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Shadows

Shadows are spirits from the Plane of Shadows, twisted projections of the living from a twisted mockery of the Material Plane. Their origins are poorly understood; they may be native creatures of the plane parodying the living, spirits of the dead trapped in the darkened netherworld, or even fragments of souls splintered away from repressed psyches upon death. Whatever their origins, shadows are creatures maddened by the suppressed truths and hidden half-lies of their Plane, any intellects they once had worn away by a corrosive hunger for life and a desperate but impossible need for acceptance and belonging in the world of the light.

Shadows are known for their abilities to create others like themselves through draining the life force from the living. Most horrifyingly, however, is their ability to absorb the souls of those they kill, melding spirits in an unholy union of pain and despair and longing.

Shadows appear quite differently on the Plane of Shadows and the Material Plane. To the living, the weakest are nothing more than shadows cast by invisible creatures; to planeswalkers, they appear as bleached spectres. The more powerful they are, the more tortured they appear in their home plane—forming bizarre animalistic totems of hundreds of screaming faces, or things even more horrific—while in the material world, they gain increased solidity, with forms that only tangentially resemble their true forms.

The Shadow Template
Creating a Shadow

“Shadow” is an acquired template that can be added to any living creature that has a Charisma score of at least 4 (see below). A shadow retains all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted below.

Rank Dex
mod. Int
mod. Wis
mod. Cha
mod. Min.
Cha Senses CR Salient abilities
1 +2 -4 +2 +2 4 Darkvision 60 ft. +2 1/4 HD
2 +4 -2 +2 +2 6 Lifesense 60 ft. +3 1/4 HD
3 +4 +0 +4 +4 8 Low light vision, improved lifesense +4 1/3 HD
4 +6 +2 +4 +6 10 Darksense 60 ft. +5 1/3 HD
5 +8 +4 +6 +8 12 - +6 1/3 HD

Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature, modified as above.

Alignment: Any evil; usually chaotic.

Type: The creature’s type changes to undead. Do not recalculate the creature’s base attack bonus, saves, or skill points. Shadows of ranks 1 to 3 gain the incorporeal subtype.

Armour Class: Against material foes, an incorporeal shadow gains a deflection bonus equal to its Charisma modifier. It loses the base creature’s natural armour bonus, as well as all armour and shield bonuses not from force effects or shadow touch items. These bonuses still apply to foes on the Plane of Shadows, however.
A corporeal shadow gains a natural armour bonus equal to its Charisma modifier (minimum +1). It can wear armour as usual.

Hit Dice: Change all of the creature’s racial Hit Dice to d8s. All Hit Dice derived from class levels remain unchanged. Shadows use their Charisma modifiers to determine bonus hit points (instead of Constitution).
Note that some deaths are so traumatic that shadows gain extra racial Hit Dice. Base save bonuses granted by racial Hit Dice are Fort +1/3 HD, Ref +1/3 HD, and Will +1/2 HD + 2. The base attack bonus is equal to 3/4 its racial Hit Dice.

Defensive Abilities: A shadow retains all of the defensive abilities of the base creature save those that rely on a corporeal form to function (if incorporeal). Shadows gain channel resistance +2, improved senses as shown in the table above, the incorporeal ability (but see corporeal below), and all of the immunities granted by its undead traits.
Darksense (Su): The shadow gains true seeing in dim light and darkness.
Improved Lifesense (Su): The shadow can sense the strength as well as the presence of any lifeforces in its presence, gaining permanent deathwatch. This can be prevented by mind blank and nondetection.
Lifesense (Su): The shadow can detect living creatures within 60 ft, as though it possesses the blindsight ability. This can be prevented by mind blank and nondetection.

Speed: Incorporeal shadows lose their previous speeds and gain a fly speed of equal to its previous base speed +10 with good manoeuvrability, unless the base creature has a higher fly speed. Corporeal shadows retain their previous speeds.

