What is Shadow's schtick?

[cdrcjsn]

With the Assassin preview in DDI, we get a taste of the Shadow power source.

What unifying theme do you think the Shadow Power source will have?

For example, Arcane seems to give all classes with that power source a touch of controller and Divine gives a touch of leader (as well channel divinity feats).

What do you think the Shadow power source will have as its defining trait?

 

[FireLance]

"Evil-curious", or at least, "dark-curious".

 

[Cadfan]

Its going to sound like a trite answer, but shadows and the shadowfell. We've got the shadow captain and the assassin so far, and they both have thematic links to magic relating to shadows of other things, and to various shadowfell themes.

 

[Asmor]

My guess would be either mobility (shadow-themed teleportation) or other "build up" abilities like the assassin's shroud. Doesn't have to be exactly the same, of course. See for example the primal classes where 3/4 of them get "alternate forms" (rages, shapeshifting, and whatever the warden's forms are called)

 

[Nifft]

Its going to sound like a trite answer, but shadows and the shadowfell. We've got the shadow captain and the assassin so far, and they both have thematic links to magic relating to shadows of other things, and to various shadowfell themes.

I think I see where cdrcjsn is coming from.

Assassins can:
- Teleport (like an Eladrin or Fey Warlock)
- Turn Invisible (like a Gnome or Fey Warlock)
+ Turn Insubstantial (like a shadow or wraith) and gain Vulnerable Radiant 5 (like an undead)

I can't find much else where they act like something from the Shadowfell (deal Necrotic damage, eat someone else's healing surge, resist Necrotic damage, etc.).

Poison is certainly an Assassin theme, but I'm not sure it's a Shadowfell theme.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Rechan]

My guess is that the Shadow's shtick is knowing what is in the hearts of men.

 

[Rechan]

I can't find much else where they act like something from the Shadowfell (deal Necrotic damage, eat someone else's healing surge, resist Necrotic damage, etc.).

They have quite a number of Cold and Fear-based powers. Which, Cold is also associated with Necrotic attacks (any that do two types of damage do cold damage; the Revenant can supe up its Dark Reaper to do cold and necrotic, etc). Also Fear is probably going to be big.

 

[Cadfan]

I think I see where cdrcjsn is coming from.

Assassins can:
- Teleport (like an Eladrin or Fey Warlock)
- Turn Invisible (like a Gnome or Fey Warlock)
+ Turn Insubstantial (like a shadow or wraith) and gain Vulnerable Radiant 5 (like an undead)

I can't find much else where they act like something from the Shadowfell (deal Necrotic damage, eat someone else's healing surge, resist Necrotic damage, etc.).

Poison is certainly an Assassin theme, but I'm not sure it's a Shadowfell theme.

Cheers, -- N

Think more shadowfell conceptually, not shadowfell "home of the undead." A shadowy reflection of reality that can be manipulated to affect the original.

We only have one class here, true. But look at how much theme its dripping with.

Primary mechanical themes seem to be stealth, fear, and cold, with a side dose of poison that's probably more related to assassins as a class than to shadow as a power source. But there are also major themes of creating temporary stuff out of shadows, harming someone's shadow in order to harm them indirectly, awaking shadows so that they act on your behalf, walking between shadows, and so on.

Its basically a festival of all the major themes of 3e shadow themed magic- the shadowcaster, the shadowdancer, the shadow hand adept, the plane of shadow generally, etc.

 

[Vael]

Charge up mechanics and excellent stealth are what I'd think the Shadow classes are going to have. It is possible to locate the Paragon Assassin article, and what jumped out at me is that there are two Paragon Paths that can gain charges over the course of a day and expend them for additional effects.

 

[Nahat Anoj]

I think the Shadow source will focus on misdirection, enervation, and death. Common keywords for hexes will be cold, fear, necrotic, and poison.

I'd say that the general theme will be Controller secondary in nature.