[3.5 Base Class] Shadowhunter

[DragoonWraith]

While many men might call themselves hunters, only a few take to the shadows so thoroughly as to become enveloped in them. Rogues have their thieves' guilds, assassins have their orders, but the shadowhunter works alone. Even in the midst of a frenzied melee, allies and enemies all around, the shadowhunter picks out a singular target, and his creeping, subtle magics prevent any awareness of the danger.

Shadowhunters are typically ruthless, but cold and calculating, avoiding bloodlust, preferring “neat” solutions that do not waste any extra effort or take unnecessary risks. They are skilled, particularly with small blades that allow them to switch between melee and range at will, and they are learned, applying the esoteric shadow magic to their work, but shadowhunters see both of these things as merely tools, means to an end. Their quarry's end.

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This is incomplete; I need class features for 17th and 18th level, a capstone, and I need Initiate and Master Mysteries. I'm posting now for, hopefully, some initial feedback. Please let me know what you think.

Adventures
Shadowhunters are often assassins, can often take jobs that take them far off to exotic locales, have them working with a team, and so on. Their methods give the enemy no quarter and have no regard for a “fair” fight, but shadowhunters are not necessarily in it just for the bloodshed. Most shadowhunters focus almost entirely on the end-goal: killing, or not, are just steps to that goal.

Characteristics
Skilled in stealth, infiltration, observation, and general wetworks, shadowhunters take on similar roles as a combat-focused rogue, with a dash of magic. Rather than spells, shadowhunters use the mysteries of shadow magic to aid them, but shadowhunters are far more pragmatic than their mystic shadowcaster brethren. Their mysteries can be used quickly and they can be used often, and the paths they take are far quicker than they are for shadowcasters.

Alignment
Of course, shadowhunters favor evil over good. Good creatures often take a dim-view of such their cavalier attitude towards killing, and many evil creatures delight in the brutal efficiency of their skills. That said, many shadowhunters consider issues of good and evil, and for that matter law and chaos, to be either irrelevant, or at the least unrelated to their skill set. A shadowhunter would typically argue that his goals — be they good or evil or lawful or chaotic — are what they are, and shadowhunting is merely the path he found most efficient for achieving them. As such, while more shadowhunters are evil than are good, more still are neutral. For law and chaos, there are no real tendencies among shadowhunters. It might be said that the best shadowhunters tend to be neutral but with lawful leanings, since they need the discipline and patience to strike at the perfect moment, but this is a subtle tendency at best.

Religion
Shadowhunters are typically mercenary, lone wolf specialists, rather than part of an organized order, as assassins frequently are. They do not typically bring religious fervor to their work, though of course numerous exceptions spring to mind. For the religions' part, shadowhunting is not typically considered an acceptable form of championship for good or lawful faiths, while evil deities often patronize shadowhunters even if they are not part of a specific cult.

Background
Typically, shadowhunter is a path closely related to that of rogue or assassin, and the backgrounds are very similar. The primary difference is the shadowhunter's use of shadow magic: each shadowhunter must have some source of those secrets in order to practice his or her arts. Urban environments, particularly those with arcane universities large enough to have a shadow magic department, are the most likely places for shadowhunters to get their start. Shadow magic is very niche and many institutions do not work with it, but where it is available, the name alone can draw the right-minded people to its study.

Races
Elirhondas, the illumian metropolis on the Plane of Shadow, is perhaps the only place in the multiverse where a kid from a bad section of town is more likely to become a shadowhunter than a rogue, seeing as shadow magic is potent and popular there, and the city streets provide ample opportunity for employment. Thus, a massively disproportionate number of shadowhunters are illumian, and a substantial portion of those illumians not holed up in cabals are shadowhunters. Many of the cabals themselves also train shadowhunters.

However, despite this, the overall population of illumians is quite a lot lower than that of many other races: illumians may have dramatically more shadowhunters per capita than humans, gnomes, and drow, but these races have massively more shadowhunters in absolute terms, simply as a function of their much-larger overall population.

Role
The shadowhunter's job is to take out the high-threat, high-importance targets with as little muss or back-up as possible. They are sneaky and they move quickly through a combat zone, avoiding attacks of opportunity. While they cannot deal the damage of a rampaging barbarian, a combination of blade, poison, and magic can end a target very suddenly.