Melee and Ranged Attacks: An incorporeal shadow loses all of the base creature’s attacks against material foes (although not against ethereal foes). If it could wield weapons in life, it can wield shadow touch weapons as a shadow.
Corporeal shadows retain all of the base creature’s attacks, and gain 2 natural attacks depending on their form.

Special Attacks: A shadow retains all the special attacks of the base creature, but any relying on physical contact do not function (if incorporeal and attacking material foes). It also gains the create spawn, damaging touch and gestalt abilities below.
A shadow gains salient abilities as shown in the table above.
The save DC against a shadow’s special attack is equal to 10 + 1/2 shadow’s HD + shadow’s Charisma modifier unless otherwise noted. Additional shadow abilities beyond these can be designed at the GM’s discretion.

Create Spawn (Su): Any creature of the same type as the base creature that is killed by a shadow’s ability damage becomes a rank 1 shadow under the control of its killer in 1d4 rounds.

Damaging Touch (Su): The shadow gains a touch attack that deals 1d6 ability damage from any one ability score on a hit (typically Str or Con). On each such successful attack, the shadow heals 5 points of damage to itself. If the ability score is reduced to 0, the victim dies.

Gestalt (Su): Any shadow of rank 2 or greater is able to absorb the life force of those it kills, including any other shadows it encounters, trapping their spirits within itself and growing strong off their energy. As a full round action, whenever the shadow kills a creature, it can gain a growth point. Each growth point adds another Hit Dice and AC bonus; either recalculate the shadow’s statistics, or use the quick rules below. For every 4 growth points, it increases in size by one category and gains a feat. The shadow also gains an extra salient ability for every 4 (ranks 1 or 2) or 3 (ranks 3 to 5) growth points. For every 2 growth points, its CR increases by 1.

Quick Rules: It gains a bonus equal to its growth point total on attack rolls, CMB rolls, saving throws, and skill checks. Its maximum hit points increase by 5 for each growth point, and its AC, CMD, save DCs and caster level for spell-like abilities increases by 1.

Special Qualities: Shadows of ranks 4 or 5 gain the shade special quality.

Shade (Ex): The most powerful and corrupt shadows become shades. Unlike their weaker brethren, they are able to give their shadowy vessels on the Material Plane corporeality, although the price for this is the loss of its channel resistance, damaging touch and gaining an aversion to sunlight (see salient weaknesses). Shades gain damage reduction 15/good and silver, and SR equal to 11 + their CR. They gain 2 natural attacks (usually slams or claws) which deal damage according to their size plus 4d6 cold. Alternatively, the shade gains 1 natural attack with the vicious salient ability. They also gain the ability to channel negative energy as a cleric of a level equal to its base CR, and a desecrating aura. This aura has a 30-foot radius emanation equivalent to a desecrate spell centred on a shrine of evil power. Undead within this radius (including the shade) gain a +2 profane bonus on attack and damage rolls and saving throws, as well as +2 hit points per die, and the save DC of channelled negative energy is increased by +6. This aura can be negated by dispel evil, but the shadow can reactivate it on its turn as a free action. A desecrating aura suppresses and is suppressed by consecrate or hallow; both effects are negated within any overlapping area of effect.

Abilities: As shown in table above; as an incorporeal undead creature, a shadow has no Constitution score and no Strength score against creatures not on the Plane of Shadow.

Skills: Rank 1 to 3 shadows gain a +4 racial bonus to Stealth in dim light, and a -4 racial penalty to Stealth in bright light. Shades suffer no penalty to Stealth in bright light and gain a +8 Stealth bonus in dim light and darkness. A shadow always treats Fly, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (planes), Knowledge (religion), Perception, Sense Motive, Spellcraft and Stealth as class skills. Otherwise, skills are the same as the base creature.

