LordErebus12
2012-09-03, 04:16 PM
Shade Prestige Class
http://i.imgur.com/sZZk7.jpg
"So you want to be a creature of darkness... well you may partake from the font... *watches you drink from the font* good.., well I hope you enjoy your new gifts. They are not for the... *draws sword and turns on you as you change*... faint of heart!"
--Servanus Night - Guardian Shade of the Font--
Shades grow more powerful in areas of darkness or shadows, including the ability to leap from shadow to shadow, to fly in a gaseous form, and become almost immortal beings of with great powers of shadow. They can also create areas of darkness, decreasing the amount of light in an area, and can see through darkness, even of the magical variety.
The shade's ruled a massive empire that spanned several nations within two planes; both in the Material plane within the Darklands and the Plane of Shadow. The material plane settlement is currently overgrown by the Shifting Hedges; a vast network of tunnels that twist throughout a massive vertical maze that extends for miles down into the earth. At the bottom of this pit of mazes lies the city, linked to the plane of shadow by a portal. The city on the shadow plane’s side is called Shadowfall, and is currently ruled by an ancient Umbral Dragon.
Prerequisites:
Alignment: Any non-good
Ranks: Spellcraft +5 ranks, Stealth +3 ranks
Darkness Spells: Creature must know or be capable of casting at least two spells with the darkness descriptor.
Special: Undergone the Trial of the Shade, drinking from the font of shadowstuff and swearing an oath to reach greater power through darkness.
The Trial:
Once the map to the city is recovered, a party's ECL of 5th could possibly make it to the portal location on the material plane. Located in the Shifting Hedges, a vertical maze of fungi and stone, found within Orv, the lowest section of the Darklands.
Reaching the end, the city itself has a large population of minotaurs that survive off of various grown fungi and some bred insects for protein that survive within the maze-like city. In the city's main temple the ancient portal sits inactive and still. On the back of the map there are command words to access the portal.
The portal to the shadow plane’s mightiest of cities, Shadowfall, inside the city they are imprisoned then they encounter one of the Authority Figures and must answer for why they have used the city’s oldest portal without permission. A vampire named Dusk comes to the party’s defense, answering that the ancient portal is linked to the material plane and the portal is a one way deal. Dusk mentioned that the cities had dual portals, one each one way, locked from the other side. However, the second portal was destroyed during the fall of the shade empire, leading to both cities stagnating and becoming abandoned.
There is a path through cave systems within shadowfall, which leads to the Font of Shadows, an artifact that gave both shade’s their power. The path is guarded by many shadow beasts as well as shade guardians, bound to protect the Font of Shadows from whoever seeks it.
Shadowfall
Size metropolis (unique); AL NE
GP Limit 150,000 gp; Assets 20,000,000 gp
Demographics
Population 4,000
Type mixed (40% fetchling, 19% Frost Giant, 15% d’ziriak, 15% intelligent undead, 10% half-dragon, 1% other)
Authority Figures
Agethronix the Twilight King (NE male ancient umbral dragon, Wizard 5th), has a seat on the merchant guild's council of three.
Ink (CE female halfling, rogue 8/shadowdancer 4/Sorcerer 5/Shade 3) planar guide for hire and reputed Queen of Thieves.
Gruntilda the Dream-Monger (NE female night hag, cleric 10 of Nethys), self-proclaimed buyer of souls and seller of dreams.
Thoo’mandrik (LN d’ziriak, wizard 6/Magus 5), public spokesman of the city’s d’ziriak hive and master of the light-weavers’ guild.
Dusk (CE vampire, Fighter 10/Barbarian 5), smith master and leader of the Shadowforge, as well as a seat on the merchant guild's council of three.
Onyxia (NE half-dragon fetchling, ranger 6/oracle 7/loremaster4), Eldest Daughter of Agethronix and local loremaster.
Brin (CE frost giant, antipaladin 6), captain of the guard and clan leader of the Frost Giants.
Favored Ability Scores: Cha (supernatural and Spell-like abilities, skills), Int (skills, skill points), and Dex (Stealth, AC, Initiative).
Hit Die: d10.
Class Skills: The shade's class skills are Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana, dungeoneering and the planes) (Int), Perception (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Stealth (Dex)
Skill Ranks per Level: 6 + Int modifier.