Game Rule Information
Abilities — Dexterity, and either Intelligence or Wisdom, are most important to a shadowhunter. Dexterity allows him to maneuver through the battlefield, while Intelligence or Wisdom powers his mysteries. Of course, no one who works with lethal weapons should be without Constitution.

Hit Die — d8.

Class Skills — (6+Int; ×4 at first level) Appraise, Balance, Bluff, Climb, Craft, Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Disable Device, Disguise, Escape Artist, Forgery, Gather Information, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (local), Knowledge (the planes), Listen, Move Silently, Open Lock, Profession, Search, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Spellcraft, Spot, Swim, Tumble, Use Magic Device, and Use Rope.

Table 1: The Shadowhunter                                                                  

Level	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Special
1st	+0	+0	+2	+2	Fundamentals of Shadow, Apprentice Mysteries, A Different Kind of Sneak, Far Shot, Quick Draw, Stalk, Totem, Track
2nd	+1	+0	+3	+3	Point-blank Shot, Two-weapon Fighting
3rd	+2	+1	+3	+3	Quick Throw, Stalking Strike
4th	+3	+1	+4	+4	Bonus Feats (see text), Bonus Fundamental, Camouflage, Diverse Totems
5th	+3	+1	+4	+4	Hold a Grudge (1), Reflexive Hunt (5 ft.)
6th	+4	+2	+5	+5	Death Attack (3 rounds), Shadowhunter's Sense
7th	+5	+2	+5	+5	Apprentice Mysteries (spell-like), Initiate Mysteries
8th	+6/+1	+2	+6	+6	Bonus Fundamental, Hide in Plain Sight
9th	+6/+1	+3	+6	+6	Death Attack (3 rounds, -10)
10th	+7/+2	+3	+7	+7	Hold a Grudge (2), Reflexive Hunt (10 ft.)
11th	+8/+3	+3	+7	+7	Death Attack (2 rounds, -10)
12th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+8	Bonus Fundamental, Hide in Plain Sight (Pr)
13th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+8	Apprentice Mysteries (supernatural), Initiate Mysteries (spell-like), Master Mysteries
14th	+10/+5	+4	+9	+9	Death Attack (2 rounds, -5)
15th	+11/+6/+1	+5	+9	+9	Hold a Grudge (3), Reflexive Hunt (15 ft.)
16th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+10	Bonus Fundamental, Death Attack (1 round, -5)
17th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+10
18th	+13/+8/+3	+6	+11	+11
19th	+14/+9/+4	+6	+11	+11	Apprentice Mysteries (preternatural), Initiate Mysteries (supernatural), Master Mysteries (spell-like), Death Attack (1 round, 0)
20th	+15/+10/+5	+6	+12	+12	Bonus Fundamental, Hold a Grudge (4), Reflexive Hunt (20 ft.)

Weapons and Armor Proficiency — You are proficient with all simple weapons, plus all types of dagger and the hand crossbow, kukri, light hammer, poison ring, rapier, sai, sap, scimitar, shortbow, short sword, shuriken, and throwing axe. You are proficient with light armor, but not with shields. Armor heavier than light may interfere with those mysteries that a shadowhunter casts as arcane spells.

Fundamentals of Shadow^Su — You learn three basic mysteries as a part of shadowhunter training, each of which may be used at will as Supernatural abilities. Every fourth level, you learn another fundamental. The saving throw DC for any of your fundamentals is 10 + your Intelligence or Wisdom modifier, whichever is higher.

At 19th level, your fundamentals become Preternatural Abilities.

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This class has several “Preternatural Abilities.” Preternatural Abilities are Supernatural Abilities that function in an antimagic field and other effects or environments that prevent magic from working correctly. Thus, Preternatural Abilities can be used on planes with the dead magic trait, and is unaffected by the wild magic, impeded magic, or limited magic traits.

Preternatural Abilities are still magical in nature: they have magical auras that can be discerned and identified, they still benefit from effects that improve Supernatural Abilities, and they still count as Supernatural Abilities for the purposes whether or not the creature has a Supernatural Ability or uses a Supernatural Ability.

Preternatural Abilities may be denoted with ^Pr as an abbreviation.