Salient Abilities

Animate Shadow (Su): Creatures touched by the shadow must make a Fortitude save. If they fail, their shadow is animated as a rank one shadow under the control of the original shadow. It remains animated for a number of rounds equal to the CR of the animating shadow. The shadow animated by this ability may be no higher than the shadow’s CR minus 2. The animator can control as many shadows as it has points of Wisdom bonus.

Aura of Cold (Su): The shadow is surrounded by an aura of deathly cold. Any living creature that enters the aura suffers 1d6 cold damage per shadow’s rank (Fortitude save for half). The aura has a radius of 5 ft per rank. As a full round action that provokes an attack of opportunity, the shadow can extinguish any nonmagical source of fire the size of a small campfire or smaller.
If this ability is selected a second time, those who fail their saves are slowed for a number of rounds equal to the shadow’s Charisma modifier. Alternately, they take 1d4 points of nonlethal damage and are fatigued until the nonlethal damage is healed.

Aura of Shadow (Su): The shadow has an aura of deeper darkness with a radius of 60 ft. Any magical light effect within this radius at the beginning of the shadow’s turn is dispelled (treat as greater dispel magic).

Blackest Depths (Su): This ability only takes effect in water. The waters in which the shadow swims become as chill, dark, and heavy as those in the ocean’s deepest reaches. All waters within 60 feet are completely dark (as deeper darkness), and creatures within this radius take 1d6 + 1d6/rank points of damage (half cold, half bludgeoning) at the end of their turn each round if they remain in the area at this time. A Fortitude save negates the crushing damage. Incorporeal creatures and creatures with the aquatic or water subtypes native to deep waters do not take this damage, and freedom of movement protects completely against the damage. Any magical light effect within this radius at the beginning of the shadow’s turn is dispelled (treat as greater dispel magic). This effect does not extend out of the water. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Brutal Touch (Su): The amount of ability damage dealt by the shadow’s touch attack increases by 1 dice type. This ability can be selected multiple times.

Caustic (Su): When the shadow is damaged, shadowstuff sprays in all directions, inflicting a number of points of energy damage (typically acid or negative energy) equal to the shadow’s rank to all living creatures within 5 ft.

Chill Aura (Su): The shadow radiates an aura of negative energy for (15 x shadow’s rank) feet. All food and drink in this area becomes spoiled. Any holy water or magical potions, oils, foods or ointments in this area must make a Fortitude save or be destroyed. If the save is successful, the item is immune to that shadow’s chill aura for one day.

Concealing Shadows (Su): The shadow gains a 20% miss chance in dim light, regardless of whether their opponent has darkvision.

Corpsetheft (Su): Once per round a shadow can possess an adjacent corpse, merging with the remains and reanimating them as a skeleton or zombie. The skeleton or zombie animated by this ability may be no higher than the shadow’s CR minus 2. If the animated corpse is destroyed, the shadow reappears in the corpse’s square and cannot possess another body for 1d4 rounds. The animated body retains the shadow’s mental ability scores, alignment, and base attack bonus. The shadow loses any touch attacks, auras or attacks based on its appearance it possesses while animating a corpse.
If this ability is selected a second time, the shadow retains its touch attacks while animating a corpse. It still loses any aura or appearance-based salient abilities.

Corrosive (Su): The shadow can make a sunder attempt as a swift action when it hits with its touch or natural attacks.

Damage Reduction (Ex): The shadow’s gains DR 10/magic and slashing (or similar).

Dazzling Aura (Su): All creatures within 20 ft of the shadow are dazzled.

Distorted (Ex): The shadow’s reach increases by 10 ft.

Draining Touch (Su): Instead of dealing ability damage with its touch, the shadow deals an equivalent amount of ability drain.

Energy Drain (Su): The shadow’s touch attack inflicts 1 negative level. This ability can be taken a second time.

Energy Immunity (Ex): The shadow is immune to one type of energy, typically cold.

Energy Touch (Su): The shadow deals an additional 1d6 damage of one energy type (typically cold or negative energy) with its touch attack. This ability can be selected multiple times.

