Dusk Shadow [Ascent Into The Light]

[Shadowknight12]

DUSK SHADOW

   
"At night it comes, riding a charcoal wind.
At night it comes, to steal into thy bed.
At night it comes, quiet as darkness twinned.
At night it comes, to watch thee in thy stead.
At night it comes, shade of thief, shade of knave.
At night it comes, flying from the grave."
-Old nursery rhyme.

Dusk shadows are the restless spirits of thieves, knaves, rogues, prostitutes, investigators, spies and other dexterous people who clung to the shadows. Their restlessness often comes from an unjust death or from unfinished business; perhaps even the one great heist they could never pull. It takes great emotion to turn an ordinary knave into a dusk shadow; usually only truly momentous events such as betrayal or a truly unfair death can rouse enough energy to cloak the knave's soul in shadow. And if it's unfinished business, it must be one of great importance, something the dusk shadow would've risked a great deal in life to fulfil.

Dusk shadows appear much like they did in life, but darker in colour. As they become more incorporeal, they turn more shadowy and translucent.

Dusk shadows often adventure to avenge their deaths, finish their business or accompany their allies once their own issues have been resolved. Dusk shadows are fragile, shady rogues who skulk around the battlefield and strike from unseen corners. They're experts in stealth and detection, and harness darkness and shadows like no other. They often retain the personality they had in life, though they're often more understated and elusive than before.

MAKING A DUSK SHADOW

Abilities: The most important ability for a dusk shadow is Dexterity, since it covers their attacks, AC and most of its class skills. Wisdom is secondary as well, since it enhances many of the dusk shadow's skill list. Intelligence helps the dusk shadow gain more skill points to spend and covers the rest of its skill list.
Races: Any.
Alignment: Any.
Starting Gold: 1d4x10 (25).
Starting Age: Any.

Class Skills
The Dusk Shadow's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise(Int), Balance(Dex), Bluff(Cha), Craft(Int), Disable Device(Int), Disguise(Cha), Escape Artist(Dex), Forgery(Int), Gather Information(Cha), Hide(Dex), Knowledge(Local)(Int), Listen(Wis), Move Silently(Dex), Open Lock(Dex), Profession(Wis), Search(Int), Sense Motive(Wis), Sleight of Hand(Dex), Spot(Wis), Tumble(Dex), Use Magic Device(Cha), Use Rope(Dex).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (8 + Int)x4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 8 + Int.

Hit Dice: d6

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1st	+0	+0	+2	+0	Dusk Shadow Body, Sneak Attack +1d6, Trapfinding, Daylight Powerlessness, Vulnerability to Light.
2nd	+1	+0	+3	+0	Incorporeality I, Evasion, Coalesce, +1 Dex.
3rd	+2	+1	+3	+1	Sneak Attack +2d6, Trap Sense +1, Uncanny Dodge.
4th	+3	+1	+4	+1	Incorporeality II, One With The Night, Disperse, +1 Dex.
5th	+3	+1	+4	+1	Sneak Attack +3d6, Stygian Flight, Hide In Plain Sight.
6th	+4	+2	+5	+2	Incorporeality III, Trap Sense +2, Stygian Power, +1 Dex.
7th	+5	+2	+5	+2	Sneak Attack +4d6, Shadow Jump, Shadowborn.
8th	+6/+1	+2	+6	+2	Incorporeality IV, Improved Uncanny Dodge, Discorporate, +1 Dex.
9th	+6/+1	+3	+6	+3	Sneak Attack +5d6, Defensive Roll, Stygian Grace, Trap Sense +3.
10th	+7/+2	+3	+7	+3	Improved Evasion, Slippery Mind, Undetectable.

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: A dusk shadow is proficient with simple weapons, plus the hand crossbow. They are proficient with light armour but not with shields.