Thus, Table 8-1 of the Dungeon Master's Guide would be expanded to include Preternatural Abilities as follows:

	Spell	Sp	Su	Pr	Ex
Can be dispelled	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Affected by antimagic field	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Use provokes attacks of opportunity	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Can be counterspelled	Yes	No	No	No	No
Requires spell components*	Yes	No	No	No	No
Subject to spell resistance	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Is magic/has a magical aura	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No

* In the usual case. Some spells don't have any components (or they may be removed with the appropriate feats), and some Spell-like and Supernatural Abilities do (such as Warlock Invocations or an Archmage's Spell-like Ability High Arcana). Such exceptions are noted in the relevant spell and ability descriptions.

Paths and Mysteries — Every level, you learn a mystery, powerful secrets that allow you to manipulate reality through its shadows and echoes. After 1st level, you may also swap one mystery you already knew for another mystery of the same level. You may “relearn” a mystery you have already learned in order to gain another set of uses for that mystery.

Mysteries come in three tiers: Apprentice, Initiate, and Master. Mysteries also have levels, as spells do: for a shadowhunter, the Apprentice Mysteries are 1st- and 2nd-level, Initiate Mysteries are 3rd- and 4th-level, and Master Mysteries are 5th- and 6th-level.

Each tier of mysteries is further subdivided into paths, each of which has one mystery of each level within that tier. For example, all Apprentice Mystery Paths consist of one 1st-level mystery and one 2nd-level mystery.

Using Mysteries – Using a mystery may be as if casting an Arcane spell, using a Spell-like Ability, a Supernatural Ability, or a Preternatural Ability, depending on your level and the tier of the mystery. At first level, you can only use Apprentice Mysteries, and these you cast as Arcane spells.

At 7th level, you access Initiate Mysteries, and cast those as Arcane spells, while your Apprentice Mysteries become Spell-like Abilities. At 13th level, when you get Master Mysteries, those are the Arcane spells, Initiate Mysteries become Spell-like, and Apprentice Mysteries become Supernatural. Finally, at 19th level, you do not access a new tier of mysteries, but Master Mysteries become Spell-like, Initiate Mysteries become Supernatural, and Apprentice Mysteries become Preternatural.

Mysteries that you cast as Arcane spells have somatic components, but these are of a simple nature and you ignore the Arcane Spell Failure chance of light armors. If you have proficiency in them, you may also ignore the Arcane Spell Failure of bucklers, light steel shields, and light wooden shields. Mysteries used as Spell-like, Supernatural, or Preternatural abilities have no components at all and ignore Arcane Spell Failure no matter what you wear. See the expanded Table 8-1 above for more details on the differences between the different ways of using mysteries.

The saving throw DC of your mysteries, regardless of its tier or how it is cast, is 10 + half your level + your Intelligence or Wisdom modifier, whichever is higher.

Recovering Mysteries — Like spellcasters, you are limited in how often you may use mysteries. Unlike spellcasters, you do not require a night's rest or a day to go by: a mere minute of not using any mysteries is sufficient to replenish your mystical abilities. You may otherwise be as active as you like during this minute, and you do not need to take any special action during or after this time to complete the recovery: it just happens immediately after a minute has passed. You may attempt to recover mysteries in less than a minute, however; this is equivalent to casting a spell that has a casting time of 1 round, including that it provokes attacks of opportunity. If your concentration is not broken during this round, you recover your mysteries at the beginning of your next turn. Between recoveries, mysteries may each be used a number of times depending on how they are used. Each mystery cast as an... Arcane spell: 1 use Spell-like Ability: 2 uses Supernatural Ability: 3 uses Preternatural Ability: 4 uses These uses are per mystery, separate for each mystery: a 2nd-level shadowhunter who knows life fades and steel shadows would get 1 use of life fades and 1 use of steel shadows. How many times each mystery may be used, based on your shadowhunter level, is summarized in Table 2: Mystery Uses. In addition to these uses, you gain additional uses per day based on a high Intelligence or Wisdom score, whichever is higher, the same way spellcasters gain bonus spells per day. These uses cannot be recovered as mysteries are, but rather simply are refreshed every midnight. Each bonus use may be used to use any mystery up to the level of the bonus use without using any of that mystery's inherent uses, even if that mystery has been used up.

