Shadowcaster, Favored Mystery & Shadow Evocation

[schatten-k.raehe]

I have a quite tricky question about the Favored Mystery feat:
If a 13th-level Shadowcaster (Tome of Magic p. 111 ff.) takes the Favored Mystery feat (Tome of Magic p. 136), choosing to use the Greater Shadow Evocation mystery as a supernatural ability, does a spell mimiced ignore spell-resistance?

Example:
The mentioned Shadowcaster casts Greater Shadow Evocation to mimic the spell Ice Storm. Normally the Shadowcaster would have to make a caster level check to overcome the spell-resistance of a target for the Greater Shadow Evocation AND another check to see if the Ice Storm spell can beat the spell resistance of the target, too.
As the Favored Mystery feat allowes our 13th-level Shadowcaster to cast Greater Shadow Evocation as a supernatural ability, spell-resistance won't work against it, however what about the Ice Storm spell? Does it count as a spell (because it was mimiced and according to the spell description a target gets the benefit of spell-resistance, if the spell mimiced allows that) or as a supernatural ability (because the Favored Mystery feat applies to the spell mimiced as well as to the Greater Shadow Evocation)?

Well, any suggestions?

 

[green slime]

A 13th level Shadowcaster does not have a feat available to take the Favoured Mystery feat.

But ignoring that:

1. Greater Shadow Evocation is an Initiate Mystery.
2. At 13th level, a Shadowcaster casts Initiate Mysteries as spell-like abilities.
3. The Favoured Mystery feat allows you to cast one Mystery as a supernatural ability instead of as a spell-like ability

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.

I'd say the supernatural ability of the Shadowcaster supercedes the Spell Resistance allowed by Ice Storm.

So the Target gets to make a Will save, (DC 10 + 6 (mystery level) + the shadowcaster's Cha mod), and if the save is successful, suffers 5d6 *0.6 points of damage. The Shadowcaster can do this the amazing number of 3 (three) times per day.

 

[schatten-k.raehe]

Well, a 13th-level Shadowcaster actually can have a Feat available to take the Favored Mystery feat by means of the Bonus Feats class feature ;O)

However let's stick to the important facts:

1. Reaching 13th-level a Shadowcaster casts Initiate Mysteries (such as Greater Shadow Evocation) as spell-like abilities.

2. By means of taking the Favored Mystery feat (supposed the Shadowcaster has a slot available) he can cast Greater Shadow Evocation two times per day (because the feat doesn't increase the uses per day of the Mystery in question, until it already could be cast as a supernatural ability or becomes a supernatural ability later up the experience ladder) as a supernatural ability.

3. Supernatural abilities are not subject to spell resistance, thus a target is entitled to a Will saving throw to disbelief the shadow illusion only.

4. If the Will save was successful, the target can either ignore the spell effect of the mimicked spell (in case of nondamaging spells, such as Wall of Force), or takes only 60% of the damage the mimicked spell would cause otherwise (in case of damaging spells, such as Ice Storm). If the Will save fails, the spell mimicked works normally on the target.

5. According to the spell description of the Greater Shadow Evocation spell (which the Mystery of thesame name is based upon),

Regardless of the result of the save to disbelieve, an affected creature is also allowed any save (or spell resistance) that the spell being simulated allows.

Thereby the target would be allowed any saving throw the simulated spell allows in addition to the Will saving throw to disbelief the shadow illusion, but the important question is, if the mimicked spell actually is part of the Greater Shadow Evocation mystery and benefits from being a supernatural ability, ignoring spell-resistance, or if the Greater Shadow Evocation kind of conjures (or something like that) the spell from the Plane of Shadow, so that it was evoked by the the mystery but is not part of it, thus not getting the benefit of being a supernatural ability?

I'd rule that the energy of the mystery itself is shaped into the simulated spell thus being handled like a supernatural ability, ignoring spell-resistance altogether. That way the Shadowcaster would actually gain a tiny increase in value...
But I'm not sure about that issue and would like to hear some other oppinions on the topic.

However I have some problems with the Shadowcaster anyway, as it is IMHO hopelessly underpowered compared to wizards/sorcerers with the appropriate feats and prestige classes to become casters with a Shadow Mage / Sorcerer theme...

There's some work to do to improve the Shadowcaster... It's a great concept, but there are too many open (rule) issues and illogical restrictions, which dampen the fun that class could be...

Just hope there will be a huge errata on, and web enhancement about Shadow Magic...

 

[Greylock]

Just hope there will be a huge errata on, and web enhancement about Shadow Magic...

Sitting here right now trying to make a feasible Shadowcaster for a deadly game, and I can second that.