Slight changes to a Shadowdancer's called shadows

[Pielorinho]

A PC in my game has just reached her third level of shadowdancer, and is gaining the summon shadow ability.

I don't like it. Partly for flavor, and partly for balance.

BALANCE: I'm sure this is discussed into the ground, but as written, the summoned shadow can create shadow spawn out of its slain opponents. Dumb, dumb, dumb: this is a horrendous power to put in a character's hands. I'm definitely rule-0ing it.

FLAVOR: I want the shadow to look like an actual shadow, slipping along the ground or along other surfaces. Its ability to fly contradicts that image.

So here's my four changes:
1) Shadow no longer has a fly speed, although it can still, as an incorporeal being, slip through walls.
2) Shadow's climb speed equals its move speed, and it can climb any surface, even upside-down: it can slip along the ceiling of a room as easily as along the floor.
3) Shadow can, as a standard action, dimension-door as long as it moves vertically (not horizontally) and ends up on a surface. If a roc is flying 200' overhead, the shadow can dimension-door onto the roc's back, but it cannot dimension-door into thin air just in front of the roc.
4) To make up for the nerfs above, the shadow gains a limited telepathic/empathic connection to its originator: as long as it's within 1 mile, the shadow and shadowdancer share this connection.

How does this sound? Does the telepathy gain far outweigh the flight loss, or vice versa?

Daniel

 

[Sertimon]

Hi, Pielorinho!

I find the changes you have done to the shadow companion pretty balanced ... I never liked the fact that they could fly and spawn other shadows either. It just don't fit the theme IMO. I in fact did just the something to one of my NPC shadowdancer in my old campaign. It worked out just fine.

Just something’s that seem unclear to me ...

How often can the shadow use his new dimension door special ability? What is the caster level?

With the loss of flight, and added abilities of dimension door and a telepathic bond similar to those of familiars (but the shadow is more intelligent, I believe) I think its well balanced. Keep in mind that the shadow would become an even greater scout than before ... since they can communicate up to one mile.

 

[Pielorinho]

How often can the shadow use his new dimension door special ability? What is the caster level?

I figure it can use this ability at will, as a standard action. Since it can only DD vertical distances, I don't anticipate it being used terribly often. Caster level = shadowdancer level.

It does create a better scout, and that kind of worries me. I'm tempted to take away combat abilities in exchange, but I don't know how happy my player would be with that. I figure I'll play it a little while with these changes, and if the scouting becomes too nasty, I'll tone it down.

It does seem to me like a shadowdancer's shadow becomes the perfect assassin, though: how many royalty sleep with a means of resisting an incorporeal, unturnable assassin who can drain strength with each hit? Considering that a shadow's CDG would do 12 points of strength damage, it's nasty stuff.

Daniel

 

[Sertimon]

I figure it can use this ability at will, as a standard action. Since it can only DD vertical distances, I don't anticipate it being used terribly often. Caster level = shadowdancer level.

Your right, it will probably not be used that often, so it doesn't really matter if it's once per day or at will. One way to limit it uses is to only let the shadow companion use it to get from a dark or shadowed area to another dark or shadowed area.

It does create a better scout, and that kind of worries me. I'm tempted to take away combat abilities in exchange, but I don't know how happy my player would be with that. I figure I'll play it a little while with these changes, and if the scouting becomes too nasty, I'll tone it down.

I don't think that limiting the shadow's abilities even more is such a good idea. The shadow already has quite low HD, not very high base attack and lousy AC (but their incorporeal state makes up for this). Even with its Strength drain, they aren't terribly good fighters on their own without support (in combat for instance). Sure, they could take out a lone wizard or sorcerer, other low Strength monsters or even people in their sleep, but that will only happen so often. Decides, there is nothing in the rules that says that the shadow companion must perform whatever the PCs says. At least I don't find that reasonable. They still have a mind and will of their own (to some degree).

It does seem to me like a shadowdancer's shadow becomes the perfect assassin, though: how many royalty sleep with a means of resisting an incorporeal, unturnable assassin who can drain strength with each hit? Considering that a shadow's CDG would do 12 points of strength damage, it's nasty stuff.

Well, that depends on what kind of shadowdancer where talking about ... sure, a shadow companion serving an Evil shadowdancer would probably be used that way. And even if this is the case, who says that the shadow companion understands where and whom it shall assassinate?

 

[Sanackranib]

shadows

does that mean that the monster shadows that your PC's encounter or have incountered will or have been saddled with these same restrictions?

The shadow is a chorhort. just as anyother creature is and one of the better abilities of the shadowdancer. to place these limits uppon a PC who by your own admission has invested 3 levels in this PrC, to me seems really bad form. as a player this is the kind of thing that would really piss me off if that was my PC.

when you consider the volnerabilities of the shadows created by this player in their weak attack bonus, HD etc. its not overwelmingly powerfull. also remember that while these special shadows cant be turned the same is not true of their spawn. a cleric of the same level as the shadow dancer would have no difficulty in distroying the spawn, ditto a paladin or mage - necromancer (who would control them) also since the shadowdancers special shadows are of the same alignment as the caster unless they are evil they wouldn't be raising an army of undead. because the shadows that they create would be evil per the normal shadow (and NOT under the shadowdancers control unless he were a necromancer or priest)

Most compelling is they can't be brought back or replaced if slain so it behooves the dancer to use them carefully in the manner that they were intended - guards and spys.

 

[Pielorinho]

Re: shadows

The shadow is a chorhort. just as anyother creature is and one of the better abilities of the shadowdancer. to place these limits uppon a PC who by your own admission has invested 3 levels in this PrC, to me seems really bad form. as a player this is the kind of thing that would really piss me off if that was my PC.

Actually, I find this sort of criticism to be really bad form. You'll note that I'm giving the shadowdancer's shadow abilities intended to balance out the stuff I'm taking away, and my question was whether what I gave balanced what I took. If you don't think it's balanced, say so -- but don't be telling me that I'm practicing bad form. You know not of what you speak .

(FTR, I run all such changes by my players before making them and tell them my reasons for suggesting them, and then allow them to take my changes or to go with the old rules. This player, a storyteller player par excellence, was only too happy to adopt my suggested changes).

Daniel