SHADOW JUMP Questions

[Jimlock]

Srd:

shadow jump (su)
at 4th level, a shadowdancer gains the ability to travel between shadows as if by means of a dimension door spell. The limitation is that the magical transport must begin and end in an area with at least some shadow. A shadowdancer can jump up to a total of 20 feet each day in this way; this may be a single jump of 20 feet or two jumps of 10 feet each. Every two levels higher than 4th, the distance a shadowdancer can jump each day doubles (40 feet at 6th, 80 feet at 8th, and 160 feet at 10th). This amount can be split among many jumps, but each one, no matter how small, counts as a 10-foot increment.

dimension door
conjuration (teleportation)
level: Brd 4, sor/wiz 4, travel 4
components: V
casting time: 1 standard action
range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
target: You and touched objects or other touched willing creatures
duration: Instantaneous
saving throw: None and will negates (object)
spell resistance: No and yes (object)
you instantly transfer yourself from your current location to any other spot within range. You always arrive at exactly the spot desired—whether by simply visualizing the area or by stating direction.After using this spell, you can’t take any other actions until your next turn. You can bring along objects as long as their weight doesn’t exceed your maximum load. You may also bring one additional willing medium or smaller creature (carrying gear or objects up to its maximum load) or its equivalent per three caster levels. A large creature counts as two medium creatures, a huge creature counts as two large creatures, and so forth. All creatures to be transported must be in contact with one another, and at least one of those creatures must be in contact with you.

If you arrive in a place that is already occupied by a solid body, you and each creature traveling with you take 1d6 points of damage and are shunted to a random open space on a suitable surface within 100 feet of the intended location.

If there is no free space within 100 feet, you and each creature traveling with you take an additional 2d6 points of damage and are shunted to a free space within 1,000 feet. If there is no free space within 1,000 feet, you and each creature travelling with you take an additional 4d6 points of damage and the spell simply fails.

supernatural abilities (su)
supernatural abilities are magical and go away in an antimagic field but are not subject to spell resistance, counterspells, or to being dispelled by dispel magic. Using a supernatural ability is a standard action unless noted otherwise. Supernatural abilities may have a use limit or be usable at will, just like spell-like abilities. However, supernatural abilities do not provoke attacks of opportunity and never require concentration checks. Unless otherwise noted, a supernatural ability has an effective caster level equal to the creature’s hit dice. The saving throw (if any) against a supernatural ability is:

10 + ½ the creature’s hd + the creature’s ability modifier (usually charisma).

So my questions are the following:

1. Is Shadow Jump treated as "Conjuration (Teleportation)" magic, or as generic magic due to (Su)?

2. Can one using Shadow Jump teleport others with him (as the spell), or is it just a personal ability?

3. Is one NOT capable of taking some other action after jumping (as the Dimensional Door spell), or does the ability ability follow the (Su) rule = simply a standard action, without the setback of not being able to take other actions once the ability is used (in the same round)?

4.Since the Jump has to begin and end in an area with at least some shadow, need one be able to see the destination area? or can he gamble as the spell?

 

[kitcik]

So my questions are the following:

1. Is Shadow Jump treated as "Conjuration (Teleportation)" magic, or as generic magic due to (Su)?

2. Can one using Shadow Jump teleport others with him (as the spell), or is it just a personal ability?

3. Is one NOT capable of taking some other action after jumping (as the Dimensional Door spell), or does the ability ability follow the (Su) rule = simply a standard action, without the setback of not being able to take other actions once the ability is used (in the same round)?

4.Since the Jump has to begin and end in an area with at least some shadow, need one be able to see the destination area? or can he gamble as the spell?

Good questions. I am not knowledgeable enough on spellcasting RAW to know if there is an answer under RAW, but my answers would be:

1) generic
2) yes, but only if they are in your square (an unusual circumstance)
3) not capable
4) can gamble

 

[Jackinthegreen]

1. Because the ability states "as if by means of a dimension door spell," it's not actually the spell and thus isn't a true Conjuration magic.
2. I'm inclined to believe it's personal only. It only states the Shadowdancer can move this way, and no one else.
3. Like 1, the description says "as if by means of a dimension door spell," meaning it is not the spell itself that the character is using. Thus the character would not get the downsides of using the ability, namely being unable to act until the next round.
4. The character can most likely gamble, but from a thematic perspective it can be argued that the Shadowdancer knows of all shadows in range he can shadow jump to.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Simply by looking at the entrys you have here I'd answer:

1. Dunno
2. Yes, because of "as if by means of a dimension door spell" should mean just that, it acts as the spell, except as noted in the entry. the only exception noted in the entry is the need for shadows. So, if you are touching them, and if you and the subjects touched are within shadow, because that is a "limitation of the magical transport"
3.Not capible of taking any other actions, because of what you have highlighted in the entry of supernatural abilities. Since it's "unless noted otherwise", and shadow jump states "as the dimensional door spell" and dimensional door spell states "can't take any other actions until next turn", you've deduced this correctly in the selections you've highlighted.
4. you can try, but if there are no shadows, the ability simply doesn't work, you stay where you started. If, lets say, you are in a room, and wish to Shadow Jump to the other side of a wall into another room you can't see, you'd arrive behind a tapestry, under a table or a bed, inside a cupboard, etc if the room was well lit and any of these shadowy spaces were within your range. If the room is currently filled with a daylight spell, you simply stay where you're at.

Now, this would be a DM ruling but one possible interpretation of the wording would be to say that If you brought anyone with you, or if you yourself could not fit in said cupboard or whatever shadowy space existed in the room (Breadbox perhaps?) than the "If you arrive in a place that is already occupied by a solid body, you and each creature traveling with you take 1d6 points of damage and are shunted to a random open space on a suitable surface within 100 feet of the intended location." rule could kick in and shunt you and anyone else who could not completely fit in the arriving shadow space.

Another possible interpretation of the wording would be to simply assume you ooze out of whatever shadow space, so the said breadbox would open and you'd pour out of the shadowy corner and end within a lit area, just for the cool effect. This would be a simpler, kinder take on the ability, and likely more of what was intended.

 

[Greenfield]

If the authors had wanted to allow actions after the jump, they would have referenced Teleport, not Dimension Door. So the way I read it, the Jump ends your action.

Can you take others with you? I'd say yes, just as D-Door does, based on the same caster level limits as the spell/ In this case, "Caster level" is your Shadowdancer level.

 

[kahn_bloodbane]

tecnically, the 'cannot do more actions that round' refers to the fact that to cast the spell you do a standard action, then, subsequently you enter in the dimension door with a move action, thus, you do a full round action to execute the whole. infact in the spell it's stated that YOU cannot take further actions, not the people you bring along (whych effectively just do a move-equivalent action). furtherly, if you are hasted I don't see why one can't do a standard action after having jumped trought the shadows.

 

[Greenfield]

Interesting theory. But, since Free Actions can follow both Standard and Move actions, and are implicitly forbidden by the spell's text...

Admitted, the text was written before "Free Action" was part of the lexicon, but until something explicit says otherwise, I'd go with the text of the description, as written.