role as “walking the Twilight Path.” If the jackals must feed, let them feast on the masses of hapless pigeons, their loss is of no consequence to the Mistress.
All the young ones that will someday become Tears began life with the unblemished spirits and dreams of swans. That was until tragedy shattered their lives forcing the innocent swans to reconstitute themselves as cunning ravens – shrewd beauties possessing lethal talons. Every Tear of the Shadow Mistress is a female of striking beauty and deftly honed skill. She is a tool used by the Shadow Mistress to show her contempt for the stifling machinations of both the dark cults and self-righteous orders of the world. Her Tears are just as likely to strike the tyrannical leader of a sinister cabal as they are to disrupt a pompous preacher’s dogmatically harsh teachings. Nevertheless, a Tear is not some glassy-eyed zealot that swoons with false piety over the dream of burning on the wasteful pyre of martyrdom. Traversing the perpetual grey twilight between darkness and light has cultivated a philosophy of pragmatic individualism within all the Tears. They possess no steadfast dogma. Their moral compass can be described as intellectually promiscuous and porous. If the beliefs and practices of her past are not relevant to the challenges of tomorrow, the Tear sweeps them from her memory, like a traveler brushing the dust from her boots at the end of a day’s journey. A Tear’s principal goal is to assist the swans she encounters in making their way along the Twilight Path, helping to prevent them from being lost to the darkness or consumed by the light. Through the use of subtle guile and merciless assaults, Tears also cull the more vicious predators from the ever present pack of jackals. The aim is not to retaliate for past transgressions, but to prevent the loss of future swans to the beast. Tears have found that the removal of a single predator can result in great change, much like how dislodging a single pebble can move a mountain – as long as it’s the right pebble. In the end, to impose your stifling beliefs on another, to callously shackle a creative soul, or cruelly constrain a novel thinker is to chance a sunset meeting with a Tear, her talons at the ready.
The vast majority of Tears are dual-classed rogues and sorceresses, although some Tears have additional training as bards, fighters, and even barbarians. Paladins, clerics, and monks are completely absent from the sisterhood of Tears, as are the races of dwarves, half-orcs, and gnomes. Three-fourths of all Tears are humans or half-elves with the remaining quarter composed of tieflings, elves, drow, and a menagerie of assorted refugees and half-breeds.
Hit Die: d6.
Level_ Att__Fort__ Ref__ Will
1st__ +0__ +0___ +2___ +0
2nd__+1__ +0___ +3___ +0
3rd__ +2__ +1___ +3___ +1
4th__ +3__ +1___ +4___ +1
5th__ +3__ +1___ +4___ +1
6th__ +4__ +2___ +5___ +2
7th__ +5__ +2___ +5___ +2
8th__ +6__ +2___ +6___ +2
9th__ +6__ +3___ +6___ +3
10th_ +7__ +3___ +7___ +3
Level___Special
1st____ Shadow’s Child, Sneak Attack +1d6
2nd ___ Shadow Familiar
3rd____ Sneak Attack +2d6
4th____ Seduction’s Shield
5th____ Sneak Attack +3d6
6th____ Seduction’s Sting
7th____ Sneak Attack +4d6
8th____ Chasing Shadows
9th____ Sneak Attack +5d6
10th___ Shadow’s Embrace
Level ___ Spells Per Day
1st_____ +1 level of existing class
2nd
3rd_____ +1 level of existing class
4th
5th_____ +1 level of existing class
6th
7th_____ +1 level of existing class
8th
9th_____ +1 level of existing class
10th____ +1 level of existing class
Requirements:
To qualify to become one of the Tears of the Shadow Mistress a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Bluff: 9 ranks.
Hide: 9 ranks.
Move Silently: 9 ranks.
Pick Pocket: 9 ranks.
Tumble: 9 ranks.
Feats: Improved Initiative, Evasion, Weapon Finesse, Combat Reflexes, Uncanny Dodge (can’t be flanked).
Spells: Ability to cast at least seven arcane spells per day of any level.
Special: Sneak attack +3d6, female, and prior contact with the Shadow Mistress.
Class Skills:
The Tears of the Shadow Mistress prestige class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Locks (Dex), Perform (Cha), Pick Pocket (Dex), Rope Use (Dex), Search (Int), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex)
Skill Points at Each Level 4 + 1 rank of Hide + Int modifier.