{table=head]{colsp=7}Table: Shade PrC
Level| BAB | Fort| Reflex |Will| Special | Spells; Spells Per Day
1st |+1 |+0 |+2 |+2 |Shadowstuff Infusion, Darkness’s Blessing |---
2nd |+2 |+0 |+3 |+3 |Darkness’s Protection | +1 level of spellcasting class
3rd |+3 |+1 |+3 |+3 |Shadowed Flight | +1 level of spellcasting class
4th |+4 |+1 |+4 |+4 |See In Darkness, Shadow’s Healing |---
5th |+5 |+1 |+4 |+4 |Shadow Jump | +1 level of spellcasting class
[/table]
1st – Shadowstuff Infusion (Su): The base creature’s type becomes outsider, gaining darkvision 60 ft. and the native subtype. The Shade may be treated as a member of their base race for any spell or spell-like ability, if it is advantageous. Shades breathe, eat, and sleep as normal for their base race.
Shade's no longer age as the base race does, some manage living for thousands of years if they chose to withdraw into a cloistered life, the problem comes when they interact with others, they often are slain from fear or misunderstandings. They no longer suffer aging penalties and are immune to aging effects, but aging bonuses still occur. Any current aging penalties already obtained are removed from this point on.
The Shade, while in darkness, gains the ability to manifest a large flowing cloak of pure shadow as a free action. It pours forth from the shade’s body, as if the shade was leaking the cloak of darkness, giving a slightly wraith-like appearance. Its bottom edge hugs the ground around the shade, manifesting images of ghostly sunken faces, faces stricken in a silent torment of screams and agony.
This conceals all items and gear carried from casual inspection; however, this does not stop physical inspection, offering no benefit as it becomes insubstantial to the touch. This also adds a bonus on intimidate checks equal to its Shade level while the cloak is active, as well as an equal bonus to stealth while in shadows.
All abilities gained from this Shade PrC are lost while in areas of bright light, except those who expressly say they still do. Light also purges the shadowed, shifting darkness that radiates off of the body of the shade vanishes in light, leaving the shade revealed and showing all its items as normal, removing the ambient cloak of darkness and the bonus to intimidate checks in addition to the rest.
1st – Darkness’s Blessing (Su): While in shadows, the shade gains +2 to Strength, +4 to Dexterity, and +2 to Constitution. In addition, the shade gains +2 to Charisma no matter the lighting situation.
2nd - Darkness’s Protection (Ex/Su): The base creature’s natural armor increases by 2, even when in full sunlight. Also, while in a shadowed area, the shade gains a Deflection Bonus to AC equal to its Shade level.
3rd - Shadowed Flight (Su): As a standard action, the shade and all its gear become insubstantial, pitch black but still translucent, much like a Gaseous Form (Free action to return to normal). Its material armor (including natural armor) becomes worthless, though its size, Dexterity, deflection bonuses, and armor bonuses from force effects still apply. The shade gains DR 10 / magic and becomes immune to poison, sneak attacks, and critical hits.
It can still attack but only with its newly acquired drain attack. Whenever the shade ends itsrn in the square of a creature, the creature suffers one constitution damage (no save) and nonlethal damage (1d4 + Shade’s Class level), if a successful fortitude save is not made (10 + 1/2 the base creature’s HD from other classes + the Shade’s class level + Shade’s Cha modifier).
It still cannot cast spells with verbal, somatic, material, or focus components while in this type of gaseous form. This does not rule out the use of certain spells that the subject may have prepared using the feats Silent Spell, Still Spell, and Eschew Materials. The shade does not lose its shade supernatural abilities while in gaseous form, but it does lose any other ones from any other sources.
A gaseous shade can't run, but it can fly at a speed of 30 feet and automatically succeeds on all Fly skill checks. It can pass through small holes or narrow openings, even mere cracks, with all it was wearing or holding in its hands, as long as the ability persists.
The shade is subject to the effects of wind, and it can't enter water or other liquid. It also can't manipulate objects or activate items, even those carried along with its gaseous form. Continuously active items remain active, though in some cases their effects may be moot. This ability can be used a number of rounds equal to 3 + Cha modifier times per day, however, every 10 minutes spent in complete darkness restores one use of this ability.
4th - See In Darkness (Su): The shade gains see in darkness, allowing them to see perfectly without any light within any non-magical darkness. In magical darkness, the distance you can see is reduced to 30 ft.
4th - Shadow’s Healing (Su): The shade gains fast healing equal to its class level while in areas of darkness.
5th - Shadow Jump (Su): A shade gains the ability to travel between shadows as if by means of a dimension door spell. The limitation is that the magical transport must begin and end in an area with at least some dim light. A shade can jump up to a total of 160 feet each day in this way; this may be a single jump of 160 feet or 16 jumps of 10 feet each.