Table 2: Mystery Uses Class Level Mystery Level Appr Init Mstr 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 1st 1 2nd 1 3rd 1 4th 1 1 5th 1 1 6th 1 1 7th 2 2 1 8th 2 2 1 9th 2 2 1 10th 2 2 1 1 11th 2 2 1 1 12th 2 2 1 1 13th 3 3 2 2 1 14th 3 3 2 2 1 15th 3 3 2 2 1 16th 3 3 2 2 1 1 17th 3 3 2 2 1 1 18th 3 3 2 2 1 1 19th 4 4 3 3 2 2 20th 4 4 3 3 2 2

A Different Kind of Sneak^Ex — The shadowhunter class does not grant Sneak Attack, per se, but you count as having 1d6 Sneak Attack damage for the purposes of prerequisites. Every odd level after 1st, you count as having an additional 1d6 Sneak Attack damage; this stacks with any actual Sneak Attack damage you may have from multiclassing or other sources. Thus, a Rogue 3/Shadowhunter 5 would have only two actual Sneak Attack damage dice (from the Rogue levels), but would count as having five dice for the purposes of requirements and prerequisites.

If a feature would trigger on a Sneak Attack or when you do Sneak Attack damage, and you do not actually have Sneak Attack, that feature triggers for you in situations where a Sneak Attack usually would (see the Rogue class feature), even though you do not actually add any Sneak Attack damage. Abilities that prevent or reduce Sneak Attack damage would also prevent you from triggering abilities that require you to deal Sneak Attack damage. You may not “give up” Sneak Attack dice you do not actually have, e.g. for [Ambush] feats.

Far Shot — You gain Far Shot as a bonus feat, even if you do not meet its prerequisites. If you already have Far Shot, you may gain any other feat you qualify for.

Quick Draw — You gain Quick Draw as a bonus feat, even if you do not meet its prerequisites. If you already have Quick Draw, you may gain any other feat you qualify for.

Stalk^Ex — You can, as a free action, choose a single creature to be your Mark. Many shadowhunter class features revolve around the Mark. You cannot change which creature you have Marked until until that creature is dead, or the encounter ends. At that point, you may select a new Mark or simply stop stalking. If you do not choose to change it, the Mark remains indefinitely, and the target cannot do anything to foil it.

When you first establish a Mark, make a Disguise check. The target may oppose this with a Sense Motive check to determine that you are stalking him or her. The target may retry this check as a Move action. Furthermore, if you and the Mark begin a new encounter together, you each must reroll these checks. This use of Sense Motive gains a +2 synergy bonus if the target has 5 ranks in Knowledge (local).

At 1st level, you gain a +2 bonus on Bluff, Disguise, Hide, Intimidate, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand,  Spot, and Tumble checks against the Marked creature (this bonus does not apply to the Disguise check made to hide your Mark), as well as a +2 bonus on Knowledge checks about or relating to your Mark. Your Mark takes a -1 penalty on saving throws against your mysteries as well as against any poisons that you may use. Your Attacks of Opportunity against the Marked creature do not count towards your limit per round. Finally, you may add your Intelligence or Wisdom modifier (whichever is higher) to your attack rolls against the Marked creature, and you gain a bonus on damage rolls against the creature equal to your class level.

Totem^Pr — You may equip a special item known as a “totem.” Totems do not fill any magic item slot, even if they are magical, but you may only equip a single one; they effectively get a new, unique slot just for themselves. This slot may be anywhere on your body, but the totem is typically not displayed openly: some shadowhunters tuck it within a shirt, others strap it to their upper arm, and still more find comfort in having it secreted away in a boot. Regardless, equipping or removing a totem is a minimum of a move action, and may be more depending on its accessibility.

All totems have a particular weapon that they are based on; this weapon must be of at least Masterwork quality. While equipped as a totem, all other weapons of the same type that you wield gain the benefits of the properties of the totem. For example, if your totem is based on a +1 flaming dagger, all daggers you wield gain a +1 Enhancement bonus as well as the flaming special ability. If you wield a magical weapon that matches your totem, treat the wielded weapon the same as you would magical ammunition in a magical projectile weapon: Enhancement bonuses do not stack, nor do any special abilities that both items share, but your attacks do gain the benefits of both sets of special abilities.

You must attune to any would-be totem that you wish to use; this process takes eight hours and must be done all at once. Any weapon of Masterwork quality of better may be so attuned without any extra steps; this allows you to use it as a totem based on itself.

