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Hit Die: d6
Shadow Caster
Level B.A.B Fort Ref Will Special
1st
+0
+2
+0
+2
Apprentice Mysteries,
Fundamentals of Shadow (At Will)
2nd
+1
+3
+0
+3
Discreet Casting
3rd
+1
+3
+1
+3
Umbral Sight (Dark vision 30
ft), Bonus Feats; see text
4th
+2
+4
+1
+4
Bonus Fundamental
5th
+2
+4
+1
+4
Path Mastery (Apprentice)
6th
+3
+5
+2
+5
Sustaining Shadow (no need to
eat, no need to sleep)
7th
+3
+5
+2
+5
Apprentice Mysteries (SpellLike), Initiate Mysteries
8th
+4
+6
+2
+6
Bonus Fundamental
9th
+4
+6
+3
+6
Fundamentals of Shadow
(Extraordinary)
10th
+5
+7
+3
+7
Sustaining Shadow (no need to
breath)
11th
+5
+7
+3
+7
Umbral Sight (See in Darkness
60 ft),Path Mastery (Initiate)
12th
+6 / +1 +8
+4
+8
Bonus Fundamental
13th
+6 / +1 +8
+4
+8
Apprentice Mysteries
(Supernatural), Initiate Mysteries (Spell-Like), Master Mysteries
14th
+7 / +2 +9
+4
+9
Fundamentals of Shadow
(Mastery)
15th
+7 / +2 +9
+5
+9
Sustaining Shadow (Immune to
poison / disease)
16th
+8 / +3 +10
+5
+10
Bonus Fundamental
17th
+8 / +3 +10
+5
+10
Path Mastery (Master)
18th
+9 / +4 +11
+6
+11
Sustaining Shadow (Timeless
Body)
19th
+9 / +4 +11
+6
+11
Umbral Sight (See in Darkness
perfectly)
20th
+10 / +5 +12
+6
+12
Library of Basics, Sustaining
Shadow (Perfect Shadow)
Class Skills:
The shadow caster's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise
(Int), Craft (any) (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge
(the planes) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (any) (Wis), Spell craft (Int),
Stealth (Dex)
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the shadow caster class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The shadow caster is proficient with all
simple weapons. He is not proficient with any type of armor or shield. Armor of
any type interferes with your gestures, which can cause your mysteries to fail
when they function as spells.
Fundamentals of Shadow (Su or Ex): As a shadow caster, you must master
certain basic powers before proceeding to deeper secrets of shadow. These
powers, known as fundamentals, function as supernatural abilities usable at will.
You begin play with 3 fundamentals and gain an additional fundamental at 4th
level and every 4 additional levels beyond 4th . The save DC of any fundamental
is 10 + Caster level + Charisma modifier.
At 9th level you store a tiny portion of the Plane of Shadow in a dark corner of
your mind. Whenever magical forces are absent, you call forth that portion's
power, in order to use your powers unhindered. You can use a fundamental as an
extraordinary ability but doing so takes a full round action and no Meta shadow
feats can be used in conjunction with that fundamental.
At 14th level you achieve complete mastery over the basics of Shadow Magic.
Whenever you cast a fundamental and modify it with one or more Meta shadow
feats, no daily use of those meta shadow feats are expended, nor does its casting
time increase. You can now use Meta shadow feats on fundamentals used as
extraordinary abilities and such fundamentals are cast at their normal casting
time. In order to apply a Meta shadow feat to a fundamental, however, it must
still have a remaining use.
Finally at 20th level you gain Knowledge of all fundamentals.
Mysteries and Paths: You invoke mystical secrets called mysteries. You gain 1
mystery at 1st level and every odd numbered level and 2 mysteries at 2nd level
and every even class level. Up to 6th level you can learn only apprentice
mysteries. At 7th level, you gain access to initiate mysteries and at 13th level
you gain access to master mysteries. You can choose your new mystery from
any category you have access to (including fundamentals). All the mysteries you
learn are transcribed in the Shadow Tome.
Shadow Magic progresses in very specific stages. You may not jump ahead in
a path, although you do not need to complete a path if you do not wish to.
Within a category (apprentice, initiate, master), you can only learn mysteries of a
new level if you have learned at least 3 mysteries of a previous level (it doesn't
matter whether they are 3 different mysteries or 1 mystery selected 3 times, see
below), and you must know all previous mysteries within a path to select a
mystery from that path. However you can always select the first mystery in a
path of a category you have access to, even if you didn't complete the lower
category paths.
When you are capable of casting only apprentice mysteries, you cast them as
though they were arcane spells. They do not require verbal or material
components or foci, but follow all the normal rules for arcane spells. Observers
can make a DC 15 Perception check to note that your shadow is making
different gestures from the ones you make when you cast the mystery. At 7th
level your apprentice mysteries function as spell-like abilities. Your new initiate
mysteries function as arcane spells and follow the rules above. Finally at 13th
level your apprentice mysteries function as supernatural abilities, your initiate
mysteries function as spell-like abilities and your new master mysteries function
as arcane spells and follow the rules above.
