Shadow Creature's Shadow Blend: Total Concealment = ?

[Ithamar]

Honestly, the shadow blend ability is so problematic that I just house rule it to actually be HiPS in my games.

[ksbsnowowl]

Just realized something else my players could have done to help one of them (and the DMPC/NPC) see the shadow creature.  The druid could have wildshaped in a dire bat.  I'm going to allow him a knowledge: nature check to think of it next session (which especially fits, because now they will have a ~10 round lull in combat, so they'll actually have time to think.)

[altpersona]

*snip*
True Seeing: I think this would help, yes?
*snip*
Are those interpreted correctly?  Anything I forgot?

No.

You confer on the subject the ability to see all things as they actually are. The subject sees through normal and magical darkness, notices secret doors hidden by magic, sees the exact locations of creatures or objects under blur or displacement effects, sees invisible creatures or objects normally, sees through illusions, and sees the true form of polymorphed, changed, or transmuted things. Further, the subject can focus its vision to see into the Ethereal Plane (but not into extradimensional spaces). The range of true seeing conferred is 120 feet.

True seeing, however, does not penetrate solid objects. It in no way confers X-ray vision or its equivalent. It does not negate concealment, including that caused by fog and the like. True seeing does not help the viewer see through mundane disguises, spot creatures who are simply hiding, or notice secret doors hidden by mundane means. In addition, the spell effects cannot be further enhanced with known magic, so one cannot use true seeing through a crystal ball or in conjunction with clairaudience/clairvoyance.

Material Component
An ointment for the eyes that costs 250 gp and is made from mushroom powder, saffron, and fat.

Booyah, Shadow Creature > True Seeing. It's ability is even specifically called out as such. Still, give creature Darkstalker just to be safe. 

imo: this is a raw/rai issue.

unless the shadow your hiding in has mass i would think true seeing would show you.

[Kremti]

Just realized something else my players could have done to help one of them (and the DMPC/NPC) see the shadow creature.  The druid could have wildshaped in a dire bat.  I'm going to allow him a knowledge: nature check to think of it next session (which especially fits, because now they will have a ~10 round lull in combat, so they'll actually have time to think.)

Alas, that doesn't work.

[quote arthor=SRD]Wildshape (Su)...This ability functions like the alternate form special ability...[/quote]

And if you dig into here for the Alternate Form (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#alternateForm) there's a list of stuff that it gains, but it does not mention (Ex) that's *not* a special attack...in general, you don't get the sensory EX stuff with Wildshape.

-K

[ksbsnowowl]

Alas, that doesn't work.

It does when my house rules use polymorph/wildshape rules closer to 3.0 than 3.5:

http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=3417.msg43752#msg43752

(click to show/hide)

The druid acquires the physical and natural abilities of the creature whose form she has taken while retaining her own mind. Physical abilities include size as well as Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores. Natural abilities include armor, natural weapons (such as claws, bite, or gore), sensory abilities (such as low-light vision), and similar gross physical qualities (presence or absence of wings or gills, number of extremities, and so forth). Natural abilities also include mundane movement capabilities, such as walking, swimming, and flying with wings. The druid also gains all the racial bonuses and feats of the animal form selected. She does not gain any supernatural or spell-like abilities (such as breath weapons or gaze attacks) of her new form, but does gain all the form's extraordinary abilities. All these alterations last until the wild shape ends.

 

[ariasderros]

imo: this is a raw/rai issue.

unless the shadow your hiding in has mass i would think true seeing would show you.

IMO: /disagree.

RAI, these things are supposed to be the very essence of darkness itself, a physical imprint of the Plane of Shadow.
These are not Malkavians, using the first level of Obfuscate to play with the shadows in the area; These are Lasombra himself, using Obtenebration to be the darkness itself.
These are not Dark Creatures, that is a different template; These are the Shadow Incarnate, their very presence impossible to see unless you wield the very essence of Light against them.

RAI and RAW: use something other than your eyes, pack daylight, or GTFO.

[altpersona]

ya, but daylight dosent do jack against solids/semisolids.

the spell effect is not conjuration.

[Dwarfi]

My Players (Lv10) just entered a extraplanar cave with no light, all illumination effects are reduced by 1/2

And there are some shadow creatures walking around there. Most are low level stuff, a simple wolf, black bear, crow, lizzard... but for the nasty PCs I have a shadow dire bear/ panther prepared.
10ft reach, an almost undetectable monster, with evasion and mirror images ? While the group is surrounded by shadows.