Shadowdancers and their shadows

[RobNJ]

Shadowdancers' shadows are said to be the same as those from the MM, except for their alignment. However, shadows from the MM can create spawn if they reduce their targets to 0 strength. These spawn serve the shadow that created them. Shadowdancers gain the ability to summon additional shadows at higher levels, so I've ruled that those summoned by Shadow Dancers can't create spawn (though I have yet to come up with a good rationale).

Do you think that's fair?

I should note, I'm running Return to the TEmple of Elemental Evil, and I'm fairly scared that these shadows, when the player gets them, are going to provide something like perfect scrying ability throughout the dungeon(s).

 

[wolff96]

The "perfect scrying" ability is exactly what the shadows are good at.

Keep in mind, though, that they're not 100% stealthy. And all the normal blocks to undead still work. Better yet, an antimagic field will take them out of action until the field is gone. Incorporeal isn't always an advantage.

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The spawn thing is an issue. Nothing directly covers it in the rules or the errata that I've seen. So all I can offer is a house rule. Our DM decided that any shadows created by the rogue/shadowdancer's shadow is a standard shadow: Controlled by his shadow, but still CE. What's more, they have no loyaltly to the shadowdancer -- only to his shadow. So if anything happens to that shadow or the shadow isn't around for some reason, the newly created shadows are free to attack the rest of the party or the shadowdancer himself.

YMMV.

 

[RobNJ]

Bumped--obnoxiously--for prime-time consideration.

 

[Crothian]

It sounds fine. The extra shadows made by the one the SD has can cause lots of problems.

 

[Plane Sailing]

I believe Monte Cook has said that his intention was that Shadowdancer shadows can create shadowspawn under their control... but suggested that should the controlling shadow die, the spawn become standard uncontrolled evil shadows.

Alternatively, you could suggest that turning living beings into shadows is a pretty evil act, and the shadowdancer might want to instruct his own shadows to not do that (lest they turn EEEEEvil)

Cheers

 

[FlimFlam]

I thought the monster in the MM was called a Shade, not a Shadow? If this is the case, you can just say that a Shadow is like the Shade in the MM but w/o the ability to create spawns.

 

[RobNJ]

I thought the monster in the MM was called a Shade, not a Shadow? If this is the case, you can just say that a Shadow is like the Shade in the MM but w/o the ability to create spawns.

That's not the case. There is a shadow monster in the MM. You can see it in the SRD at http://www.opengamingfoundation.org/srd/srdmonsterss.html

 

[mikebr99]

I believe Monte Cook has said that his intention was that Shadowdancer shadows can create shadowspawn under their control... but suggested that should the controlling shadow die, the spawn become standard uncontrolled evil shadows.

Alternatively, you could suggest that turning living beings into shadows is a pretty evil act, and the shadowdancer might want to instruct his own shadows to not do that (lest they turn EEEEEvil)

Cheers

This is how I rule it also... the companion Shadow is your friend... but all the others are evil and highly resentfull to the Shadowdancer for his indirect control over them (through the companion Shadow) and their undead status.

The Shadowdancer will now have to be watching his back and his companion Shadow's also because the spawn will do everything in their power to break the link between them so they can kill the Shadowdancer and the rest of his party.

The Shadow Spawn will also warp every command towards evil whenever possible.. which will further send the Shadowdancer towards the dark side.

YMMV... and IMHO...


Mike