Evasion (Ex): As the rogue ability.

Fast Healing (Ex): The shadow gains fast healing 2 when in darkness. Some variants flourish instead in bright light, which casts stronger shadows.

Fear gaze (Su): If the shadow’s victim fails a Will save, they must cower in fear for 1 round. This gaze attack has a range of 30 ft. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Frightful Moan (Su): The shadow can emit a frightful moan as a standard action. All living creatures within a 30-foot spread must succeed on a Will save or become frightened for 1d4 rounds (rank 1), panicked for 2d4 rounds (rank 2 or 3) or cower for 1d3 rounds (rank 4 or 5). In some cases, a shadow may have this power at a lower rank, but the form of the ability is fixed at the shadow’s creation. This is a sonic mind-affecting fear effect. A creature that successfully saves against the moan cannot be affected by the same shadow’s moan for 24 hours.
Alternate from of this ability that are not sonic attacks also exist. Some shadows have this power as a touch attack, in which case the fear effects can stack with another touch salient ability.

Frightful Presence (Su): The shadow gains the frightful presence ability to a range of 10 ft per rank.

Gaze of Death (Su): Those within 60 ft who meet the shadow’s gaze are paralysed with fear for 1 round. A Will save negates the effect. A creature that is already paralysed by this gaze attack and fails a saving throw to resist being paralysed for 1 more round gains 1 temporary negative level. The paralysis effect of this gaze is a mind-affecting fear effect, but the negative level is not. Shadows with this ability have one fewer salient ability than usual.

Improved Natural Armour (Ex): The shadow’s natural armour bonus increases by 3, or (if incorporeal), its deflection bonus increases by 2. This ability can be taken multiple times.

Improved Salient Ability (Ex): For one salient ability with effects dependent on a shadow’s Hit Dice or CR (e.g. the caster level of a spell-like ability), the shadow is treated as 1 Hit Dice or CR higher.

Improved Senses (Ex): The shadow gains senses equivalent to a shadow of one rank higher. A rank 4 shadow gains tremorsense 60 ft; a rank 5 shadow gains tremorsense 120 ft. This ability can be selected multiple times.

Increased Abilities (Ex): The shadow has been empowered by the transition to undeath. The shadow can improve any of their ability scores by 4 points. This ability can be chosen multiple times.

Increased Speed (Ex): The shadow’s speed increases by 20 ft. If this ability is selected a second time, the shadow’s speed increases another 30 ft.

Magic Drain (Su): When the shadow attacks a foe, the victim must make a Will save or one spell effect currently affecting him immediately ends—determine which spell is drained randomly if the target is under the effects of more than one spell. The shadow heals damage equal to twice the level of the spell drained—hit points in excess of its maximum are instead gained as temporary hit points that last for 1 hour. If the shadow attempts to sunder a magic item with its bite, its magic-draining renders the item nonmagical for 1d4 rounds (if the item is a permanent magic item), drains 1d8 charges (if the item has charges), or renders it permanently nonmagical (if the item is a one-use item). The item (or its wielder, if the item is attended) can resist this effect with a Will save. Damage dealt to an item is applied after the effects of magic drain are applied.

Malevolence (Su): Once per round, the shadow can merge its body with a creature on the Material Plane. This ability is similar to a magic jar spell (caster level 10th or the shadow’s Hit Dice, whichever is higher), except that it does not require a receptacle. To use this ability, the shadow must be adjacent to the target. The target can resist the attack with a successful Will save. A creature that successfully saves is immune to that same shadow’s malevolence for 24 hours.

New Movement Type (Ex): The shadow gains a new movement type, select from the following list: burrow 30 ft, fly 30 ft (good), swim 60 ft. If selected again, the speed is doubled.

Plague Shadow (Su): The shadow can infect those it touches with a foul disease. Shadow blight: curse and disease; save Fortitude; onset 1 minute; frequency 1/day; effect 1d8 Strength damage, upon death, the victim becomes a plague shadow; cure successfully casting both remove curse and remove disease within 1 minute of each other.

