Shadow Warlock PrC

dagenfire

First Post
Hey Everyone,
Title says most of it. I'm creating a sneaky warlock for a sneaky campaign, and thought that I would make a PrC to fit my needs, as there is no shadow themed lock that I know of. I took HEAVILY from the Acolyte of the Skin, but I'm unhappy with 5/10 caster progression. Any thoughts on how to make this PrC full, or near full caster would be awesome! I know I need to get rid of some abilities, just not sure what.

The average warlock claims its power from devils or fey, but every once in a while a warlock will get its power from a literally dark source, the plane of shadows. Some of these warlocks learn to tap into their source and have it consume their entire body, becoming one with a shadow.
Becoming an Eldritch Shadow Binder

Warlocks who make a deal with the Shadar-Kai to obtain their power may through further dealings, turn into a creature of shadow itself.

Entry Requirements:
Skills: Knowledge:planes 8 ranks
Invocating: Eldritch Blast 3d6 plus one of the following: Beshadowed Blast, Dark Discorporation, Dark One's Own Luck, Darkness, Enervating Shadow, Hungry Darkness, Path of Shadows, or See the Unseen
Special: Must have visited the plane of shadow at least once, and must complete the ritual of binding.


Class Skills:
level BAB F R W Special
1 0 0 2 2 Bind Shadow, Suppress Light

2 1 0 3 3 Cold Resistance 5 +1 Invoking Class

3 2 1 3 3 Shadow Blend (Lesser)

4 3 1 4 4 Dark Casting +1 +1 Invoking Class

5 3 1 4 4 Greater Shadow Binding, Suppress Light (Improved)

6 4 2 5 5 Beshadowed Blast (Greater) +1 Invoking Class

7 5 2 5 5 Shadow Blend (Greater)

8 6 2 6 6 Dark Casting +2 +1 Invoking Class

9 6 3 6 6 Suppress Light (Greater)

10 7 3 7 7 Shadow Symbiosis +1 Invoking Class





Ritual of Binding: The ritual of binding is unknown to all save for the Shadar-Kai, and they guard this secret well. To learn its secrets, one must give themselves to the will of the Shadow Fey and enter an unbreakable pact that grants the character much power, at the expense of his shadow upon his (final) death. The ritual is a horrible process, lasting 7 rounds, involves merging shadow and body together. This process causes unimaginable pain as the shadow is forced into the soul. This pain deals 1d2 points of WIS damage and 1d3 points of CHA damage per round until the end of the ritual. The character must stay conscious throughout the ritual, otherwise it fails and may not be attempted again for at least one week.


Bind Shadow (Su): An Eldritch Shadow Binder who undergoes the ritual of binding fuses his shadow with his body. Each level in this class represents the Eldritch Shadow Binder's shadow becoming more prominent until it consumes the character completely at 10th level. The Eldritch Shadow Binder gains a +2 inherent bonus to Dexterity and low-light vision. If the Eldritch Shadow Binder already possesses low-light vision, he instead gains superior low-light vision.


Suppress Light (Sp): At 1st level, a Eldritch Shadow Binder may weaken the boundaries between the material and plane of shadow. This creates an area of shadowy illumination around the Eldritch Shadow Binder. Mundane lights such as torches and lanterns in the area are suppressed (but not extinguished), as are any 0-level (or the equivalent) light spells. This ability has no effect in areas of stronger magical lighting.


At 5th level the Eldritch Shadow Binder's ability to suppress light improves, and can choose to instead suppress any continual spell of the light descriptor within the area of effect, allowing the prevailing lighting conditions to take hold.


At 9th level the Eldritch Shadow Binder's ability to suppress light reaches its peak, and can now choose to negate light entirely in the area of effect. This acts as Deeper Darkness at a caster level equal to the Eldritch Shadow Binder's class level.


Each of these abilities produces an emanation centered on the Eldritch Shadow Binder out to to a range of close (25 ft + 5 ft/ 2 levels), and require a standard action to activate. Only one of these three abilities may be in effect an any one time, but they may be produced at will and maintained for as long as the Eldritch Shadow Binder concentrates.


Cold Resistance (Ex): At 2nd level, the Eldritch Shadow Binder's shadow bonds with his innate magical ability granting him cold resistance 5.


Shadow Blend (Su): At 3rd level the Eldritch Shadow Binder is more at home in the shadows than in the light and may use his hide skill in areas which have shadowy illumination or darker, even when no physical cover is present. At 7th level the Eldritch Shadow Binder gains the Shadow Blend Monk Alternative Class Feature (See below).

Shadow Blend (Su):​
In any conditions other
than full daylight, a 7th-level Dark Moon Disciple can
disappear into the shadows, gaining total concealment.
Artificial light does not negate this ability, though a
daylight spell does.


Dark Casting (Su): At 4th level, when the Eldritch Shadow Binder casts an invocation or Eldritch Blast in shadowy illumination or darker, he gains a +1 bonus to his caster level. This bonus increases to +2 at 8th level.


Greater Shadow Binding (Su): At 5th level the shadow and character have grown more comfortable together, as if they had never been apart. This grants the Eldritch Shadow Binder a +2 bonus to his deflection AC modifier. Much of the hue from his body and possessions is now gone, granting him a +2 bonus to hide checks and a -2 to disguise checks. Greater Shadow Binding also grants darkvision out to 60 feet. If the Eldritch Shadow Binder already possesses darkvision, the range of his darkvision increases by 60 feet.


Beshadowed Blast, Greater (Sp): At 6th level, the Eldritch Shadow Binder gains Greater Beshadowed Blast as a Greater invocation at a 5th effective spell level. This invocation acts as Beshadowed Blast, except that the blindness from a failed save lasts for 1d4 rounds. The target may make another saving throw each round to remove the blindness after the first round of blindness. Multiple uses of this Essence do not increase the duration of the blindness.


Shadow Symbiosis (Ex): At 10th level, the Eldritch Shadow Binder's transformation is complete. All trace of color has long since been stripped from his body and possessions, and he has now fully fused with his shadow. The Eldritch Shadow Binder adopts the Dark Creature template, gaining +10 feet to all modes of movement, an additional +6 bonus to Hide and Move Silently checks, and his cold resistance improves to 10. Additionally, the Eldritch Shadow Binder may now see normally in darkness of any form, magical or otherwise. This ability is suppressed when in magical darkness produced by a magic user with a caster level at least four higher than the Eldritch Shadow Binder's class level.
 
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Shadow Blend - at 7th, give him the full Shadow Blend monk ACF. It rocks.

Shadow Blend (Su):​
In any conditions other
than full daylight, a 7th-level Dark Moon Disciple can
disappear into the shadows, gaining total concealment.
Artificial light does not negate this ability, though a

daylight​
spell does.

 


I like it.

So, ever even level you progress in your invoking class, and gain these shadow abilities in the exchange.

Sounds ballanced, maybe even a little underpowered, but I think you've captured the flavor of what you are going for very nicely.
 

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