Alternatively, you may attune to specially-made non-weapon objects that nonetheless are based on some particular weapon. The cost to make these is the same as the weapon it is based on, the DC for any Craft skills used is the same as it would be for Craft (weaponsmithing) to create the weapon it is based on, and the costs and requirements for magically enhancing it are the same as they would be for the weapon it is based on, except that Craft Wondrous Item may be substituted for Craft Magic Arms & Armor and Craft Universal Item may be substituted for Craft Psionic Arms & Armor.

You begin play with a single totem that is based on a masterwork dagger; you may determine its actual form and material. It cannot actually be a weapon, and its value as a work of art (including material costs) cannot exceed that of a masterwork dagger. It will frequently be difficult to get even a fraction of its value if you attempt to sell this totem, since it only has that value for shadowhunters.

There is no way to detect that a given item is a totem (unless it is attuned to you, in which case you know immediately upon touching it). In the case of actual weapons, the totem is indistinguishable from other weapons and anyone may use it as a weapon (if you wield it as a weapon, it cannot simultaneously be equipped as a totem). For non-weapon totems, identify and the like may reveal weapon enhancements, which may raise some suspicions, particularly since they cannot be directly activated in any manner, even if the item is used as an improvised weapon. For someone who is not a shadowhunter and has not dealt with shadowhunters, knowing about totems requires a DC 25 Knowledge (arcana) check or a DC 30 Bardic Knowledge check.

You may attune to as many different totems as you like, though you may only equip a single one at a time. A totem remains attuned to you indefinitely, but only one person may attune a totem at a time: if someone else attunes to your totem, your attunement is wiped out.

Point-blank Shot — At second level, you gain Point-blank Shot as a bonus feat, even if you do not meet its prerequisites. If you already have Point-blank Shot, you gain any other feat you qualify for.

Two-weapon Fighting — Also at second level, you gain Two-weapon Fighting as a bonus feat, even if you do not meet its prerequisites. If you already have Two-weapon Fighting, you gain any other feat you qualify for.

Quick Throw^Ex — You may draw and throw a thrown weapon all in one fluid motion, even while holding other weapons. This allows you to draw and throw a weapon quickly for ranged attacks while still holding on to a melee weapon. When you do this, drawing the thrown weapon isn't even a free action; it is a non-action that takes place as a part of the throw.

Stalking Strike^Ex — Beginning at third level, once per round, when your Mark performs any action aside from movement that would provoke an Attack of Opportunity, you may make that Attack of Opportunity with a ranged weapon so long as the Mark is within the first range increment.

Bonus Feats — Whenever you learn both mysteries from a path, you gain a bonus feat based on the path you have mastered. See the path descriptions for these feats. Despite its dependence on your mystery-using, this is a shadowhunter class feature separate from the mysteries and paths, and is not advanced by prestige classes that advance spellcasting. If you master paths from such prestige class levels, you do not get the bonus feat until you take another level of the shadowhunter class, at which point you may retroactively get a feat from a path previously mastered. However, you may only gain a single bonus feat from this feature per level; if you have mastered multiple paths since your last shadowhunter level, you must choose one of the feats you are eligible for each level.

Camouflage^Ex — As a 4th-level shadowhunter, you may hide without the need for cover or concealment so long as you are in an area with light dimmer than bright light. This ability does not allow you to hide while being directly observed (but see Hide in Plain Sight, below), nor does it function against those with darkvision or who otherwise can perceive its surroundings without concern for light.

Diverse Totems — Whenever you equip a totem, you may choose one weapon type per four levels. The benefits of the totem apply to those weapons as well as the type of weapon that the totem is based on. Those items do not gain any of the properties of the base weapon type (e.g. having a totem of a +1 frost adamantine halberd and using this to apply to short swords gives those short swords a +1 Enhancement bonus, the frost special ability, and treats them as adamantine: it does not give them reach or the ability to be set against a charge.

Hold a Grudge^Ex — Sometimes, things get personal. You may, starting at fifth level, allow a single Mark to go dormant. While dormant, that target does not count in any way as your Mark, and you may begin stalking another target. The dormant Mark may remain so indefinitely, or you may re-activate the dormant Mark as a free action at any point in which you do not have any other Mark. Re-activating the dormant Mark does not require line of sight, line of effect, or anything else: you may simply take it up again. This allows you to use your Stalking-based features in combats where your true Mark does not appear, without losing him.