Poison (Su): The touch of the shadow carries a foul spiritual poison that attacks the victim’s shadow.
Shadow poison—injury; save Fortitude; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d4 ability damage (ability drain if rank 3 or higher) plus 2d6 cold (if rank 3 or higher); cure (rank -2; minimum 1) consecutive saves. The save DC is Charisma-based. If the shadow can drain energy, it inflicts 1 negative level per failed save instead of the cold damage.

Shadow Blade (Su): When the shadow wields a weapon of a particular sort (slashing, for example), it can imbue the weapon with magical abilities equal to half its Charisma modifier (maximum equal to its rank). The abilities bestowed are fixed at the time of the shadow’s creation. The weapon need not be given a minimum +1 bonus before applying special effects. For example, a corporeal shadow might apply keen and frost; an incorporeal shadow might apply +1 and shadow touch.

Shadow Blending (Su): Attacks against the shadow in dim light have a 50% miss chance instead of the normal 20% miss chance. This ability does not grant total concealment; it just increases the miss chance.
If this ability is selected a second time, the shadow’s opponents have a 50% miss chance in all but bright light.

Sickening Attack (Su): The shadow’s touch attacks can also cause its victim to become sickened if the fail a Will save. The effect lasts for 2 minutes per rank.

Spell-like Abilities (Sp): 3/day, the shadow can cast a number of spells equal to 1 + ½ rank + ½ Cha modifier. . The caster level is equal to the shadow’s CR. The DCs are 10 + spell level + the shadow’s Charisma modifier. The spells cannot be of higher level than the highest level that could be cast by a wizard of level equal to the shadow’s CR.
A spell can be chosen multiple times; if so, it can be used at will, instead of 3/day.

Spell Resistance (Su): The shadow has spell resistance equal to 11 + its CR. Incorporeal undead with this ability gain CR +1.

Steal Breath (Su): A creature hit by this shadow must make a Will save or become fatigued for 1 hour. A fatigued creature that is hit is instead exhausted for 1 hour, and an exhausted creature falls asleep for 1 hour. The sleeper can only be roused by destroying the shadow or by using dispel magic, remove curse, or similar effects. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Swallow Whole (Ex): A shadow must be Large or larger to select this special ability. The shadow gains the grab ability and can swallow opponents whole. Being swallowed by a corporeal shadow deals bludgeoning damage equal to the shadow’s CR divided by 4 x d10. Being swallowed by an incorporeal shadow deals an equal number x d6 cold damage. If the shadow can drain energy, being swallowed whole also inflicts 1 negative level per round.

Terror (Su): If a target is protected against fear by a dispellable effect (such as heroes’ feast or mind blank), the shadow’s touch attempts to dispel one such effect with greater dispel magic. The caster level is equal to the shadow’s CR.

Umbral Web (Su): The shadow can weave semisolid webs out of shadowstuff. These webs are not strong enough to bear any but the lightest weight. A shadow can use these umbral webs in two different ways, as detailed below, each of which requires a separate salient ability.
Attacking: Up to a number of times per day equal to twice its rank, a shadow can hurl a mass of umbral webs at a target. This is similar to an attack with a net but has a maximum range of 25 feet per rank, with a range increment of 10 feet, and is effective against targets up to one size category larger than the shadow. An entangled creature gains 1d4 temporary negative levels while entangled, and can attempt to escape with a successful Escape Artist check, or may try to burst the web with a Strength check (DC 15 + ½ Hit Dice + Dex modifier). The negative levels granted by an umbral web vanish as soon as the entangled character escapes from the web. Multiple umbral webs can entangle a single foe—the DCs to escape do not increase, but the temporary negative levels they cause stack. A creature that gains a total number of negative levels equal to its Hit Dice is immediately slain.
Warding: By encasing all surfaces of an enclosed area, such as a cavern or a room, with thick layers of umbral webs, a shadow can infuse that area with necromantic energy. A chamber warded by umbral webs is treated as if under the effects of an unhallow spell with a deeper darkness spell fixed to the effect. A single shadow can maintain one such infused area at a time, to a maximum size of one 20-foot cube per Hit Die possessed by the shadow. Maintaining an umbral web ward does not limit its use of these webs to attack.