Dusk Shadow Body (Ex): The Dusk Shadow loses all racial traits it had previously and gains the following racial traits: Revised Undead Type (see below), Medium size, a base speed of 30 feet, Common as an automatic language and any non-secret languages as bonus languages for high Intelligence. A dusk shadow has no shadow of its own.

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* No Constitution score.
* Darkvision out to 60 feet.
* Immunity to poison, disease and death effects.
* Not subject to nonlethal damage or energy drain. Immune to damage or drain to its physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution), as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects.
* Cannot heal damage on its own, although it can be healed. Negative energy (such as an inflict spell) can heal undead creatures.
* Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless).
* Uses its Charisma modifier for Concentration checks.
* Not at risk of death from massive damage, but when reduced to 0 hit points or less, it is immediately destroyed.
* Not affected by raise dead and reincarnate spells or abilities. Resurrection and true resurrection can affect undead creatures. If they are willing, these spells turn undead creatures back into the living creatures they were before becoming undead.
* Proficient with its natural weapons and any weapons mentioned in its entry.
* Proficient with whatever type of armor (light, medium, or heavy) it is described as wearing, as well as all lighter types. Undead not indicated as wearing armor are not proficient with armor. Undead are proficient with shields if they are proficient with any form of armor.
* Undead do not breathe, eat, or sleep.

Sneak Attack (Ex): As the rogue's ability. The Dusk Shadow must be corporeal (see Coalesce below) in order to use this ability.

Trapfinding (Ex): As the rogue's special ability. The dusk shadow must be corporeal (see Coalesce below) in order to use this ability.

Daylight Powerlessness (Ex): The dusk shadow cannot cast spells, use spell-like or supernatural abilities or attack under direct sunlight (not merely a Daylight spell). During the daytime, the dusk shadow takes a -2 untyped penalty to saves. This penalty is lessened to -1 during dawn or dusk. The dusk shadow can always tell when it's daytime, dawn or dusk. The dusk shadow counts as "harmed by sunlight" or "finds sunlight unnatural" when it comes to spells or effects that require such a distinction.

A dusk shadow must make a DC 20 Will save in order to step or emerge into an area touched by natural sunlight. A success indicates that the dusk shadow becomes Shaken until natural sunlight is no longer within its Line of Sight. A failure indicates that the dusk shadow becomes Frightened until natural sunlight is no longer within its Line of Sight. Once that happens, the dusk shadow becomes Shaken for 1d10 rounds afterwards, whereupon it calms down again.

If a dusk shadow is caught by surprise by natural sunlight, it must make a DC 25 Will save. A success indicates that the dusk shadow becomes merely Frightened and acts as described above. A failure indicates that the dusk shadow becomes Panicked until natural sunlight is no longer within its Line of Sight. Once that happens, the dusk shadow becomes Shaken for 2d10 minutes afterwards, whereupon it calms down again.

Vulnerability to Light (Ex): A dusk shadow takes half as much again damage (+50%) when hit by an [Light] effect, regardless of whether it is allowed a save or not. Any [Light] spell deals 1d4 extra damage per spell level to the dusk shadow, even if the spell does not normally deal damage. The dusk shadow takes 1 point of damage per round when under direct sunlight (not merely a Daylight effect). Effects that block sunlight, such as [Darkness] effects, fog or cover, prevent this damage.

Incorporeality (Su): The dusk shadow gains the Revised Incorporeality Subtype in four stages.

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I:

* Gains [Incorporeal] as a subtype.
* Has no Strength score when attacking corporeal creatures, Dexterity modifier applies to both melee and ranged attacks against them.
* Weightless, but affected by gravity (unless they have a Fly speed). Constantly under a feather fall effect.
* Floats a few inches off the ground, but may suppress it and appear as though it was walking.
* Cannot wield items or wear equipment unless they have the ghost touch enhancement.
* Cannot take any physical action that would move or manipulate an opponent or its equipment, nor are they subject to such actions (unless their opponents wield ghost touch weaponry and/or equipment).
* +5 to Move Silently.
* 25% miss chance from nonmagical weapons.
* 5% miss chance from spells or magic weapons from a corporeal source (except for positive energy, negative energy, force effects such as magic missile, or attacks made with ghost touch weapons).

