DANCER IN SHADOWS
"Quote of Some Kind by a member of the class!"-name of quote origin, race and class name optional
Dancers in Shadows are those who discovered the many paths of shadow magic
ToM and forged each one into a style of dance.
BECOMING A DANCER IN SHADOWS Swordsage and
Sublime Rogue provide the easiest entry to this class, though any class with Perform (dance) as a class skill can qualify with relative ease by taking the Martial Study and Martial Stance feats. Non-initiators, however, will benefit less from the Shadow Advancement class feature.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTSSkills: Knowledge (the planes) 4 ranks, Perform (dance) 8 ranks
Martial Maneuvers: Must know one Shadow Hand strike and one Shadow Hand stance
Class SkillsThe Dancer in Shadows's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Martial Lore (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex), and Use Rope (Dex).
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int
Hit Dice: d8
Level | Base
Attack Bonus | Fort
Save | Ref
Save | Will
Save |
Special | Man.
Known | Man.
Readied | Stances
Known |
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +2 | +0 | Darkness, Darkvision, See in darkness, Shadow advancement | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +3 | +0 | Bardic music, Evasion, Uncanny dodge, Shadow jump +5ft | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 3rd | +2 | +1 | +3 | +1 | Dancing shadow stance (1st), Shadow Familiar | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 4th | +3 | +1 | +4 | +1 | Bonus feat, Shadow jump +10ft | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 5th | +3 | +1 | +4 | +1 | Dancing shadow stance (2nd) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6th | +4 | +2 | +5 | +2 | Defensive roll, Improved uncanny dodge, Shadow jump +15ft | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 7th | +5 | +2 | +5 | +2 | Dancing shadow stance (3rd) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8th | +6 | +2 | +6 | +2 | Bonus feat, Shadow jump +20ft, Slippery mind | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 9th | +6 | +3 | +6 | +3 | Whirling shadow stance (4th), Shadow companion | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 10th | +7 | +3 | +7 | +3 | Improved evasion, Shadow jump +25ft | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 11th | +8 | +3 | +7 | +3 | Whirling shadow stance (5th) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12th | +9 | +4 | +8 | +4 | Bonus feat, Shadow jump +30ft | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 13th | +9 | +4 | +8 | +4 | Whirling shadow stance (6th) | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Dancers in Shadows are proficient with the club, crossbow (hand, light, or heavy), dagger (any type), dart, mace, morningstar, quarterstaff, rapier, sap, shortbow (normal and composite), and short sword. Dancers in Shadows are proficient with light armor but not with shields.
Maneuvers Known: At every even level, you gain a new maneuver known from the Desert Wind, Shadow Hand, or Tiger Claw schools. You must meet a maneuver's prerequisite to learn it. You add your full Dancer in Shadows level to your initiator level, rather than half your level.
At 3rd, 6th, 9th and 12th levels, you gain an additional maneuver readied per encounter.
If you have access to the
Frozen Zephyr discipline, you may choose to learn Frozen Zephyr maneuvers and stances in place of Desert Wind ones.
Stances Known: At 6th level, and again at 13th level, you learn a new martial stance from the Desert Wind, Shadow Hand or Tiger Claw schools. You must meet a stance's prerequisite to learn it.
Shadow Advancement: For meeting prerequisites of prestige classes, a Dancer in Shadows may treat Shadow Hand maneuvers as mysteries of equal level, and possesses a caster level equal to their initiator level. Similarly, they may use the spellcasting or mystery progression of such prestige classes to advance the maneuver and stance progression of one of their base classes instead, as long as they could initiate Shadow Hand maneuvers from that class. This does not allow them to apply class features which modify spells/mysteries or spellcasting to maneuvers or initiating.
Darkness (Sp): A Dancer in Shadows can use
darkness as a spell-like ability at will (caster level = your character level). Whenever they cast
darkness by other means, its caster level is increased by +2.
Darkvision (Ex): A Dancer in Shadows gains darkvision 60ft, or their existing darkvision improves by +30ft.
See in Darkness (Su): A Dancer in Shadows's darkvision functions even in magical darkness.
Bardic Music: At 2nd level, a Dancer in Shadows gains access to bardic music as a bard of half their class level (stacking with any they may possess), except that it functions only via Perform (dance). They do not gain the Countersong ability.
Evasion (Ex): At 2nd level and higher, a Dancer in Shadows can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If they make a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, they instead take no damage. Evasion can be used only if the Dancer in Shadows is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless Dancer in Shadows does not gain the benefit of evasion.