At 5th level, the distance a shade can jump each day doubles to 320 feet. This amount can be split among many jumps, but each one, no matter how small, counts as a 10-foot increment.
http://i.imgur.com/sZZk7.jpg
"So you want to be a creature of darkness... well you may partake from the font... *watches you drink from the font* good.., well I hope you enjoy your new gifts. They are not for the... *draws sword and turns on you as you change*... faint of heart!"
--Servanus Night - Guardian Shade of the Font--
Shades grow more powerful in areas of darkness or shadows, including the ability to leap from shadow to shadow, to fly in a gaseous form, and become almost immortal beings of with great powers of shadow. They can also create areas of darkness, decreasing the amount of light in an area, and can see through darkness, even of the magical variety.
The shade's ruled a massive empire that spanned several nations within two planes; both in the Material plane within the Darklands and the Plane of Shadow. The material plane settlement is currently overgrown by the Shifting Hedges; a vast network of tunnels that twist throughout a massive vertical maze that extends for miles down into the earth. At the bottom of this pit of mazes lies the city, linked to the plane of shadow by a portal. The city on the shadow plane’s side is called Shadowfall, and is currently ruled by an ancient Umbral Dragon.
Prerequisites:
Alignment: Any non-good
Ranks: Spellcraft +5 ranks, Stealth +3 ranks
Darkness Spells: Creature must know or be capable of casting at least two spells with the darkness descriptor.
Special: Undergone the Trial of the Shade, drinking from the font of shadowstuff and swearing an oath to reach greater power through darkness.
The Trial:
Once the map to the city is recovered, a party's ECL of 5th could possibly make it to the portal location on the material plane. Located in the Shifting Hedges, a vertical maze of fungi and stone, found within Orv, the lowest section of the Darklands.
Reaching the end, the city itself has a large population of minotaurs that survive off of various grown fungi and some bred insects for protein that survive within the maze-like city. In the city's main temple the ancient portal sits inactive and still. On the back of the map there are command words to access the portal.
The portal to the shadow plane’s mightiest of cities, Shadowfall, inside the city they are imprisoned then they encounter one of the Authority Figures and must answer for why they have used the city’s oldest portal without permission. A vampire named Dusk comes to the party’s defense, answering that the ancient portal is linked to the material plane and the portal is a one way deal. Dusk mentioned that the cities had dual portals, one each one way, locked from the other side. However, the second portal was destroyed during the fall of the shade empire, leading to both cities stagnating and becoming abandoned.
There is a path through cave systems within shadowfall, which leads to the Font of Shadows, an artifact that gave both shade’s their power. The path is guarded by many shadow beasts as well as shade guardians, bound to protect the Font of Shadows from whoever seeks it.
Shadowfall
Size metropolis (unique); AL NE
GP Limit 150,000 gp; Assets 20,000,000 gp
Demographics
Population 4,000
Type mixed (40% fetchling, 19% Frost Giant, 15% d’ziriak, 15% intelligent undead, 10% half-dragon, 1% other)
Authority Figures
Agethronix the Twilight King (NE male ancient umbral dragon, Wizard 5th), has a seat on the merchant guild's council of three.
Ink (CE female halfling, rogue 8/shadowdancer 4/Sorcerer 5/Shade 3) planar guide for hire and reputed Queen of Thieves.
Gruntilda the Dream-Monger (NE female night hag, cleric 10 of Nethys), self-proclaimed buyer of souls and seller of dreams.
Thoo’mandrik (LN d’ziriak, wizard 6/Magus 5), public spokesman of the city’s d’ziriak hive and master of the light-weavers’ guild.
Dusk (CE vampire, Fighter 10/Barbarian 5), smith master and leader of the Shadowforge, as well as a seat on the merchant guild's council of three.
Onyxia (NE half-dragon fetchling, ranger 6/oracle 7/loremaster4), Eldest Daughter of Agethronix and local loremaster.
Brin (CE frost giant, antipaladin 6), captain of the guard and clan leader of the Frost Giants.
Favored Ability Scores: Cha (supernatural and Spell-like abilities, skills), Int (skills, skill points), and Dex (Stealth, AC, Initiative).
Hit Die: d10.
Class Skills: The shade's class skills are Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana, dungeoneering and the planes) (Int), Perception (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Stealth (Dex)
Skill Ranks per Level: 6 + Int modifier.