Class Features:
All the following are class features of the Tears of the Shadow Mistress prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency:
Tears are proficient in all simple and martial weapons. They possess no armor proficiencies.
Spells:
A Tear may only learn and cast spells from the schools of Enchantment, Illusion, and Transmutation. She is also granted access to any arcane spell with “Shadow” in its description or draws its magic from the plane of shadows. The Tear may learn and fill any empty spell slots with “Shadow” spells of one level higher. This substitution does not alter the casting of the spell in anyway. For example, a third-level shadow spell that is used to fill a second-level spell slot is still cast as a third-level spell. At 1st level and every other level gained in the Tears of the Shadow Mistress prestige class as well as the final 10th level, the character gains new spells per day as if she had gained a level in the spellcasting class she had previously belonged. The Tear gains no other benefits of the previous class besides the ability to cast additional spells per day. All spells that the character attempts to cast with either a “Light” or “Fire” descriptor have a 10% chance of failure per prestige class level. At 10th level, the Tear is completely barred from using these spells, even if she would have access to them due to levels gained in another spell-casting class.
Sneak Attack:
This power is identical to the rogue ability of the same name and stacks accordingly.
Shadow’s Child:
This power grants the Tear low-light vision to 90 feet (a synergy bonus of +30 feet is gained to characters that already possess low-light vision). Second, the character can move through the shadows at her normal movement rate while using the Move Silently and Hide skills without penalty.
Shadow Familiar:
The Tear’s familiar gains the “Shadow Familiar Template”. As the Tear gains levels, her familiar slowly transforms into an ebon-hued creature of shadow-stuff (see the Shadow Familiar Template below). The shadow familiar retains all the abilities it possessed in its natural form in addition to the new ones it gains as it slowly transforms. If the Tear does not possess a familiar, she may choose one.
Seduction’s Shield:
The Tear’s innate persona is enormously enthralling, making it difficult for opponents to execute effective attacks against her. Due to her commanding presence, the Tear adds her Charisma modifier to her armor class, as long as she is not wearing armor or flat-footed. The Seduction’s Shield power is potent against all manner of living creatures regardless of the Tear’s awareness. Creatures that are immune to sneak attacks and critical hits are also immune to this power.
Seduction’s Sting:
The sultry gaze of a Tear can cause even the most experienced warrior to lower his guard, if for but an instant. In that sliver of a moment, when skilled seduction overcomes the trained intellect, the Tear can thrust the tip of her blade home with such mastery that the initial sting often goes unfelt. The Seduction’s Sting power enables the Tear to feint in combat using her Bluff skill as a move-equivalent action. As a secondary use of this power, the Tear may willingly cause her “attack” to miss its mark, allowing her to pick-pocket her opponent (DC=30). Prior to trying to pick-pocket in combat, the Tear must make a successful Bluff check and have a hand free. If the Pick-Pocket attempt fails and is noticed (e.g., the opponent’s Spot check beats the Tear’s Pick Pocket check), the Tear’s opponent is allowed an attack of opportunity against the character. Once noticed, no further Pick Pocket attempts can be made against the opponent for the duration of the combat. This power can not be used on opponents that are immune to critical hits or sneak attacks.
Chasing Shadows:
No longer a passive ally, the shadows now actively intercede on the behalf of the Tear. Once per day, if she is within 2 feet per Hide rank of the shadows, and not flat-footed, the Tear can draw upon the shadows to displace her true location just enough so she can escape the damage of a lethal blow. When a Tear is struck in combat and would be reduced to 0 hit points or less by the damage, she can make a Hide check (DC = 10+damage dealt) in order to take only half damage. If the check is successful, the Tear will always have at least 1 hit point remaining regardless of the total damage dealt. The use of this power is not without its costs to the character. In order to evade the fatal blow, the Tear gives up a bit of her essence to the shadows. Each time this power is employed the Tear losses 100xp+10xp per prestige class level.
Shadow’s Embrace:
Once per day, a Tear can step onto the plane of shadows to receive solace in its embrace. Within the shade of this haven, the character heals 1d4 hit points per Charisma modifier. While cocooned in the shadows, the Tear sees the physical world she left in muted silhouette. The Tear can remain in the Shadow’s Embrace up to 10 minutes + 10 minutes per rank of Hide. When leaving the land of perpetual twilight, the Tear can emerge from any shadow within 30 feet of her original position as long as it is visible from her point of entry. If all the shadows within 30 feet of the Tear’s point of entry are dissipated, including the shadows she entered, she is instantly expelled. This expulsion will disorient the Tear as if affected by a ray of enfeeblement for 1d6 rounds. Now fully embraced by the shadows, the Tear is immune to all attacks that use shadow magic and is treated as an Outsider.
