New Race: Shadekin

[BronzedDrake]

Greetings, I made this race as part of an original campaign setting that I'm working on, and would like some feedback. I used the Pathfinder race builder to make it. The only part I really would like to change is the name, I'm just not sure I like the sound of it.
Shadekin: The mysterious Shadekin are an anomaly, with the story of their origin lost to the ages. Artifacts imply that their origin can be found in a war over 4000 years ago, and many believe they invaded from the Lost Lands at the time. The only thing that is know is that they have a deep connection to the Plane of Shadow.


Society: Shadekin live among humans and elves and are so uncommon that they have no defined society of their own.
Appearance: Shadekin resemble half-elves save for their grey skin and solid black eyes. They generally stand about 5'5” tall and weigh about 225 pounds. Their hair is usually dark in coloration but rarely white hair will appear.
Relations: Because they are so closely connected to the Plane of Shadow, Shadekin are often seen as untrustworthy, and they expect members of other races to turn on them at any moment. As such they tend to be loners, often not by choice.
Alignment and Religion: Shadekin are often shunned by society, being seen as creatures of the shadow and singled out as villainous. This mistreatment more often than not causes a distaste for the structure that others find so comforting, causeing Shadekin to lean towards Chaotic. Shadekin will just as often embrace the villainous roles others see them in, as try to prove them wrong, or just not care. They are equally likely to be Good, Neutral, or Evil
Lifespan: Shadekin age at the same rate as half-elves, but live to 150 on average.
Racial Traits: Type: Outsider (native). Size: Medium. Base Speed 30 ft
Shadekin get +2 to Wisdom and Dexterity but -2 to Charisma. Shadekin are flexible in mind and body, but their inherent distrust of others leads to a lack of social skills.
Shadekin speak common and elven.
Shadekin have Darkvision out to 60 ft.
Shadow Resistance: Shadekin have resistance 5 to cold and electricity
Shadow Blending: Attacks made against Shadekin while they are in areas of dim light have a 50% miss chance, rather than the normal 20%. This does not grant concealment. This is a supernatural ability.
Stalker: Perception and Stealth are always class skills for Shadekin
Blind Fighting: All Shadekin are naturally able to fight without sight. Shadekin automatically have the Blind-Fight feat.



If you have any critisism or ideas about this race and how to do more with them I would love to hear it.

[aimlessPolymath]

My main questions about this race are essentially cultural.
How do they eat? Where do they get their food?
How do they meet up to have children?

I'm a touch worried about the fluff, since they seem to be set up to be the "mysterious misunderstood loner", but that doesn't make for a very stable or cohesive society.

On the name: We don't call elves "forestkin" or dwarves "stonefolk", or at least not for their species name.
Perhaps Terken, from the middle high german for "to darken"?
Skodde: Norwegian for "shadow"
Or conjugates therof?

[rferries]

Other "darkness" words: gloom, nocturne, nox, umbral.

I like it overall but electricity seems an odd resistance - lightning banishes darkness, after all. The Plane of Shadow often has connections to undeath, so perhaps replace the electricity resistance with resistance to negative energy? And/or resistance to illusions, due to the Illusion (Shadow) spell subschool connection?

[BronzedDrake]

aimlessPolymath I don't quite understand what you mean, they are an uncommon race but that doesn't mean they never meet each other. As for the rest of their fluff they are mainly outsiders because people don't trust the Plane of Shadow, there are other pathfinder races connected to it and they aren't seen as trustworthy either, and they eat just like any human or elf does, the reason they don't have a defined society of their own is because they are spread throughout other societies and aren't all close together.

I like it overall but electricity seems an odd resistance - lightning banishes darkness, after all. The Plane of Shadow often has connections to undeath, so perhaps replace the electricity resistance with resistance to negative energy? And/or resistance to illusions, due to the Illusion (Shadow) spell subschool connection?

I think you have the Plane of Shadow mixed up with the Negative Energy Plane, and this is literally what another race in official books has from it's connection to the Plane of Shadow, I don't see the logic in changing what this race can resist when theres another race connected to the same plane that has these resistances. '
Thank you both for your suggestions, I'll be certain to take your words under advisement.

[rferries]

I think you have the Plane of Shadow mixed up with the Negative Energy Plane, and this is literally what another race in official books has from it's connection to the Plane of Shadow, I don't see the logic in changing what this race can resist when theres another race connected to the same plane that has these resistances. '
Thank you both for your suggestions, I'll be certain to take your words under advisement.

Ah fair enough if there's already precedent. However the Plane of Shadow does historically have undead in it (in DnD at least, I admit I don't know if that's been changed in Pathfinder), albeit not as many as the Negative Energy Plane.