How would you handle the Shadowdancer's Hide in Plain Sight ability during combat?

[Gnimish88]

The ruling on HIPS in the game I play in was argued quite heatedly. There was no way my shadowdancer was going to lose his HIPS ability.

Shadows are the absence of light in our game, in varing degrees. so if you are in a dark room with no light then you are in 100% shadow, the sun can be shining strongly outside, its just the roof and walls create a very strong shadow.

Also in our game, to get round the darkvison problem, the rulling is that the shadowdancer is blending into shadows (even at a max of 10 foot away)
the shadows have to be large enough to hide in he becomes, visually at least, part of the shadow itself. Blindsight negates this ability of course.

Just because a person does not see shadows does not mean they dont exist. It would mean that a shadowdancer couldnt shadowstep? I dont think so. I think you need to look not just at the wording but also the spirit of the game.

finally, and i'm sure its been said before but i skimmed a lot, a shadowdancer gets darkvison, if he cant see shadows then how is he going to know where to hide?

Hmmm, good point, I had not thought of it that way. The problem with that line of reason is that you could carry it to the point that Night is simply being in the shadow of the Earth, which, as it happens, is the case. The primary reason I don't like the rational of hiding IN the shadow is that it rather limits usability of HiPS, though I grant that they way you play it would pretty much even that out. So, do the shadows come out to the shadowdancer, or do you move to the shadow? If they shadows move to the shadowdancer, I would think it would make them rather easy to find, as in: 'That's odd, what is casting THAT shadow?'

 

[FireLance]

finally, and i'm sure its been said before but i skimmed a lot, a shadowdancer gets darkvison, if he cant see shadows then how is he going to know where to hide?

Since it's been brought up again...

Darkvision does not negate your ability to see normal light. A character with darkvision can see normally in light . His darkvision kicks in when there is no light. Hence, a shadowdancer or any other creature with darkvision can "see" shadows by noting where his "normal" vision isn't as effective.

 

[Rallets Artois]

err yes I do play it that night is simply the shadow created by the earth, its just a jolly big shadow. very very big big shadow.

err spotting the shadow in the wrong place hmm good point. err for gameplay reasons I'll not mention that to my DM hang on a sec I know.

That is why the HIPS is opposed by spot they have to spot the shadows being odd. It's surprising actually how many of us do not notice what is going on around us. That, unless something brings things to a person's attention than it wouldnt been seen. Just like I didnt notice that possible effect of a shadow out of place.

Maybe a house ruling could be that for each 5 foot away from the source of the shadow the opponant gains +2 to spot the discrepancy, this will not negate the skill entirely but will provide some sembalance of balancing if you consider that a possibility. When I dm I allow everything as a possibility (its a fantasy game) but I will make things damn near impossible on their rolls if it is absurd.

 

[Gnimish88]

err yes I do play it that night is simply the shadow created by the earth, its just a jolly big shadow. very very big big shadow.

err spotting the shadow in the wrong place hmm good point. err for gameplay reasons I'll not mention that to my DM hang on a sec I know.

That is why the HIPS is opposed by spot they have to spot the shadows being odd. It's surprising actually how many of us do not notice what is going on around us. That, unless something brings things to a person's attention than it wouldnt been seen. Just like I didnt notice that possible effect of a shadow out of place.

Maybe a house ruling could be that for each 5 foot away from the source of the shadow the opponant gains +2 to spot the discrepancy, this will not negate the skill entirely but will provide some sembalance of balancing if you consider that a possibility. When I dm I allow everything as a possibility (its a fantasy game) but I will make things damn near impossible on their rolls if it is absurd.

Think I will stick with it being invisibilty powered by proximity to the demiplane of shadow and activated and maintained by hide. What constitues a shadow certainly has me thinking though. Have you heard back from the Sage, Caliban?