Shadow Familiar Template:
As the Tear gains levels in the prestige class, her familiar slowly transforms into a black-satin creature of shadow-stuff. As the familiar steady becomes composed of ever more shadow-stuff, it becomes harder to strike. For example, a familiar that is made of 25% shadow-stuff gains the equivalent of ¼ cover. By the time the familiar’s mistress reaches 9th level, the familiar will be composed of 75% shadow-stuff and possess ¾ cover. Last, all of a familiar’s previous abilities stack with the new skills of the template.
Level___ INT_____ AC_____ Shadow______ Special
...2____ +1_____ +1______ 25%_________ Shared Shadows
3-4____ +2_____ +2______ 25%
5-6____ +3_____ +3______ 50%_________ Shadow Touched
7-8____ +4_____ +4______ 50%
9-10___ +5_____ +5______ 75%_________ Shadow Sight
Shared Shadows:
Whenever a shadow familiar is within 5 feet of its mistress, it can share the benefits of any of the three “shadow feats” (e.g., Shadow’s Child, Chasing Shadows, and Shadow’s Embrace) its mistress possesses.
Shadow Touched:
If both the Tear and her familiar are in the shadows, can see each other, and are within 5 feet of each other per prestige class level of the Tear, the familiar can deliver its mistresses’ touch attacks. When the spell is cast, the familiar may leave the shadows in order to make the touch attack; however, the Tear must remain in the shadows. If she leaves the shadows at anytime, the spell is disrupted and lost.
Shadow Sight:
If both the Tear and her familiar are in the shadows and within 100 feet of each other per prestige class level of the Tear, the mistress can see through her familiar’s eyes as if they were her own.
[Sidebar] The Shadow Mistress:
The veil of mystery that shrouds the angelic features of the Shadow Mistress, also known as the Sirine of Shades and the Maiden of the Twilight Path, is not easily breached. More fiction than fact is known of this porcelain beauty. Her origin is only guessed at. The more persistent stories weave tales of her being the offspring of a sirine and a shadow dragon, or a fallen-angel, a celestial that shielded a blasphemous heretic from righteous justice, earning herself exile for her efforts. Either tale is plausible, but with no support the stories are only folklore. The one fact that is known of the Mistress is that she appears to striking young females that have survived great hardship through the sheer force of their own character. Offering these lonely, isolated beauties access to astonishing abilities, the Mistress only requires the ladies to accept her embrace and walk the Twilight Path. All other tangible insights into the ambitions of the Mistress are only gleaned indirectly, through the observation of the Tears she has embraced.
[Sidebar] Contacting the Tear:
Once a DM decides that he will allow the Tears of the Shadow Mistress prestige class in his campaign, he needs to determine how the character will be contacted by the Shadow Mistress. One interesting way to introduce the Shadow Mistress is to wait until the character meets all the requirements for the prestige class. Instead of allowing the character to become a first-level Tear, have the player continue adventuring with the character. When the character uses her Hide skill and makes an exceptional check (DC=30) during a challenging part of an adventure, have the Shadow Mistress appear to her. To the rest of the party it will appear as if the character has vanished into the shadows. When the character is released from the Mistress’s embrace after 1-6 rounds, the DM would immediately grant the character all the benefits of a first-level Tear, and the adventure would continue.
[SideBar] Symbol of the Shadow Mistress:
During a Tear’s initial embrace, she is permanently marked with the pitch-black symbol of the Shadow Mistress. The symbol (see above) is about the size of the Tear’s clenched fist and is always found in the center of her lower back. Its meaning and purpose are hidden to the uninitiated. The black brand cannot be removed by non-magical means. A wish will cause the symbol to disappear until dusk of the next sunset.
