Shades


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the original, real word is "penumbra":

pe·num·bra :)(p-nmbr)
n. pl. pe·num·brae (-br) or pe·num·bras
1. A partial shadow, as in an eclipse, between regions of complete shadow and complete illumination. See Synonyms at shade.
2. The grayish outer part of a sunspot.
3. An area in which something exists to a lesser or uncertain degree: "The First Amendment has a penumbra where privacy is protected from governmental intrusion" (Joseph A. Califano, Jr.)
4. An outlying surrounding region; a periphery: "Downtown Chicago and its penumbra also stand rejuvenated" (John McCormick).
[New Latin pnumbra : Latin paene, almost + Latin umbra, shadow.]
pe·numbral, pe·numbrous adj.

And when I change it to PUNumbra, I make a funny of my own about his funny.
 



Here is an old thread:
http://www.enworld.org/forum/d-d-legacy-discussion/124623-shades-vs-shadow-conjuration.html

I agree that RAW allows for Shades to mimic (calling) and (teleportation) subschools. It may have been poor editing, but that is what the spell says.
If that's the case, we've found the bypass that allows such spells should Shothragot of "Essence of Evil" ever show up. The "Seals of Binding" makes all calling, summoning, and teleportation magic cease to function. Because Shades is an Illusion (Shadow) spell that mimics such spells, there is no such failure. Nice. :cool:
 

Come on, Shades is a 9th level spell. If all it does is add another 20% quasireality on top of regular Greater Shadow Conjuration, and allow 8th level spells instead of 6th, then that would be a poor upgrade IMO. I mean, it's the same level as Shapechange, Gate and Time Stop. Allowing people to teleport or call extraplanar horrors with it is not exactly as game breaking as those are (well, Gate calls more powerful extraplanar horrors, at least). I believe it's not an oversight, but intentional design.
 

Come on, Shades is a 9th level spell. If all it does is add another 20% quasireality on top of regular Greater Shadow Conjuration, and allow 8th level spells instead of 6th, then that would be a poor upgrade IMO. I mean, it's the same level as Shapechange, Gate and Time Stop. Allowing people to teleport or call extraplanar horrors with it is not exactly as game breaking as those are (well, Gate calls more powerful extraplanar horrors, at least). I believe it's not an oversight, but intentional design.

Definitely.
 

I wonder if the duplication means an 80% chance of calling real things, an 80% chance of containing the real things you have just called (a risky way to play "let's make a deal") or a 100% chance of calling 80% real things, presumably ones that will always say yes to your deals.
 

Come on, Shades is a 9th level spell. If all it does is add another 20% quasireality on top of regular Greater Shadow Conjuration, and allow 8th level spells instead of 6th, then that would be a poor upgrade IMO. I mean, it's the same level as Shapechange, Gate and Time Stop. Allowing people to teleport or call extraplanar horrors with it is not exactly as game breaking as those are (well, Gate calls more powerful extraplanar horrors, at least). I believe it's not an oversight, but intentional design.

While I agree with your take on it, and it could be interpreted that way, my beef with the spell is that it has been left open for interpretation. What would have been so difficult about adding clarifying text, either repeating the subschool limitations per shadow conjuration and greater shadow conjuration, or eliminating them by adding text to the effect of, "unlike Shadow Conjuration, Shades can mimic any sorcerer/wizard conjuration spell of 8th level or lower regardless of subschool." SOMETHING could have been done to remove the ambiguity.

And Pathfinder WORSENS the problem! The PRD spell text is:

"This spell functions like shadow conjuration, except that it mimics conjuration spells of 8th level or lower. The illusory conjurations created deal four-fifths (80%) damage to nonbelievers, and nondamaging effects are 80% likely to work against nonbelievers."

Notice that this removes the "sorcerer and wizard" which appears between "mimics" and "conjuration" in the SRD version of the spell. So based on the loose interpretation which supports removing subschool limitations, the PRD version would allow a wizard to cast divine conjurations as well. And that list includes resurrection - don't even need a cleric anymore! Wheeee!!!

Oh, and based on the description of saving throws in the magic section of the SRD, the teleportation effect would never fail, since the caster would always choose to forego the saving throw, and accept the spell effect. IMHO.
 

... but to remove that text, you'd actually have to copy the wording of Shades and then go in to deliberately remove the part referring to the sorcerer/wizard spell list...
 

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