Shade(template)
PrerequisitesTo become a Shade, the character must meet the following requirements:
-Must be a non-outsider corporeal living being of nongood Alignment.
-Must have 5HD or more.
-Must have performed an important task for another Shade, which then will perform a 24 hour ritual on the character.
HD:d8| Level | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special |
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +2 | +2 | Shade Body, Light Unpowering, Shadow Speed, Night Field, Control Light, Dark Healing, Shadow Magic (Lesser), +1 Con |
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +3 | +3 | Dark Blow, Shadow Stride, Black Blessing, Shadow Magic(Intermidiate), +1 Cha |
| 3rd | +1 | +1 | +3 | +3 | HandFang, Black Canopy, Shadow Magic (Greater), +1 Con, +1 Cha |
Skills: 4+int mod. Class skills are bluff, hide, intimidate, listen, knowledge(arcana) knowledge(the planes), move silently, sense motive, spellcraft, and spot
Proficiencies: A Shade gains no new proficiencies.
Features:
Shade Body:Unlike other monster classes, the Shade doesn't lose his racial ability modifiers, but he does gain native outsider traits (basically darkvision 60 feet). Their life spans are increased by a tenfold.
Light Unpowering: Unless otherwise noted, none of the below Shade abilities apply in a well illuminated area, be it actual daylight or a Daylight spell.
Shadow Speed: The Shade gains a 20 feet bonus to all his movement speeds.
Night Field: The Shade gains a Deflection bonus to AC equal to his Cha mod, a bonus on Hide and Move Silently Checks equal to his HD, and a bonus on Spot and Listen equal to half his HD.
Control Light: The Shade can decrease the levels of light whitin a 100 feet radius by a factor of 10% per HD (up to 100%, can decrease less than maximum). For beings depedent on light to see, this decreases the effective range of vision for them by the same percentage. For each 25% decrease in light, anyone whitin the area gains a +1 circumstance bonus on Hide checks.
Dark Healing: the Shade gains Fast Healing equal to half his HD.
Shadow Magic: The Shade can use the following SLAs a certain number of times per day depending on his HD.
| HD Required | Shade Magic Required | Spell | Uses per day |
| 6 | Lesser | Invisibility | 1/HD |
| 7 | Lesser | Mirror Image | 1/2HD |
| 9 | Intermediate | Teleport(to shadowy areas only) | 1/5 HD |
| 12 | Intermediate | Shadow Walk | 1/6HD |
| 13 | Intermidiate | Greater Teleport (to shadowy areas only) | 1/7 HD |
| 14 | Greater | Shadow Conjuration, Greater | 1/8HD |
| 18 | Greater | Shades | 1/9HD |
If he multiclasses for an arcane/divine class he can count his Shade levels as levels of that class for purposes of CL and for the purposes of learning new spells and geting new spell slots. So for example, a Shade 3 who took 1 level of sorceror could choose to have CL 4, get 3 2nd level spell slots, 1 1st level spell slot, 1 2nd level spell known and 1 0th level spell known. He wouldn't get the spell knowns and spell slots of a sorceror 3 however. He would get the familiar ability, but Shade levels wouldn't count for it
Dark Blow:At 2nd level the Shade adds his Cha mod as a competence bonus on damage rolls.
Shadow Stride: At 2nd level as a move action, the Shade can vanish and reappear in any shadowy position whitin 20 feet per HD. Once this is ability is used, the Shade must way 2 rounds before being able to use it again.
Black Blessing: At 2nd level the Shade gains SR equal to 11+HD. He may lower or rise it as a free action at any time even if it isn't his turn. If he already had SR, increase it by 4.
HandFang: At 3rd level a number of times per day equal to his Cha mod, as a standard action, the Shade may create a fanged, biting mouth on the palm of his hand that lasts for 1 round/HD. It can be used to deliver a melee touch attack dealing 1d6 points of damage per 4 HD and allowing a reflex save DC 10+1/2HD+Cha mod for half damage. If the oponent fails the save, the Shade may start a grapple as a free action whitout provoking attacks of oportunity and that ignores Freedom of Movement effects. The Shade may use his Cha instead of Str if he wishes in this grapple. If the Shade establishes a hold, the HandFang detaches from his hand and keeps grappling the oponent (using the Shade's stats), dealing 1d6 damage per 4 HD every round untill the duration ends or the oponent breaks free.
In addition, the fanged mouth also delivers venom to a grappled foe when the Shade achieves the hold, dealing 1d6 Con damage, Fort DC 10´1/2 HD+Cha mod negates. Even oponents normally immune to this will be affected, but they gain a +5 bonus on their save.
HandFang may also be used with a weapon, in wich case it deals the extra damage and tries to start the grapple with a sucessfull hit. In the case of a ranged/thrown weapon, the effect ends if the attack misses.
Shadow Canopy: At 3rd level 1/day the Shade may create a field of shadow filling a diamater of 100 feet plus 50 feet per HD, and an equal height. It must be centered in a point of space, an object or a creature. Unwilling targets and their worn equipment get a Will saving throw with DC 10+1/2HD+Cha mod to resist this. The outer surface of the fields is impenetrable to normal vision and dark vision, granting total concealment to creatures and objects whitin the spell's area. This includes even special darkvision abilities like those of a devil.
The interior of the field casts a deep shadow on everything whitin it. Light, including sunlight cannot penetrate the field. Creatures that would normally be adversely affected by sunlight are able to fuction normally whitin the field, including the shade himself. This ability may be activated even if the Shade is currently affected by light. It lasts 1 hour/HD.
Light spells of a level equal to or less than 1/2 your HD cannot be cast inside the Shadow Canopy, and any such effects that were inside the field or enter it later are automatically supressed. A light spell of a level higher than 1/2 your HD can counter or dispel Shadow Canopy however.
Comments
Because there clearly weren't enough dark things lurking in D&D's shadows.
Shades are the elite of a society who went into the plane of Shadow and found out a way of turning their best members in elite shadows trough some secret process reserved only for the top ones.
Now the obvious weakness is sunlight. Even a daylight spell shuts down your powers. But the rest of the time, you get several goodies between fast healing, SLAs, extra speed, two good saves, Cha to damage, SR and whatnot.
The twin capstones are based on two obscure Shade-only spells from the same sourcebook, wich I decided to grant by default. Handfang is a nice combat trick for keeping oponents busy, Shadow Canopy almost completely nullifies your big weakness, but you're still vulnerable if you find some Pelor cleric higher level than you.
So if you want to give a touch of Shadow to your character, the Shade's for you!