- - - - - - - - -
The text of this article is considered Open Game Content (OGC). “d20 System" and the "d20 System" logo are Trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast and are used according to the terms of the d20 System License version 4.0. Dungeons & Dragons® and Wizards of the Coast® are Registered Trademarks of Wizards of the Coast. All other content is ©2003 Craig A. Singsank. All rights reserved. The following items are hereby designated as Product Identity (PI) in accordance with Section 1(e) of the Open Game License (OGL), version 1.0a: Tears of the Shadow Mistress, Shadow Mistress, Tears, Siren of Shades, Maiden of the Twilight Path, Twilight Path, Sitrini, Shadow’s Child, Shadow Familiar, Seduction’s Shield, Seduction’s Sting, Chasing Shadows, Shadow’s Embrace, the Shadow Familiar Template, Shared Shadows, Shadow Touched, Shadow Sight, the Shadow Mistress logo, and any and all references to storylines and plots. The above Product Identify is not Open Game Content. A copy of the OGL license can be found at www.wizards.com/d20.
TEARS OF THE SHADOW MISTRESS:
Sitrini kept her head down and her eyes sternly closed lest a tear escape its confines. Her smoky black locks flowed across her face like a velvet curtain as she knelt against the cold stone of the deserted building. Long ago this alabaster-skinned wisp of a thing promised she would never again cry for herself – this was an oath she meant keep to the end. Tonight’s torments would pass, they always did. The details of her encounter this evening didn’t matter, it only mattered that she survived. The frightened child that had once clung helplessly to the sundered remains of her dead mother’s body no longer existed. Years ago the waves of hardship had crashed upon the shores of her innocent world and threatened to drown her in their depths, but Sitrini had survived the onslaught and fought her way out of the darkness. Weary and worn, Sitrini had not let herself perish in the desolation of her childhood. Sitrini was now a young woman; tempered by her trials, stronger and unbroken from the experience.
Feeling the chill of the encroaching night, and lacking a blanket or cloak, Sitrini moved to a sheltered corner of the building, pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapped her arms around herself, and began to rock herself into a shallow sleep. A sleep devoid of fear or self-pity. Sitrini had learned to wear her string of loss and misery with pride, like a necklace of the heirloom pearls – darkened, scarred, and pitted by frequent and unrelenting abuse, but radiant nonetheless.
Distracted by fatigue, Sitrini almost missed the movement near her. Lifting her head slowly, she glimpsed a figure slip from the shadows and glide toward her with the sultry grace of a dancer. Sitrini stopped rocking and marveled at the figure’s poise. Even in the graying light of dusk, its movements were so fluid and alluring they mesmerized. As the seductive and clearly feminine figure approached, Sitrini could not make out its facial features for they were shrouded in a veil of lace thin shadows. By the time the figure was close enough to stroke Sitrini’s pale cheek, the young woman was seduced and enthralled. While the beautiful apparition tenderly stroked Sitrini’s hair, a single tear began to trace a path down its cheek. With the gentleness of a feather drifting in the breeze, Sitrini effortlessly caught the errant tear on the tip of her finger before it could fall to the ground. Closing her fingers around the glistening orb, Sitrini brought it to her breast. Stepping forward the figure stretched out her arms and engulfed Sitrini in an embrace of soothing sable shades. The familiar pain and anguish that Sitrini had worn for years receded, replaced with a comforting peace and a new felt sense of purpose – Sitrini was now one of the Tears of the Shadow Mistress.
Tears:
Although their individual stories vary, from misbegotten orphan to misunderstood outcast, all Tears see the world as being populated by predators and prey, the users and the used. Attempting to depose of every scavenging jackal is a fool’s errand. They will just be replaced by another from the endless pack of stalking beasts. It is an equal fallacy to try and save all the ignorant masses. They are mindless pigeons upon which the jackals feed, their lot will never change. The only pragmatic course then is to save the few, unique souls who tread the path outside the roles of predator and prey. To the Tears, these enlightened free-thinkers are the beautiful swans of the world. The Mistress’s Tears fill the role of guide and guardian, pulling the vulnerable swans from the jaws of the scavenging jackals. The Tears refer to this role as “walking the Twilight Path.” If the jackals must feed, let them feast on the masses of hapless pigeons, their loss is of no consequence to the Mistress.
