What keeps Shadows from taking over the world?

[Kai Lord]

Forget whether or not a Shadowdancer is unbalanced with his ability to summon shadows that could create a horde of shadow spawn, what prevents the standard Shadows from the MM from just walking into villages and creating legions of undead? What in-world reason would keep them in check?

 

[Caliban]

Forget whether or not a Shadowdancer is unbalanced with his ability to summon shadows that could create a horde of shadow spawn, what prevents the standard Shadows from the MM from just walking into villages and creating legions of undead? What in-world reason would keep them in check?

Adventurers? Lack of interest?

Other than that, pretty much nothing, as far as I'm aware.

 

[Kai Lord]

Re: Re: What keeps Shadows from taking over the world?

Lack of interest?

"Natural enemies of all that live, shadows are aggressive and predatory." MM p. 161

From that I would imagine that shadows would *want* to actively hunt down the living. They have INT 6 and WIS 12 so they are definitely capable of carrying out a plan to overrun the world, even if it is just by preying on the weak (human, goblin, or halfing villages and towns and such.)

Obviously there are a number of creatures from the Monster Manual that could create great havoc on any given campaign world, but I don't know if any creature can so easily multiply into *thousands* with minimal effort.

To a standard village or town, shadows are invincible, plus they can fly and hide underground. They suffer no penalties from operating in broad daylight other than the fact they are just easier to see. I can't imagine many adventuring parties capable of countering such a force if the shadows truly made an effort to destroy all life (which the MM suggests is their primary motivation.)

 

[AirElemental]

This very thing happened in one of my recent games (and if you are one of the players in that game, stop here...).. the party cleric was killed first, and after that, well things went downhill. The mage with a 10 str was next to go, and they got the only fighter down to a 1 str before he fled away on horseback..

That left several very evil shadows in a village with a bunch of villagers that could not harm them..

The players have no idea how many shadows were created from this, but needless to say, the survivors want the players to cleanse the village and put their slain to rest.
I ruled it something like this:

A given shadow can create as many subshadows as he has hit points.. so if he has 17 hp's.. he can spawn up to 17 shadows.
A sub shadow can create spawn, but they count towards the maximum of the sponsor shadow until a number of days have passed equal to the sponsor shadows hp.. (i.e. 17).. then they all become full shadows. keeps 'em from overrunning the world.

another idea I came up with:
A shadow cant spawn in broad daylight.. gives them a reason to attack from darkness..

 

[hong]

Shadows melt like the Wicked Witch of the West, if you expose them to the sun.

Don't tell anyone. It's a secret.

 

[JacktheRabbit]

Bodaks are another creature that would really overrun the world if given the chance.

 

[rankarrog]

Same thing with wraiths and vampires(Ok the latter would work only by night)...

 

[IceBear]

Maybe the various churches throughout the land have forced these undead into more subtle approaches. If shadows started attacking the outlying villages I'm sure all the good aligned churches (and probably even the neutral ones) would band together to drive them off.

This probably happened in the distant past, and now the undead are trying other means to destroy the living than just an all out attack.

IceBear

 

[Crothian]

I imagine it'd be treated like a plague. You'd have the churches keeping an eye out for outbreaks and then you'd sensd in a good, prepared band of adventurers to handle the proble. Make a good idea for a side adventure or even a sub plot.

 

[Savage Wombat]

Extremely poor organizational skills?