At 10th, 15th, and 20th levels, you may maintain another dormant Mark. You may still have only one active Mark at a time, and you cannot re-activate a dormant Mark while you have another Mark active.

Reflexive Hunt^Ex — Whenever your Mark provokes an Attack of Opportunity while you have line of sight to him, even if you are unable to take that attack, you may move up to 5 ft. per five levels without provoking yourself, provided this movement takes you closer to your Mark.

Shadowhunter's Sense^Pr — At sixth level, you gain a preternatural sense of your Marked target. You know if your Mark dies, regardless of where he is, and furthermore you know whether or not he is on the same plane as you. If he is within one mile per class level, you know the direction to him. If he is within half that distance, you also know a vague sense of how distant he is (to the nearest mile). If he is within Close range (25 ft. plus 5 ft. per two levels), you know what square he is in, even if you cannot otherwise perceive him. Effects that block divinations suppress this effect, but so long as the Mark remains active you know when those defenses wear off.

Death Attack^Ex — Gained at sixth level, this is as the assassin class feature, except that you may only make a Death Attack against someone you are stalking. Furthermore, your target may detect you and recognize you as an enemy without foiling the Death Attack, so long as you do not use any of your class features, mysteries, or special abilities that only work against your Mark on the target.

The saving throw DC for your Death Attack is 10 + half your class level + your Int or Wis modifier, whichever is higher.

At 9th level, you may use features that only function against your Mark without necessarily giving away your plans for him. You may make a Disguise check at a -10 penalty opposed by the Mark's Sense Motive check to avoid interrupting your study. This penalty is reduced to -5 at 14th level, and is removed entirely at 19th level.

At 11th level, you need only study your Mark for 2 rounds, and at 16th it becomes a single round.

Hide in Plain Sight^Su — Gained at eighth level, this functions as the shadowdancer class feature.

At 12th level, this becomes a Preternatural Ability.

Shadowhunter Mysteries

Fundamentals of Shadow are effectively 0th-level, though they are often a bit stronger than cantrips. Mysteries come in paths; learning both mysteries in a single path earn you a bonus feat, which is listed in parentheses after the path's title. See the shadowhunter Bonus Feats class feature.

Fundamentals of Shadow

• Arrow of Midnight — Ray deals 2d4 lethal, ×3 crit.
• Black Candle — As the spell darkness or light.
• Dark Distraction — As the spells dancing lights or ghost sound: create torches or other lights, or create figment sounds.
• Dark Mark — As the spell death grimace (Book of Vile Darkness): caster leaves a magical “calling card” on a corpse.
• Lightless Sight — Gain darkvision to 120 ft. and low-light vision. At high caster level, pierce some illusions and magical darkness.
• See the Stain — As the spells detect magic or detect poison: detects spells and magic items within 60 ft., or detects poisons in one creature or small object
• Shadow Grave — As the spell dead end (Spell Compendium): removes the spoor of one creature/level.
• Sight Obscured — +5 bonus on Hide, Sleight of Hand, or other checks to conceal your movements, actions, or presence.
• Umbral Hand — As the spell mage hand, but can affect heavier objects and magic items.
  

Apprenctice Path Mysteries

Along Came a Spider (Master of Poisons, Drow of the Underdark)

• Widowmaker — Conjure a potent venom, and make existing venoms especially virulent.
• What Tangled Web — As a swift-action spider climb: grants ability to walk on walls and ceilings, or as a special web: fills 20-ft.-radius spread with sticky spiderwebs, grants you bonuses while in the area of effect.

In Your Closet, In Your Head (Wild Talent and Psionic Meditation, Expanded Psionics Handbook)

• Master of Puppets — As the spell stupor (Book of Vile Darkness): one helpless subject put in a state that allows him to be moved by take no other actions.
• The Memory Remains — As the spell detect thoughts: allows “listening” to surface thoughts.

Murder Most Foul (Craven, Champions of Ruin)

• One Strike, One Kill — As the spells critical strike (Spell Compendium) or true strike: for one round gain +1d6 damage, doubled threat range, and +4 on attack rolls to confirm critical threats, or gain +20 on your next attack roll.
• Flesh Fails — Deal minor ability damage.

