Shadowcaster Redo

[Maerok]

In the quest for a playable and agreeable Shadowcaster, I present the latest of my musings. The biggest changes is the shift to spontaneous casting and the whole Channel Shadow mechanic which integrates most of the metashadow feat functionality. I wanted it to be on par and beyond the scope of the sorcerer (and possibly to replace it in some instances).

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The Shadowcaster



"Enshrouded in darkness, torn between the shades that dance beyond reality, I've seen more of this world than you can ever imagine."
~Izulon Velakna, Prophet of Shadow and herald of the Shrouded Scion


Making a Shadowcaster

Abilities
Charisma is the most dominant trait of a shadowcaster. They boast fierce personality and work their magic through sheer force of will. However, they stress the importance of discipline and mastery of their ethereal power which requires Intelligence for great lengths of prudent study. Dexterity and the ability to move swiftly and deftly find many uses in combative situations.

Races
Almost any race prone to seeking enlightenment in all the wrong places or searching out means to greater power are captured by the allure of shadow magic. Most notably are humans, drow, and tiefling.

While still rare, shadowcasters can be most easily located in the Underdark or wherever the boundaries between this world and the Plane of Shadows can fluctuate. Word travels that several shadowcasters seek to overthrow the clerical foundations of drow society in favor of an extraplanar entity called the Shrouded Scion.

Alignment
Shadowcasters are generally associated with evil or unnatural dealings and their pursuit of discipline pushes them toward the lawful aspect. Many maintain a neutral outlook in spite of the shifting nature of their power.

Starting Gold
3d4x10 gp (75 gp)

Starting Age
As sorcerer. Most shadowcasters begin study long before actually acquiring 'the shadow's embrace' and will eventually gain them once they fully understand the Art inside and out. More naturally talented ones will gain the power first, but far less survive as the touch of shadow can be lethal.

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HD: d6

Skill Points: 4 + Int
Skills: Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Hide, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcane, planes), Listen, Move Silently, Profession, Spellcraft, Spot, Use Magic Device



Class Features:

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Shadowcasters are proficient with simple weapons but no armor.

Spellcasting: Shadowcasters can spontaneously cast any mystery of a level they have access to by class levels. The may only cast mysteries if their Charisma is equal to 10 + mystery level of the mystery they are trying to cast. The DC is Charisma-based. Fundamentals are now 0-level spells.

Channel Shadow: A shadowcaster merges unbridled talent with extreme discipline in order to gather the most power from her spells. While able to invoke the mysteries of shadow magic by force of will, her studiousness has allowed her to manipulate and master the ever-shifting nature of her Art.

Spoiler

Shift Points:
A shadowcaster has a number of Shift Points (SP) equal to her class level plus her Intelligence modifier. At first level and every time she gains access to a new mystery level, she may choose one of the following shifts to acquire which may be later activated as part of various actions. Whenever she gains access to a new level of mysteries, she may opt to exchange a single Shift for another in addition to gaining a new one.

Once a Shift is used and SP is spent, a shadowcaster must wait 1d8 - Intelligence modifier rounds before spending more SP.

**Whenever a metamagic effect is applied, it can never be used to cast mysteries beyond her available mystery level.**

Shifts:
Consume Shadow - As a standard action, the shadowcaster may spend SP to heal herself of twice that much damage. If she takes this Shift again, she may sacrifice a mystery slot to heal herself of SP spent * (1 + spell level).

Shadow Cast - By spending 1 SP, she can cast a spell through her shadow which invokes no attack of opportunity but may still require somatic or verbal components.

Dark Focus - When casting a spell, she may spend 1 or 2 SP to add that much to the DC of the spell. She may spend up to 3 SP at night.

Shifting Shadows - Once per day, she may sacrifice a mystery slot to gain SP equal to that mystery slot's level.

Shade Bulwark - As an immediate action, the shadowcaster may spend SP up to her Intelligence modifier in order to increase her AC or one saving throw (before the roll is made) by the amount of SP spent until the end of her next turn. This bonus does not stack with itself.

Nightshade - When at negative hitpoints, the shadowcaster may spend all her remaining SP as an immediate action to increase her hitpoint total by that much (she is at least stabilized if she spends 1 or more SP and does not recover above zero).

Dark Tasks - She may spend up to 3 SP to increase a single class skill check by that much.

Overcome - She may spend SP to overcome an immunity to the effects of one of her spells. When she casts a spell, the creature must succeed on a Will save (DC equal to spell DC + SP spent) or become vulnerable to all effects of the spell as if it had no immunities.

Shaded Reality - She may spend up to 3 SP when casting any shadow evocation in order to increase the realness by 10% per SP.

Midnight Cast - The shadowcaster may spend 1 SP to apply Silent Spell or Silent Spell to one of her mysteries (or 2 SP for both).

Extend - The shadowcaster may spend 1 Shift Points to apply Extend Spell to one of her mysteries.

Enlarge - The shadowcaster may spend 1 Shift Points to apply Extend Spell to one of her mysteries.

Widen - The shadowcaster may spend 2 Shift Points to apply Widen Spell to one of her mysteries.

Empower - The shadowcaster may spend 2 Shift Points to apply Empower Spell to one of her mysteries.

Shadow Wake - For 2 SP, the shadowcaster may apply the Line of Shadow metashadow feat to a mystery.

Maximize - The shadowcaster may spend 3 Shift Points to apply Maximize Spell to one of her mysteries.

Quicken - The shadowcaster may spend 4 Shift Points to apply Quicken Spell to one of her mysteries.

