Shadow Jump is breaking up friendships

[ImperatorK]

I don't know about the RAW, but as a GM I would go with the Shadowdancer player's interpretation. I always try to interpret rules in favor of my players.
As a player I wouldn't care, because it's not my character and it might make a good precedent in case I wanted to argue a more favorable interpretation for one of my character's abilities. Everybody wins.

 

[Dioltach]

I agree with the player. Besides the reasons stated above, what is shadow other than darkness caused by an object blocking the direct light source? Sounds pretty much like how night is caused. Also, the Shadowdancer's darkvision ability indicates using darkness as a tool: if there was supposed to be a clear distinction between shadows and general darkness, surely it would be low-light vision?

 

[sheadunne]

The wizard laughs at the Shadow Jump ability.

Clearly this isn't an overpowered ability. Wizard gets Dimension Door at 7th Level. Shadow Jumper at 11th Level. At that level, the wizard can Dimension Door through town and the Shadow Jumper can Dimension Door through the bathroom. (Exaggeration for humor).

I wouldn't worry about it. Let the player have some fun.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth's_shadow

 

[Luce]

I might be mistaken, but the problem seems to be that according to the player only the distance between shadows is counted. He thinks he can enter and exit the same shadow (each jump costing him the min. 10 feet increment). Thus he could enter the earth shadow and exit up to half world away with one jump, 2+ times a day.

Think of it as using tree stride on the World Tree, enter one plane, exit different plane same tree. Even if the DM does not permit to dismiss your own spell, one can just wait until duration expires and exit at any point of the tree. Now not every campaign has a World Tree, but it is a common trope.
Similar problem can be made to a lesser extend about "Pass via plants" spell (Range:Unlimited). A druid can gather samples and cultivate vegetation "normal" to different planes (Fire, water, earth, air, celestial and abissal etc) as well as giant mushrooms (for the Underdark). It is a high level spell, but it gets almost as good as greater plane shift. Well, personally I would allow the last one since it is a clever idea and does require some effort (and adventure) from the druid to pull of.

 

[MarkB]

I might be mistaken, but the problem seems to be that according to the player only the distance between shadows is counted. He thinks he can enter and exit the same shadow (each jump costing him the min. 10 feet increment). Thus he could enter the earth shadow and exit up to half world away with one jump, 2+ times a day.

Nothing in the description of Shadow Jump even remotely supports such an interpretation.

 

[Dioltach]

Yes, but the description of Shadow Jump says, " A shadowdancer can jump up to a total of 20 feet each day in this way". It doesn't say that the two separate shadows must be within 20 feet of each other: the maximum distance that the shadowdancer can jump is 20 feet.

Edit: In response to Luce, not MarkB.

 

[RangerWickett]

Even taking your player's interpretation of the ability, what's the problem? His character can dimension door for a cumulative distance of 160 feet per day (at 15th level minimum). It's not a game-breaking ability, and don't forget that after a shadow jump, the character can't take other actions until his next turn. The character's schtick is that he's mobile.

AR

Yeah, let the player have his fun and kind of weak power. If it's dark where he's standing, he can teleport to another spot where it's dark. At night, underground, . . . hell, if he's been tied up in a sack, I'd let him teleport out. He can't travel that far.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Even taking your player's interpretation of the ability, what's the problem? His character can dimension door for a cumulative distance of 160 feet per day (at 15th level minimum). It's not a game-breaking ability, and don't forget that after a shadow jump, the character can't take other actions until his next turn. The character's schtick is that he's mobile.

This is my take. Okay, so he can dimension door a couple squares per day when it's night outside. Meh.

 

[Luce]

I am not saying that I agree with such interpretation. (In fact I agree with Dioltach) Just posted what comes to mind that can be seen as a problem based on the OP. The description "travel between shadows" and "transport must begin and end in an area with at least some shadow" . Enter one shadow, get to another with in range (of the shadow you entered). Think of dimension door (or blink) of colossal being (20 X 20)+ squares traveling 10 feet (1 square) do you count the distance traveled from its center? or from any edge? How about a very long being 10 X 100 sqrs? Also how far is the plane of shadows for the purpose of shadow jump? The description does not specify one has to stay on the plane. Just pointing out that not everything is explicitly stated and the DM has to occasionally make a ruling.

 

[Empirate]

There is no such thing as units or quants or instances of shadow. There is no "one" shadow, and neither is there "another" shadow. Being in shadow is a quality that an area might have, and if it does, that area can be shadowjumped from and to. However, the total distance a Shadowdancer can shadowjump each day is clearly stated in the rules. This distance is, furthermore, stated in a way that is absolute and doesn't support the player's 'interpretation' in the slightest.