II:

* May share the same place as other creatures without penalties (grants concealment/total concealment as normal, may benefit from cover/total cover as normal).
* +10 to Move Silently.
* 50% miss chance from nonmagical weapons.
* 10% miss chance from spells or magic weapons from a corporeal source (except for positive energy, negative energy, force effects such as magic missile, or attacks made with ghost touch weapons).

III:

* Has no natural armour bonus but has a deflection bonus equal to its Charisma bonus (minimum +1).
* Can reach into adjacent solid objects (but not step into them).
* Operates in water as easily as it does in air.
* +20 to Move Silently.
* 75% miss chance from nonmagical weapons.
* 15% miss chance from spells or magic weapons from a corporeal source (except for positive energy, negative energy, force effects such as magic missile, or attacks made with ghost touch weapons).

IV:

* Has an innate sense of direction and can move at full speed even when it cannot see.
* Can enter or pass through solid objects, but must remain adjacent to the object’s exterior, and so cannot pass entirely through an object whose space is larger than its own.
* Cannot see while inside an object. Cannot sense creatures or attack from inside an object. Cannot pass through a force effect.
* Does not ignore any type of armour or shield bonus.
* Moves silently and cannot be heard with Listen checks if it doesn’t wish to be (nonvisual senses, such as scent and blindsight, are either ineffective or only partly effective).
* 100% miss chance from nonmagical weapons.
* 20% miss chance from spells or magic weapons from a corporeal source (except for positive energy, negative energy, force effects such as magic missile, or attacks made with ghost touch weapons).

Since Incorporeality is a Supernatural ability, the mist wraith becomes corporeal when it enters an Antimagic Field or a similar effect.

Evasion (Ex): As the rogue's ability.

Coalesce (Ex): The dusk shadow may, at will, lose all benefits and disadvantages it gains from its Incorporeality ability. The dusk shadow becomes, for all effects and purposes, a corporeal creature. Switching back and forth between corporeal and incorporeal requires a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity. Any picked up objects that do not possess the ghost touch property are dropped to the ground when the dusk shadow switches between corporeal and incorporeal. If the shadow becomes corporeal while occupying the same space as a solid object (including a creature), it is shunted to the nearest open space, taking 1d6 damage per 5 feet travelled this way. Note that using any skill that requires interacting with a physical object (such as Disable Device or Open Lock) requires the Dusk Shadow to be Coalesced in order to be used.

At 6 HD, it requires a move action instead.

At 12 HD, it requires a swift action instead.

At 18 HD, it requires an immediate action instead.

Ability Score Increase (Ex): At levels 2nd, 4th, 6th and 8th, the dusk shadow gains a +1 to Dexterity, for a total of +4 at level 8th.

Trap Sense (Ex): As the rogue's ability.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): As the rogue's ability. The dusk shadow must be corporeal (see Coalesce above) in order to use this ability.

One With The Night (Su): The dusk shadow gains a bonus to Hide checks equal to half its HD. The dusk shadow loses this bonus under direct sunlight or when it enters the area of a [Light] spell.

Disperse (Su): As a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity, the dusk shadow can temporarily disperse some of its own ghostly form to become harder to hit in combat. For a number of rounds equal to twice its HD per day, the dusk shadow benefits from the effects of a Displacement spell. This is somewhat taxing to the dusk shadow, and must spend a swift action every turn concentrating to maintain this state. The dusk shadow may divide its allotment of turns per day as it sees fit, but never in less than one-turn increments. The dusk shadow must be corporeal (see Coalesce above) in order to use this ability.

Stygian Flight (Su): At 5th level, the dusk shadow gains a Fly speed of 30 feet with perfect manoeuvrability.

Hide In Plain Sight (Ex): As the shadowdancer's ability.