All the young ones that will someday become Tears began life with the unblemished spirits and dreams of swans. That was until tragedy shattered their lives forcing the innocent swans to reconstitute themselves as cunning ravens – shrewd beauties possessing lethal talons. Every Tear of the Shadow Mistress is a female of striking beauty and deftly honed skill. She is a tool used by the Shadow Mistress to show her contempt for the stifling machinations of both the dark cults and self-righteous orders of the world. Her Tears are just as likely to strike the tyrannical leader of a sinister cabal as they are to disrupt a pompous preacher’s dogmatically harsh teachings. Nevertheless, a Tear is not some glassy-eyed zealot that swoons with false piety over the dream of burning on the wasteful pyre of martyrdom. Traversing the perpetual grey twilight between darkness and light has cultivated a philosophy of pragmatic individualism within all the Tears. They possess no steadfast dogma. Their moral compass can be described as intellectually promiscuous and porous. If the beliefs and practices of her past are not relevant to the challenges of tomorrow, the Tear sweeps them from her memory, like a traveler brushing the dust from her boots at the end of a day’s journey. A Tear’s principal goal is to assist the swans she encounters in making their way along the Twilight Path, helping to prevent them from being lost to the darkness or consumed by the light. Through the use of subtle guile and merciless assaults, Tears also cull the more vicious predators from the ever present pack of jackals. The aim is not to retaliate for past transgressions, but to prevent the loss of future swans to the beast. Tears have found that the removal of a single predator can result in great change, much like how dislodging a single pebble can move a mountain – as long as it’s the right pebble. In the end, to impose your stifling beliefs on another, to callously shackle a creative soul, or cruelly constrain a novel thinker is to chance a sunset meeting with a Tear, her talons at the ready.
The vast majority of Tears are dual-classed rogues and sorceresses, although some Tears have additional training as bards, fighters, and even barbarians. Paladins, clerics, and monks are completely absent from the sisterhood of Tears, as are the races of dwarves, half-orcs, and gnomes. Three-fourths of all Tears are humans or half-elves with the remaining quarter composed of tieflings, elves, drow, and a menagerie of assorted refugees and half-breeds.
Hit Die: d6.
Level_ Att__Fort__ Ref__ Will
1st__ +0__ +0___ +2___ +0
2nd__+1__ +0___ +3___ +0
3rd__ +2__ +1___ +3___ +1
4th__ +3__ +1___ +4___ +1
5th__ +3__ +1___ +4___ +1
6th__ +4__ +2___ +5___ +2
7th__ +5__ +2___ +5___ +2
8th__ +6__ +2___ +6___ +2
9th__ +6__ +3___ +6___ +3
10th_ +7__ +3___ +7___ +3
Level___Special
1st____ Shadow’s Child, Sneak Attack +1d6
2nd ___ Shadow Familiar
3rd____ Sneak Attack +2d6
4th____ Seduction’s Shield
5th____ Sneak Attack +3d6
6th____ Seduction’s Sting
7th____ Sneak Attack +4d6
8th____ Chasing Shadows
9th____ Sneak Attack +5d6
10th___ Shadow’s Embrace
Level ___ Spells Per Day
1st_____ +1 level of existing class
2nd
3rd_____ +1 level of existing class
4th
5th_____ +1 level of existing class
6th
7th_____ +1 level of existing class
8th
9th_____ +1 level of existing class
10th____ +1 level of existing class
Requirements:
To qualify to become one of the Tears of the Shadow Mistress a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Bluff: 9 ranks.
Hide: 9 ranks.
Move Silently: 9 ranks.
Pick Pocket: 9 ranks.
Tumble: 9 ranks.
Feats: Improved Initiative, Evasion, Weapon Finesse, Combat Reflexes, Uncanny Dodge (can’t be flanked).
Spells: Ability to cast at least seven arcane spells per day of any level.
Special: Sneak attack +3d6, female, and prior contact with the Shadow Mistress.
Class Skills:
The Tears of the Shadow Mistress prestige class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Locks (Dex), Perform (Cha), Pick Pocket (Dex), Rope Use (Dex), Search (Int), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex)
Skill Points at Each Level 4 + 1 rank of Hide + Int modifier.
Class Features:
All the following are class features of the Tears of the Shadow Mistress prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency:
Tears are proficient in all simple and martial weapons. They possess no armor proficiencies.
Spells:
A Tear may only learn and cast spells from the schools of Enchantment, Illusion, and Transmutation. She is also granted access to any arcane spell with “Shadow” in its description or draws its magic from the plane of shadows. The Tear may learn and fill any empty spell slots with “Shadow” spells of one level higher. This substitution does not alter the casting of the spell in anyway. For example, a third-level shadow spell that is used to fill a second-level spell slot is still cast as a third-level spell. At 1st level and every other level gained in the Tears of the Shadow Mistress prestige class as well as the final 10th level, the character gains new spells per day as if she had gained a level in the spellcasting class she had previously belonged. The Tear gains no other benefits of the previous class besides the ability to cast additional spells per day. All spells that the character attempts to cast with either a “Light” or “Fire” descriptor have a 10% chance of failure per prestige class level. At 10th level, the Tear is completely barred from using these spells, even if she would have access to them due to levels gained in another spell-casting class.