Night's Long Fingers (Enlarge Mystery, Tome of Magic)

• Quicker than the Eye — Gain bonus on Sleight of Hand checks; use Sleight of Hand at a distance.
• Trail of Haze — Touched target emits a trail of mist only you can see.

Perfect Disguise (Shadow Familiar, Tome of Magic)

• Hidden Threat — As the spell disguise self: changes your appearance.
• More Than Hidden — As the spell alter self: assume form of a familiar creature.

Seeing, Unbelieving (Darkstalker, Lords of Madness)

• Bend Perspective — Change point of view, as though you were standing elsewhere.
• Sight Eclipsed — Hide even when observed.

Troubling Skies (Shadow Cast, Tome of Magic)

• Ominous Clouds — As the spells feather fall or obscuring mist: objects or creatures fall slowly, or fog surrounds you.
• Just the Wind — As the spells lightfoot (Spell Compendium) or pass without trace: you provoke no attacks of opportunity when moving, or one subject per level leaves no tracks.

Where They Live (Trapfinding, as the rogue class feature)

• Invite Thyself — As the spells instant locksmith, instant search, or silent portal.
• Répondez S'il Vous Plaît — As the spell absorb weapon (Spell Compendium): hide a weapon, gain a Bluff check with a +4 bonus on feint attempts when you draw it.

Lightless Sight
Fundamental
Level/School: 1st/Transmutation
Time to Use: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 24 hours

You gain darkvision out to 120 ft., and low-light vision. You may also see through magical darkness if your caster level is greater than that of the magical darkness. If your caster level is 5 or greater, you also gain the effects of see invisibility. If your caster level is 10 or greater, you ignore miss chances due to illusions, and can always pick out the caster of a mirror image spell. If your caster level is 15 or greater, you may concentrate in order to see through effects that trick the senses or temporarily change reality, as with true seeing, but only if your caster level is five greater than the caster level of the effect.

Ominous Clouds
Troubling Skies, Apprentice
Level/School: 1st/Varies
Time to Use: 1 immediate action

This mystery functions as either feather fall or obscuring mist, except as noted above. You may choose which effect you want each time you use the mystery. This is a Conjuration (Creation) effect when used as obscuring mist, and a Transmutation when used as feather fall.

What Tangled Web
Along Came a Spider, Apprentice
Level/School: 2nd/Varies (see text)
Time to Use: 1 swift action (spider climb effect) or 1 standard action (web effect)

You may choose to use this mystery as the spell spider climb as a swift action; this is a Transmutation effect. Alternatively, you may choose to use it as the spell web, except that you are immune to the effects of the web, and furthermore may move freely in all three dimensions (using your land movement speed) while within the area of the web. For a target to receive cover from you due to the web, there must be more than 10 feet of webbing between you; to receive total cover, the target must have 30 feet of web between you. You still receive cover from the target as normal for web.

Widowmaker
Along Came a Spider, Apprentice
Level/School: 1st/Conjuration (Creation)
Time to Use: 1 swift action
Range: 0 ft.
Target: One weapon you wield
Effect: One dose of poison
Duration: 1 round/level, or until used (D)
Saving Throw: None, Fortitude partial (see text)
Spell Resistance: No

With a slight twitch of the wrist — and a flourish by his shadow — the hunter coats his weapon in dark venom.

You may use this mystery as a swift action. You conjure a poison, which deals 1d6 damage as its primary effect and 1d6 damage per caster level as its secondary effect. This poison's saving throw DC is equivalent to the saving throw DC for this mystery; a successful save against the primary damage negates it, while a successful save to the secondary damage halves it. This poison is applied to a weapon you wield as a part of this mystery, and you do not risk poisoning yourself from this application. You cannot remove the poison from the weapon except by ending this mystery (e.g., using it, dismissing it, allowing the duration to expire, having the effect dispelled, and so on).

This poison stacks with any poison already on the weapon, and the secondary effect of both this poison and any existing poison on the weapon trigger after only 1 round, rather than 1 minute. Furthermore, any poison already on the weapon may use this mystery's saving throw DC instead of its own, if it would be better.

Image Credits
The image is based on Dark Elf, an inkmo painting of a Wayne Reynolds drawing. The background of the image is from Tome of Magic itself.