Stygian Power (Sp): The dusk shadow gains the ability to call upon the powers of shade and darkness to aid it. DCs are Charisma based.

The dusk shadow can cast Darkness once per day per 2 HD and Deeper Darkness once per day per 3 HD.
At 7 HD, the dusk shadow can cast Blacklight once per day per 3 HD.
At 9 HD, the dusk shadow can cast Armour of Darkness once per day per 4 HD.
At 10 HD, the dusk shadow can cast Shadow Walk once per day per 5 HD.

Shadow Jump (Su): As a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity, the dusk shadow gains the ability to travel between shadows as if by means of a Dimension Door spell. The limitation is that the magical transport must begin and end in an area with at least some shadow. A dusk shadow can jump up to a total of 10 feet per HD each day in this way. This amount can be split among many jumps, but each one, no matter how small, counts as a 10-foot increment.

Shadowborn (Su): While under a [Darkness] effect, the dusk shadow may choose to remain perfectly still. So long as the dusk shadow takes no actions, it is considered to be under the effects of an Invisibility and a Protection (from all alignments) spells.

At 8 HD, the dusk shadow is considered to be under the effects of a Nondetection spell as well.

At 9 HD, the dusk shadow is considered to be under the effects of a Silence spell (that it may suppress and resume at will).

At 10 HD, the dusk shadow may touch up to one ally per 2 HD as a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity and share the benefits of Shadowborn. The benefits last for as long as they and the dusk shadow take no actions and remain under a [Darkness] effect.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): As the rogue's ability. The dusk shadow must be corporeal (see Coalesce above) in order to use this ability.

Discorporate (Su): As a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity, the dusk shadow can temporarily discorporate its own ghostly form in order to become invisible to the naked eye. For a number of rounds equal to twice its HD per day, the dusk shadow becomes invisible (as per the Invisibility spell). This is taxing for the dusk shadow, and must spend a standard action every turn concentrating to maintain this state. The dusk shadow may divide its allotment of turns per day as it sees fit, but never in less than one-turn increments. The dusk shadow must be corporeal (see Coalesce above) in order to use this ability.

Defensive Roll (Ex): As the rogue's special ability. The dusk shadow must be corporeal (see Coalesce above) in order to use this ability.

Stygian Grace (Su): When under the effects of a [Darkness] effect, the dusk shadow doubles all its movement speeds and adds its Dexterity modifier as a bonus to Will saves (minimum +1).

At 10 HD, while under a [Darkness] effect, the dusk shadow may add its Dexterity modifier as a bonus to its Sneak Attack damage (minimum +1).

Improved Evasion (Ex): As the rogue's special ability.

Slippery Mind (Ex): As the rogue's special ability.

Undetectable (Su): The dusk shadow becomes such an expert in hiding that it can fool magic itself. So long as it is not being observed (or succeeds on all Hide checks against any potential observers) and is under a [Darkness] effect, it is treated as though it wasn't there at all for spells and magical, psionic or supernatural effects that would be triggered by its presence. This does not allow the dusk shadow to pass through force effects or Abjurations that would keep it at bay. It only affects spells and magical, psionic or supernatural effects which have a conditional effect that the dusk shadow would ordinarily trigger (such as a magical trap with a location, visual, spell or proximity trigger).

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The dusk shadow is supposed to be a T3 rogue, which is why I cribbed so many abilities from that class. It's supposed to obsolete the rogue and fulfil its function in an all-undead campaign (hence why the importance of internal balance within all my homebrewed undead classes). I am frankly quite unsure as to whether I actually managed to create a T3 rogue. T4, sure. T3? I don't know. It has a lot of abilities, yes, but I worry as to the class's versatility and options. Many of them are passive bonuses or defences, and don't really give the dusk shadow much to do. On the other hand, I'm handing out 3 or 4 abilities per level, so I don't want to go overboard either.

Overall, I'm satisfied with the class, but I still wonder if it meets the mark.