Vicious (Ex): The shadow’s natural attacks (of one type) deal damage as though the shadow were one size larger. This ability can be selected multiple times.

Salient Weaknesses

Salient weaknesses reduce the power of a shadow. They tend to be individual quirks and limitations, although some are more common than others. Each salient weakness allows a shadow one salient ability above those allowed by its rank and Hit Dice.

Corporeal (Su): As noted above, corporeal shadow gains a natural armour bonus equal to its Charisma modifier (minimum +1). It can wear armour as usual. Corporeal shadows retain all of the base creature’s attacks. If the base creature doesn’t already have them, they gain one of the following: a bite, 2 claw or 2 slam attacks. Obviously, they don’t have the incorporeal subtype.

No ability drain (Ex): The shadow lacks the draining touch ability common to most shadows. They typically have some other ability to feed on the living, such as energy drain or a gaze of death.

Reduced channel resistance (Ex): The shadow lacks channel resistance.

Spawnless (Ex): The shadow lacks the create spawn ability.

Sunlight aversion (Ex): A shadow in bright light becomes sickened—the penalties from this condition are doubled when the shadow is in natural sunlight. If this weakness is selected a second time, instead of being sickened, the shadow is staggered and can’t attack.
Some shadows are instead staggered and unable to attack when in complete darkness.

Unnatural Aura (Su): Animals, whether wild or domesticated, can sense the unnatural presence of a shadow at a distance of 300 feet. They do not willingly approach nearer than 30 ft and panic if forced to do so unless a master succeeds at a Handle Animal, Ride, or wild empathy check. The DC for this check is 15 + 5 x the shadow’s rank. A panicked animal remains so as long as it is within 30 feet of the shadow.

Sample Shadows
Name Base Creature Rank Salient Abilities Salient Weaknesses CR

Dread wraith Human aristocrat 8 + 4 growth points 2 Brutal touch, draining touch (Con), energy touch (2 x negative), increased abilities (Cha), increased speed Sunlight aversion (2), unnatural aura 9

Greater shadow Human commoner 11 2 Brutal touch, increased abilities (Dex) - 8

Nightcrawler Human aristocrat 12 + 12 growth points 5 Immunity (cold), improved senses, improved natural armour (3), burrow (2), poison, energy drain, swallow whole, spell-like abilities (3) Spawnless 18

Nightskitter Human aristocrat 6 + 8 growth points 4 Immunity (cold), improved natural armour, vicious, poison, umbral web (2), spell-like abilities Spawnless 12

Nightwalker Human aristocrat 12 + 8 growth points 5 Immunity (cold), improved natural armour, fear gaze, spell-like abilities (4), corrosive Spawnless 16

Nightwave Human aristocrat 8 + 20 growth points 5 Blackest depths, Immunity (cold), improved natural armour (3), increased speed, flight (2), energy drain (2), swallow whole, spell-like abilities (4) Spawnless 20

Nightwing Human aristocrat 10 + 8 growth points 4 Immunity (cold), improved natural armour, increased speed, magic drain, spell-like abilities (4), vicious (2) Spawnless 14

Salt shadow Human aristocrat 5 1 Caustic, corrosive, malevolence Sunlight aversion (2) 4

Sea Bonze Human expert 10 + 12 growth points 3 Capsize, damage reduction, energy immunity (3), gaze of death, increased natural armour (3), new movement type (swim) Corporeal, no ability drain, reduced channel resistance, spawnless 6

Shadow Human aristocrat 3 1 - - 3

Slow shadow Human aristocrat 6 3 Aura of cold (2), steal breath Unnatural aura 7

White wraith Human aristocrat 10 3 Dazzling aura, draining touch (Con), energy touch (negative), increased abilities (Cha) Unnatural aura 9

Wraith Human aristocrat 5 2 Draining touch (Con), energy touch (negative), increased abilities (Cha), increased speed Sunlight aversion (2), unnatural aura 5

Also, 10,000 views!