{table=head]{colsp=7}Table: Shade PrC
Level| BAB | Fort| Reflex |Will| Special | Spells; Spells Per Day
1st |+1 |+0 |+2 |+2 |Shadowstuff Infusion, Darkness’s Blessing |---
2nd |+2 |+0 |+3 |+3 |Darkness’s Protection | +1 level of spellcasting class
3rd |+3 |+1 |+3 |+3 |Shadowed Flight | +1 level of spellcasting class
4th |+4 |+1 |+4 |+4 |See In Darkness, Shadow’s Healing |---
5th |+5 |+1 |+4 |+4 |Shadow Jump | +1 level of spellcasting class
[/table]
1st – Shadowstuff Infusion (Su): The base creature’s type becomes outsider, gaining darkvision 60 ft. and the native subtype. The Shade may be treated as a member of their base race for any spell or spell-like ability, if it is advantageous. Shades breathe, eat, and sleep as normal for their base race.
Shade's no longer age as the base race does, some manage living for thousands of years if they chose to withdraw into a cloistered life, the problem comes when they interact with others, they often are slain from fear or misunderstandings. They no longer suffer aging penalties and are immune to aging effects, but aging bonuses still occur. Any current aging penalties already obtained are removed from this point on.
The Shade, while in darkness, gains the ability to manifest a large flowing cloak of pure shadow as a free action. It pours forth from the shade’s body, as if the shade was leaking the cloak of darkness, giving a slightly wraith-like appearance. Its bottom edge hugs the ground around the shade, manifesting images of ghostly sunken faces, faces stricken in a silent torment of screams and agony.
This conceals all items and gear carried from casual inspection; however, this does not stop physical inspection, offering no benefit as it becomes insubstantial to the touch. This also adds a bonus on intimidate checks equal to its Shade level while the cloak is active, as well as an equal bonus to stealth while in shadows.
All abilities gained from this Shade PrC are lost while in areas of bright light, except those who expressly say they still do. Light also purges the shadowed, shifting darkness that radiates off of the body of the shade vanishes in light, leaving the shade revealed and showing all its items as normal, removing the ambient cloak of darkness and the bonus to intimidate checks in addition to the rest.
1st – Darkness’s Blessing (Su): While in shadows, the shade gains +2 to Strength, +4 to Dexterity, and +2 to Constitution. In addition, the shade gains +2 to Charisma no matter the lighting situation.
2nd - Darkness’s Protection (Ex/Su): The base creature’s natural armor increases by 2, even when in full sunlight. Also, while in a shadowed area, the shade gains a Deflection Bonus to AC equal to its Shade level.
3rd - Shadowed Flight (Su): As a standard action, the shade and all its gear become insubstantial, pitch black but still translucent, much like a Gaseous Form (Free action to return to normal). Its material armor (including natural armor) becomes worthless, though its size, Dexterity, deflection bonuses, and armor bonuses from force effects still apply. The shade gains DR 10 / magic and becomes immune to poison, sneak attacks, and critical hits.
It can still attack but only with its newly acquired drain attack. Whenever the shade ends itsrn in the square of a creature, the creature suffers one constitution damage (no save) and nonlethal damage (1d4 + Shade’s Class level), if a successful fortitude save is not made (10 + 1/2 the base creature’s HD from other classes + the Shade’s class level + Shade’s Cha modifier).
It still cannot cast spells with verbal, somatic, material, or focus components while in this type of gaseous form. This does not rule out the use of certain spells that the subject may have prepared using the feats Silent Spell, Still Spell, and Eschew Materials. The shade does not lose its shade supernatural abilities while in gaseous form, but it does lose any other ones from any other sources.
A gaseous shade can't run, but it can fly at a speed of 30 feet and automatically succeeds on all Fly skill checks. It can pass through small holes or narrow openings, even mere cracks, with all it was wearing or holding in its hands, as long as the ability persists.
The shade is subject to the effects of wind, and it can't enter water or other liquid. It also can't manipulate objects or activate items, even those carried along with its gaseous form. Continuously active items remain active, though in some cases their effects may be moot. This ability can be used a number of rounds equal to 3 + Cha modifier times per day, however, every 10 minutes spent in complete darkness restores one use of this ability.
4th - See In Darkness (Su): The shade gains see in darkness, allowing them to see perfectly without any light within any non-magical darkness. In magical darkness, the distance you can see is reduced to 30 ft.
4th - Shadow’s Healing (Su): The shade gains fast healing equal to its class level while in areas of darkness.
5th - Shadow Jump (Su): A shade gains the ability to travel between shadows as if by means of a dimension door spell. The limitation is that the magical transport must begin and end in an area with at least some dim light. A shade can jump up to a total of 160 feet each day in this way; this may be a single jump of 160 feet or 16 jumps of 10 feet each.
At 5th level, the distance a shade can jump each day doubles to 320 feet. This amount can be split among many jumps, but each one, no matter how small, counts as a 10-foot increment.