Shadow Jump (Su): Whenever a Dancer in Shadows moves instantaneously via a mystery or Shadow Hand maneuver (eg.
shadow jaunt), the effect's maximum range increases by +5ft per two class levels (rounded down).
Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, a Dancer in Shadows retains their Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) regardless of being caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. (They still lose any Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.) If a character gains uncanny dodge from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge (see below).
Dancing Shadow Stance (Su): At 3rd level, you can enter a special stance known as the Dancing Shadow Stance. Whenever you enter this stance, choose one Apprentice Path available to shadowcasters (see
Tome of Magic p140; you need not choose the same Path each time); you may use the 1st-level mystery provided by that path as a spell-like ability at will (CL = your character level, save DC = 10 + half your ranks in Perform [dance] + your Cha modifier). Unlike most spell-like abilities these have somatic components, though they are simple enough to perform in light armor without risk of Arcane Spell Failure. Whenever you use a spell-like ability provided by this stance, you lose the use of one Shadow Hand maneuver you have readied for the current encounter, as if you had initiated it (you cannot use your SLAs if you have no such maneuvers remaining). You may recover this maneuver as normal.
Exiting this stance causes any non-instantaneous effects created by these mysteries to immediately end, as if you had dismissed them (even if you immediately re-enter the stance on a different Path). This counts as a Shadow Hand stance for effects which require being in such a stance (such as the Shadow Blade feat). If you have the ability to enter multiple stances at once then you may enter this stance multiple times, choosing a different Path each time.
At 5th level and again at 7th level, you gain access to mysteries of one level higher from your chosen path.
Shadow Familiar: At 3rd level you gain Shadow Familiar
ToM as a bonus feat, using your initiator level to determine your familiar's abilities.
Bonus Feat: At every 4th level (4th, 8th, 12th) you gain a bonus feat from one of the following lists. You must meet the prerequisites for this feat as normal.
Complete Mage: Melodic Casting
Drow of the Underdark: Blend into Shadows, Fade into Darkness, Gloom Strike, Instinctive Darkness, Intensify Darkness, Shadowborn Warrior
Tome of Battle: Shadow Blade, Shadow Trickster
Tome of Magic: Any shadow magic feat
Defensive Roll (Ex): Starting at 6th level, once per day, when a Dancer in Shadows would be reduced to 0 hit points or less by damage in combat (from a weapon or other blow, not a spell or special ability), they can attempt to roll with the damage. They make a Reflex saving throw (DC = damage dealt) and, if successful, take only half damage from the blow. They must be aware of the attack and able to react to it in order to execute a defensive roll. If they are in a situation that would deny them any Dexterity bonus to AC, they can't attempt a defensive roll.
Whirling Shadow Stance (Su): At 9th level you gain a second special stance known as the Whirling Shadow Stance. This functions as Dancing Shadow Stance, except that you choose an Initiate Path in place of an Apprentice Path, and gain access to its 4th-level mystery. At 11th level and again at 13th level, you gain access to mysteries of one level higher from your chosen path.
Shadow Companion: At 9th level your shadow familiar becomes a Small shadow elemental
ToM. If you already had a shadow elemental as your familiar by some means (such as the Improved familiar feat or Master of Shadow levels) then it becomes a shadow elemental of one size larger.
Improved Evasion (Ex): At 10th level a Dancer in Shadows gains Improved Evasion. This functions as Evasion, except that they take half damage even if they fail their Reflex save.
EPIC DANCER IN SHADOWSHit Die: d8
Skills Points at Each Level: 4 + Int
Enveloping Shadow Stance (Su): At 15th level you gain a third special stance known as the Enveloping Shadow Stance. This functions as Dancing Shadow Stance, except that you choose a Master Path in place of an Apprentice Path, and gain access to its 7th-level mystery. At 17th level and again at 19th level, you gain access to mysteries of one level higher from your chosen path.
Bonus Feats: The Epic Dancer in Shadows gains a Bonus Feat at 16th level and every three levels thereafter (replacing their existing bonus feat progression). In addition to their previous options, they also add the following: Blinding Speed, Dexterous Fortitude, Dexterous Will, Epic Dodge, Epic Skill Focus, Epic Speed, Exceptional Deflection, Extra Granted Maneuver, Improved Combat Reflexes, Improved Darkvision, Improved Whirlwind Attack, Infinite Deflection, Legendary Leaper, Martial Stance, Martial Study, Reflect Arrows, Self-Concealment, Spellcasting Harrier, Superior Initiative.