Sorry my F5 button is broken now..... xD

Interesting Shadow template Ryan. Solid work.

One question springs to mind. Why did you go the route of creating a whole new template vs. folding Shadows into Ghosts?

I don't have a bent one way or another, just wondering if you had thought of it, and what your reasoning was.

Two reasons.

I fiddled with numbers for a long time, and found that shadows didn't fit into the ghost template very easily. You can see how a spectre might devolve from the ghost template; it's much harder to get a shadow by applying the template to an average human.

Secondly, for thematic reasons: it's a different plane. Ghosts are spirits trapped on the Ethereal; shadows are spirits trapped on the Plane of Shadows.

Love the shadow template. Definitely can see wraiths, shadows, and nightstalkers as separate creatures from "ghosts". I Wouldn't consider the Ring Wraiths of Tolkien mere spirits. They were created by a dark primordial magic best left forgotten by men...

So... Aberrant and primordial incorporeal undead entities composed of shadows! I like it!

Interesting. I havn't read the template in detail yet, but a look over the example creatures raises a few questions:

Why are almost all aristocrats? This seems to imply something about the plane of shadow...

I wonder what other shadow creatures should/could fall under this generalized template and how well they could be reconstructed:

Maybe Rexfelis? Maybe the 3.5 shade template of old? Shadow creature, shadow mastiff (including variants elite and unseelie), maybe even the shadow demon? The Umbral Dragon?

How do fetchlings or wayang figure in?

How about the 3.5 shadow fey from Ravenloft?

What interesting new stuff can be built?

If you are near the end of your work here, does that mean you are close to finishing the PDF version too?

Nemesio wrote:If you are near the end of your work here, does that mean you are close to finishing the PDF version too?

I don't want to get anyone unduly excited, but yes.

Excellent! Moohoohahah!

The Giamarga wrote:Interesting. I havn't read the template in detail yet, but a look over the example creatures raises a few questions:

Why are almost all aristocrats? This seems to imply something about the plane of shadow...

Because that way their base stats + template most closely resembles the Bestiary non-template versions.

I wonder what other shadow creatures should/could fall under this generalized template and how well they could be reconstructed:

The Plane of Shadows is a large (well, conceivably infinite) plane with a full ecosystem, so this template isn't intended to cover every single creature that lives in it. Specifically, this is for the undead spirits that accidentally end up stuck there and want to get back/feed on the land of the living. So, it covers shadows, wraith, nightshades, and the 3.5 shade template, but not the umbral dragon, fetchlings, wayang, shadow creature and shadow mastiff (which are living natives of the plane), the shadow demon (which is the livng inhabitant of another plane, the Abyss), or the Arak, which are the living inhabitants of this plane infused with the essence of shadow.

Rexfelis?

Of course, you can easily put the shadow template onto any of those living natives to make an undead "ghost" version. And I'd be interesting to see what people come up with through the use and abuse of the template.

Rexfelis is the catlord from 1E and Gygax Gord the Rogue novels. He has ties to the Shadow plane there and is an associate of Xan Yae and Zuoken. I always wanted to restat the 3.5 version from the Epic Level Handbook (boring 40th level rogue) into an epic Rog/Monk/Shadowdancer quasi deity.

But i was not really serious about him being covered by the template. He just jumps to my mind immediately when i think of the plane of shadow.

Looking forward to the pdf btw.

Right. No wonder I didn't know who you meant.


Now, two more darklords, neither of whom have anything to do with shadows...