Sneak Attack:
This power is identical to the rogue ability of the same name and stacks accordingly.
Shadow’s Child:
This power grants the Tear low-light vision to 90 feet (a synergy bonus of +30 feet is gained to characters that already possess low-light vision). Second, the character can move through the shadows at her normal movement rate while using the Move Silently and Hide skills without penalty.
Shadow Familiar:
The Tear’s familiar gains the “Shadow Familiar Template”. As the Tear gains levels, her familiar slowly transforms into an ebon-hued creature of shadow-stuff (see the Shadow Familiar Template below). The shadow familiar retains all the abilities it possessed in its natural form in addition to the new ones it gains as it slowly transforms. If the Tear does not possess a familiar, she may choose one.
Seduction’s Shield:
The Tear’s innate persona is enormously enthralling, making it difficult for opponents to execute effective attacks against her. Due to her commanding presence, the Tear adds her Charisma modifier to her armor class, as long as she is not wearing armor or flat-footed. The Seduction’s Shield power is potent against all manner of living creatures regardless of the Tear’s awareness. Creatures that are immune to sneak attacks and critical hits are also immune to this power.
Seduction’s Sting:
The sultry gaze of a Tear can cause even the most experienced warrior to lower his guard, if for but an instant. In that sliver of a moment, when skilled seduction overcomes the trained intellect, the Tear can thrust the tip of her blade home with such mastery that the initial sting often goes unfelt. The Seduction’s Sting power enables the Tear to feint in combat using her Bluff skill as a move-equivalent action. As a secondary use of this power, the Tear may willingly cause her “attack” to miss its mark, allowing her to pick-pocket her opponent (DC=30). Prior to trying to pick-pocket in combat, the Tear must make a successful Bluff check and have a hand free. If the Pick-Pocket attempt fails and is noticed (e.g., the opponent’s Spot check beats the Tear’s Pick Pocket check), the Tear’s opponent is allowed an attack of opportunity against the character. Once noticed, no further Pick Pocket attempts can be made against the opponent for the duration of the combat. This power can not be used on opponents that are immune to critical hits or sneak attacks.
Chasing Shadows:
No longer a passive ally, the shadows now actively intercede on the behalf of the Tear. Once per day, if she is within 2 feet per Hide rank of the shadows, and not flat-footed, the Tear can draw upon the shadows to displace her true location just enough so she can escape the damage of a lethal blow. When a Tear is struck in combat and would be reduced to 0 hit points or less by the damage, she can make a Hide check (DC = 10+damage dealt) in order to take only half damage. If the check is successful, the Tear will always have at least 1 hit point remaining regardless of the total damage dealt. The use of this power is not without its costs to the character. In order to evade the fatal blow, the Tear gives up a bit of her essence to the shadows. Each time this power is employed the Tear losses 100xp+10xp per prestige class level.
Shadow’s Embrace:
Once per day, a Tear can step onto the plane of shadows to receive solace in its embrace. Within the shade of this haven, the character heals 1d4 hit points per Charisma modifier. While cocooned in the shadows, the Tear sees the physical world she left in muted silhouette. The Tear can remain in the Shadow’s Embrace up to 10 minutes + 10 minutes per rank of Hide. When leaving the land of perpetual twilight, the Tear can emerge from any shadow within 30 feet of her original position as long as it is visible from her point of entry. If all the shadows within 30 feet of the Tear’s point of entry are dissipated, including the shadows she entered, she is instantly expelled. This expulsion will disorient the Tear as if affected by a ray of enfeeblement for 1d6 rounds. Now fully embraced by the shadows, the Tear is immune to all attacks that use shadow magic and is treated as an Outsider.
Shadow Familiar Template:
As the Tear gains levels in the prestige class, her familiar slowly transforms into a black-satin creature of shadow-stuff. As the familiar steady becomes composed of ever more shadow-stuff, it becomes harder to strike. For example, a familiar that is made of 25% shadow-stuff gains the equivalent of ¼ cover. By the time the familiar’s mistress reaches 9th level, the familiar will be composed of 75% shadow-stuff and possess ¾ cover. Last, all of a familiar’s previous abilities stack with the new skills of the template.