Mastery - By spending 2 SP as she casts a mystery, she alters the very nature of that mystery's foundation. If the mystery is of the highest three levels she can cast, it is treated as a spell-like ability. If the mystery is at least three spell levels lower than the highest she can cast, it is treated as a supernatural ability. Only a shadowcaster able to cast 4th level mysteries can take this Shift.

Umbral Sight: As noted in the chart. At 11th level, the Umbral Sight ability works in all darkness, even magical darkness.

Sustaining Shadow: As noted in the chart.

[peacenlove]

This is nice :) More shadowcaster love isn't bad
A couple of comments:

Skill Points: 4 + Int
Skills: Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Hide, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcane, planes), Move Silently, Profession, Spellcraft, Spot, Use Magic Device

More of a question rather than a remark but i never understood why a shadowcaster gains spot but not listen as a class skill.

Spellcasting: Shadowcasters can cast any mystery of a level they have access to by class levels. The may only cast mysteries if their Charisma is equal to 10 + mystery level of the mystery they are trying to cast. The DC is Charisma-based. Fundamentals are now 0-level spells.

You are giving them all mysteries known if i am reading this correct? Thats 69 official spells (without the fundamentals) while the sorcerer knows about 34 (dont have PHB with me atm). I suggest giving them a more generous spell selection than the sorcerer (its already tight) maybe 1 or 2 more per level.
Also you should now clarify that the shadowcaster is a spontaneous caster. Your redo implies that but it would be needed in order to take feats such as Versatile spellcaster thus opening many needed options to the class.

Once a Shift is used and SP is spent, a shadowcaster must wait 1d8 - Intelligence modifier rounds before spending more SP.

Is there a minimum amount of time i must wait or if i archieve a 26 intellingence i won't bother rolling?

Midnight Cast - The shadowcaster may spend 1 SP to apply Silent Spell or Silent Spell to one of her mysteries (or 2 SP for both).

Shadow Cast - By spending 1 SP, she can cast a spell through her shadow which invokes no attack of opportunity but may still require somatic or verbal components.

Mysteries by their definition do not have verbal components (nor foci or material components for that matter).
Also a nice idea is to include the line of shadows metashadow in the list of shifts.

That said i like the idea of shifts. Its a nice alternative to bonus feats the shadowcaster did get.

[PairO'Dice Lost]

Originally Posted by peacenlove

You are giving them all mysteries known if i am reading this correct? Thats 69 official spells (without the fundamentals) while the sorcerer knows about 34 (dont have PHB with me atm). I suggest giving them a more generous spell selection than the sorcerer (its already tight) maybe 1 or 2 more per level.

1) Wizards know more than that by a factor of 2 or 3. Sorcerers don't, but they're shafted in that department anyway.

2) Most mysteries are less powerful than real arcane spells, so having more is a good thing.

Mysteries by their definition do not have verbal components (nor foci or material components for that matter).

They do when they're spells; only when they become SLAs do they lose the components.

[peacenlove]

Originally Posted by PairO'Dice Lost

1) Wizards know more than that by a factor of 2 or 3. Sorcerers don't, but they're shafted in that department anyway.

2) Most mysteries are less powerful than real arcane spells, so having more is a good thing.



They do when they're spells; only when they become SLAs do they lose the components.

About the quantity of mysteries you re probably right, i took a look at the beguiler base class. Although you could say that mysteries do not fill as many roles as spells at all levels, there are some that stand out (such as dominate person as 8th level spell, greater shadows fade, dancing shadows or flicker) so i cannot compare the 2 cause of lack of material (even the freaking PHB has hundrends of spells).

About the components please read page 112, "mysteries and paths", 3rd paragraph (dunno if i can quote it, non ogl material), It clearly states that they don't need verbal, foci and material components.
Also page 138, second column, although it doesn't say anything about verbal, foci and material, it doesn't list them either saying only that mysteries need somatic components when cast as spells and the 2 rulings fully agree.

[PairO'Dice Lost]

Originally Posted by peacenlove

About the components please read page 112, "mysteries and paths", 3rd paragraph (dunno if i can quote it, non ogl material), It clearly states that they don't need verbal, foci and material components.
Also page 138, second column, although it doesn't say anything about verbal, foci and material, it doesn't list them either saying only that mysteries need somatic components when cast as spells and the 2 rulings fully agree.

Well, I don't have the book on hand; I was thinking that all mysteries had both verbal and somatic components, but if it's only somatic I suppose I stand corrected.

[Cieyrin]

I'm fairly certain Mysteries, when cast as spells, only have somatic components, given that only the Still Shadow metashadow feat exists to remove the component from such mysteries, not the Silent Shadow feat.

[Maerok]

I'll take a look at the book when I have some time and see what I can do from there.

Appyling Line Metashadow as a Shift would be cool too. The major concern here was to integrate the metashadow feats a little better and use Shifts like Overcome to prevent a shut-out in many situations.

As for all spells known, the shadowcaster as is tries to do too much. Some spells are nice to have, but ever utility spell is 1 of 20 total spells you might end up with. Including that they aren't as powerful or diverse as arcane ones and similar things have been done with the Dread Necro, Warmage, and Beguiler, it seemed ok to let them have their 60-69 spells for free.

I'll add Listen to the skill list as well.

Edit: So I made a few adjustments. As for the 1d8 - Int cooldown time, I couldn't really find another way to distance usages of SP. The ethereal nature of the shadows makes it such that there isn't always that power to draw on once it has been tapped, plus I wanted to stress Int/discipline as an important way to gain further control of the shifting shadows. Maybe a Concentration or Spellcraft check instead?