I chose to put an arbitrary halt in the class at 10th level to get a "proof of concept" out before messing with the upper echelons of D&D madness (spell levels 6+). So far, there's no support for playing above 10th level in terms of spellcasting. Furthermore, the implicit assumption I'm making in these classes is that there are no other classes or PrCs in the campaign.

[oslecamo]

Now this is quite interesting.

Quite a lot of abilities, but most of them are quite minor as well. An interesting subtheme where you have to switch between corporeal and incorporeal to use several of your abilities.

At first glance, the only thing I spot wrong is Stygian Grace not being very clear on what "speeds" it boosts. Didn't you meant movement speeds?

[Shadowknight12]

Now this is quite interesting.

Quite a lot of abilities, but most of them are quite minor as well. An interesting subtheme where you have to switch between corporeal and incorporeal to use several of your abilities.

Yeah, my tentative policy is "if it's a spellcaster, 2-3 abilities per level. If it's not a spellcaster, 3-4 abilities per level" so in this case, I needed a lot of stuff to fill up the otherwise bland rogue chassis.

Thanks! I figured that the rogue is a mundane character who physically interacts a lot with the environment (and other people), so it was impossible to preserve that and the "incorporeal shadow" thing at the same time. The switching back and forth is the best way to have your cake and eat it too, since it lets you become corporeal to interact with things, and then become incorporeal if you need to scout, infiltrate or skedaddle.

At first glance, the only thing I spot wrong is Stygian Grace not being very clear on what "speeds" it boosts. Didn't you meant movement speeds?

Fixed! I left it vague on purpose in case a player acquires a Swim, Burrow, Climb speed or anything of the sort, to keep Stygian Grace viable in diverse builds.

[oslecamo]

Personally, I prefer less but more creactive/versatile abilities. The Gloom for instance, is another rogue-like monster here, that at first glance gets a lot less abilities, but a good chunk of the Gloom's abilities are outright more versatile/stronger or both, like a custom magic weapon that can be easily pimped with poison, area fear, true strike spam and immunity piercing.

One more thing, in your daylight vulnerability, it's 1d4 per spell level or caster level?

[Shadowknight12]

I was going to go with caster level, but I think spell level is a better alternative for a d6 class.

[oslecamo]

I now notice you speeded up the coalesce process. It should however scale slower (start as standard as it was, then move at 6, swift at 12, immediate at 18).

[Shadowknight12]

Fixed, though I'm pretty sure I didn't change it after I originally wrote it. Though maybe I did it immediately afterwards? Either way, good suggestion.

[oslecamo]

Hmm, any reason why it starts with 40 feet base speed? Since this suposed to be a sneaky monster, I don't see much a reason for a bigger than average speed at start (and in the same vein reduce Stygian flight to 30 feet)

[Shadowknight12]

That was the reason, mainly, so that in addition to being sneaky, they made for good scouts and had slightly better battlefield mobility than anyone else. But if you think it's unwarranted, I'll dial it back in a sec.

[oslecamo]

And with that no further critiques, added to the list!

[Shadowknight12]

Thanks! 

[CDTalmas]

Shadowknight, I must say that your creatures seem balanced (maybe a tad underpowered?) but very... straightforward.  No twists or turns.  Abilities seem to follow a simple progression pattern and don't really deviate too terribly much from a standard class.  In fact, many of them seem to follow rogues, wizards, and so on to a T, with a tweak here or there to give it a minor differentiation.  I think the creatures are viable but lack flavor (crunch, not fluff).  The weaknesses inherent in several of the creatures feel tacked on and a major dissuasion from using the creature instead of toning it down (which seem very unnecessary at times).  I'm sorry to point it out and it may very well be just my opinion.

The Dusk Shadow just seems like a combination rogue/shadowdancer gestalt with a touch of ghost thrown in.  It also gains, by level 5, that which took a standard rogue several more levels to obtain (HiPS).