Level___ INT_____ AC_____ Shadow______ Special
...2____ +1_____ +1______ 25%_________ Shared Shadows
3-4____ +2_____ +2______ 25%
5-6____ +3_____ +3______ 50%_________ Shadow Touched
7-8____ +4_____ +4______ 50%
9-10___ +5_____ +5______ 75%_________ Shadow Sight
Shared Shadows:
Whenever a shadow familiar is within 5 feet of its mistress, it can share the benefits of any of the three “shadow feats” (e.g., Shadow’s Child, Chasing Shadows, and Shadow’s Embrace) its mistress possesses.
Shadow Touched:
If both the Tear and her familiar are in the shadows, can see each other, and are within 5 feet of each other per prestige class level of the Tear, the familiar can deliver its mistresses’ touch attacks. When the spell is cast, the familiar may leave the shadows in order to make the touch attack; however, the Tear must remain in the shadows. If she leaves the shadows at anytime, the spell is disrupted and lost.
Shadow Sight:
If both the Tear and her familiar are in the shadows and within 100 feet of each other per prestige class level of the Tear, the mistress can see through her familiar’s eyes as if they were her own.
[Sidebar] The Shadow Mistress:
The veil of mystery that shrouds the angelic features of the Shadow Mistress, also known as the Sirine of Shades and the Maiden of the Twilight Path, is not easily breached. More fiction than fact is known of this porcelain beauty. Her origin is only guessed at. The more persistent stories weave tales of her being the offspring of a sirine and a shadow dragon, or a fallen-angel, a celestial that shielded a blasphemous heretic from righteous justice, earning herself exile for her efforts. Either tale is plausible, but with no support the stories are only folklore. The one fact that is known of the Mistress is that she appears to striking young females that have survived great hardship through the sheer force of their own character. Offering these lonely, isolated beauties access to astonishing abilities, the Mistress only requires the ladies to accept her embrace and walk the Twilight Path. All other tangible insights into the ambitions of the Mistress are only gleaned indirectly, through the observation of the Tears she has embraced.
[Sidebar] Contacting the Tear:
Once a DM decides that he will allow the Tears of the Shadow Mistress prestige class in his campaign, he needs to determine how the character will be contacted by the Shadow Mistress. One interesting way to introduce the Shadow Mistress is to wait until the character meets all the requirements for the prestige class. Instead of allowing the character to become a first-level Tear, have the player continue adventuring with the character. When the character uses her Hide skill and makes an exceptional check (DC=30) during a challenging part of an adventure, have the Shadow Mistress appear to her. To the rest of the party it will appear as if the character has vanished into the shadows. When the character is released from the Mistress’s embrace after 1-6 rounds, the DM would immediately grant the character all the benefits of a first-level Tear, and the adventure would continue.
[SideBar] Symbol of the Shadow Mistress:
During a Tear’s initial embrace, she is permanently marked with the pitch-black symbol of the Shadow Mistress. The symbol (see above) is about the size of the Tear’s clenched fist and is always found in the center of her lower back. Its meaning and purpose are hidden to the uninitiated. The black brand cannot be removed by non-magical means. A wish will cause the symbol to disappear until dusk of the next sunset.
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The text of this article is considered Open Game Content (OGC). “d20 System" and the "d20 System" logo are Trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast and are used according to the terms of the d20 System License version 4.0. Dungeons & Dragons® and Wizards of the Coast® are Registered Trademarks of Wizards of the Coast. All other content is ©2003 Craig A. Singsank. All rights reserved. The following items are hereby designated as Product Identity (PI) in accordance with Section 1(e) of the Open Game License (OGL), version 1.0a: Tears of the Shadow Mistress, Shadow Mistress, Tears, Siren of Shades, Maiden of the Twilight Path, Twilight Path, Sitrini, Shadow’s Child, Shadow Familiar, Seduction’s Shield, Seduction’s Sting, Chasing Shadows, Shadow’s Embrace, the Shadow Familiar Template, Shared Shadows, Shadow Touched, Shadow Sight, the Shadow Mistress logo, and any and all references to storylines and plots. The above Product Identify is not Open Game Content. A copy of the OGL license can be found at www.wizards.com/d20.