You can learn a mystery more than once. Each time you relearn a mystery you
gain another set of uses of that mystery per day. If you learn all the mysteries of
a path twice, you gain an extra use of each mystery on that path, as well as the
Path Focus feat for that path. If you learn them thrice, you gain 1 more use of
each mystery on that path, stacking with the previous bonus, and the Greater
Path Focus feat for that path. These are passive, extraordinary effects.
You can use each mystery you know once per day if it is cast as an arcane spell,
twice per day if cast as a spell-like ability or thrice per day if cast as a
supernatural ability. You must rest for 8 hours and meditate for 15 minutes each
day to regain your use of mysteries.
In order to cast a mystery, you must have an Intelligence score of at least 10 +
the mystery's level. The save DC for your mysteries equals 10 + mystery level +
your Charisma modifier for mysteries cast as arcane spells and spell-like abilities
and 10 + Caster level + Charisma modifier for mysteries cast as supernatural
abilities. Your levels in this class count for the purpose of determining your
overall caster level.
Bonus Feats: Beginning at 3rd level you gain bonus feats equal to 1/3 the total
number of paths that you have access to. Fundamentals do not apply for the
purpose of bonus feats. You must meet the prerequisite (if any) in order to select
a feat as a bonus feat. The list of feats you can select includes Favored Mystery,
Greater Path Focus, Greater Sustaining Shadow, Greater Umbral Sight,
Nocturnal Caster, Path Focus, Shadow Vision, and any Meta Shadow feat.
Umbral Sight (Su): When you reach 3rd level, your vision extends slightly into
the Plane of Shadow. You gain dark vision out to 30 feet that stacks with any
existing dark vision.
At 11th level you become able to see in any darkness, even that created by
magical means, out to 60 feet, stacking with any similar ability.
Finally at 19th level you can see in darkness out to 60 feet as easy as in bright
your mysteries.
Note: Path Masteries first appeared in the Descent of Shadows project made by
Realms Of Chaos. They are reprinted here for easy access (a few have some
changes). Only those who refer to the Tome of Magic and the Cityscape web
enchantment mysteries are presented.
Path Mastery Abilities
Arcane Veil (Initiate)
You are protected from magical energies
Prerequisites: ability to caste the Greater Shadows Fade mystery.
Benefit: you gain Spell Resistance 10 + Shadow caster level.
Astray in the Dark (Apprentice)
You can fight from further away than other suspect.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Umbral Fist mystery.
Benefit: on the first round of combat the range of your mysteries and your
natural reach are both doubled. This only functions in areas no brighter than
shadowy illumination.
Blur of Shadows (Apprentice)
You cause the very ground to buckle and ripple.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Clinging Darkness mystery.
Benefit: As a move action, you may cause the world around you to distort,
turning all adjacent squares into difficult terrain (this does not stack with
preexisting difficult terrain) for 1 round.
Cloak and Dagger (Apprentice)
Your mastery of defense and retaliation has been honed.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Sharp Shadows mystery.
Benefit: While wearing no armor, you gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC.
While unarmed, any foe striking you with a non-reach melee weapon takes 1
point of piercing damage.
Curtain of Shadow (Initiate)
You are protected by a veil of shadows.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Unveil mystery.
Benefit: You gain concealment in all conditions other than bright daylight.
Dark Concealment (Initiate)
You can hide in the shadows you create.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Deadly Shade mystery.
Benefit: while in an area of magical darkness, you become invisible at the
beginning of your every turn.
In addition, a number of times per day equal to your Intelligence bonus (if any),
you may re-roll a knowledge check. You must stay with the result of the re-roll,
even if it is worse than the original.
Eyes of Twilight (Master)
You see everything around you.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Reflections of Things to Come mystery.
Benefit: you gain blind sight out to 60 feet.
Grasp of Shadow (Master)
Shadow holds others who neglect to move around you soon find themselves
trapped.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Consume Essence mystery.
Benefit: As a swift action, you can cause shadows to entrap those within 10 feet
/ class level of you. If such a foe neglects to move at least 5 feet in one or more
rounds, they find it a harder task later, needing a strength check (DC 15 + 1 /
round not spent moving). When you use another swift action to end the ability or
move out of range, targets are automatically freed. This is the equivalent of a 6th
level spell but if it is dispelled, it can be reactivated on the next round as a swift
action.
Nights Guard (Apprentice)
Within the Darkness, none can harm you.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Dancing Shadows mystery.
Benefit: While in shadowy illumination, you gain a +2 bonus on initiative
checks and a +4 dodge bonus to AC.
Phantom Assault (Master)
Shadows seem to surround your foes, leaving them vulnerable.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Army of Shadow mystery.
Benefit: all adjacent foes are considered flanked.
In addition, casting mysteries as spells does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Lastly, you may use the aid another action as a swift action.
Piercing Gaze (Apprentice)
You can see what others cant.
Prerequisites: ability to cast the Killing Shadows mystery.
Benefit: You gain dark vision out to 30 feet and can see through magical
darkness out to that range.
In addition, you may make a perception check as a swift action (this is an
extraordinary ability).
Pull of the Grave (Master)
You can pull others to their doom.