Shadowdancer (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

Civilized folk have always feared the night, barring themselves behind doors or comforting themselves with bonfires when the shadows grow long, rightfully wary of the creatures that prowl the darkness. Yet long ago, some learned that the best way to conquer an enemy is to embrace it. These were the first shadowdancers. Even today shadowdancers exist in the boundary between light and darkness, where they weave together the shadows to become half-seen artists of deception.

Class Information

This is a prestige archetype.

Prestige Class: Shadowdancer.

Build Class: Ninja

Role: Shadowdancers adventure for a wide variety of reasons. Many adventuring parties find shadowdancers valuable members of their teams due to their incredible stealth and ability to surprise enemies with lightning-quick attacks where they're least expected. For this reason, their services are often sought out by those groups in need of scouts or spies.

Alignment: Any. Because of their nature as visually duplicitous tricksters, shadowdancers do not fit comfortably into the lawful category, as many use their talents to avoid the eyes of legitimate authority. Yet though they are allies of darkness, shadowdancers are neither inherently evil nor predisposed to good. To them, the darkness is simply the darkness, without any of the usual moral connotations made by the unenlightened.

Hit Die: d8.

Class Skills

The shadowdancer's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Acrobatics (Dex), Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Dex), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Stealth (Dex), and Swim (Str).

Skill Ranks at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Features

This is all the class features of the shadowdancer.

The following are the class features of the shadowdancer.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

Shadowdancers 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. Shadowdancers are proficient with light armor but not with shields.

Safety in Darkness (Su)

The shadowdancer gains darkvision with a range of 60 ft. If the shadowdancer already has darkvision, the range of that darkvision is instead increased by +30 ft. In addition, she is immune to the side effect of any area of darkness and has a side effect, such as the poison darkness shadowdancer trick or the ‘’hungry darkness’’ spell.

Sneak Attack (Ex)

If a shadowdancer can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from her attack, she can strike a vital spot for extra damage.

The shadowdancer’s attacks deal extra damage anytime her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the shadowdancer flanks her target. This extra damage is 1d6 at 1st level, and increases by 1d6 every two shadowdancer levels thereafter. Bonus damage from sneak attacks is precision damage. Should the shadowdancer score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this precision damage is not multiplied. Ranged attacks count as sneak attacks only if the target is within 30 feet.

With a weapon that deals nonlethal damage (such as a sap, whip, or unarmed strike), a shadowdancer can make a sneak attack that deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. She cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage in a sneak attack, even with the usual –4 penalty.

The shadowdancer must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot, and must be able to reach this spot. A shadowdancer cannot sneak attack while striking a creature that has concealment.

Ki Pool (Su)

At 2nd level, a shadowdancer gains a pool of ki points, supernatural energy she can use to accomplish amazing feats. The number of points in the shadowdancer’s ki pool is equal to 1/2 her shadowdancer level + her Wisdom modifier.

By spending 1 point from her ki pool, a shadowdancer can make one additional attack at her highest attack bonus, but she can do so only when making a full attack. In addition, she can spend 1 point to increase her speed by 20 feet for 1 round. Finally, a shadowdancer can spend 1 point from her ki pool to give herself a +4 insight bonus on Stealth checks for 1 round. Each of these powers is activated as a swift action. A shadowdancer can gain additional powers that consume points from her ki pool as she advances in level and by selecting certain shadowdancer tricks.

The ki pool is replenished each morning after 8 hours of rest or meditation; these hours do not need to be consecutive. If the shadowdancer possesses levels in another class that grants points to a ki pool, shadowdancer levels stack with the levels of that class to determine the total number of ki points in the combined pool, but only one ability score modifier is added to the total. The choice of which score to use is made when the second class ability is gained, and once made, the choice is set. The shadowdancer can now use ki points from this pool to power the abilities of every class she possesses that grants a ki pool.

As she advances in level, the shadowdancer learns to use her ki pool for spell-like abilities. All spell-like abilities from the ki pool ability work as if cast by a cleric of the shadowdancer’s level, and count as spells of their sorcerer spell level.

• At level 6, as long as the shadowdancer has at least 1 point in her ki pool, she can use silent image as a spell-like ability.
• At level 9, the shadowdancer can cast ‘’shadow conjuration’’ and ‘’shadow step’’ at the cost of one point from her ki pool.
• At 12th level, she can cast ‘’shadow evocation’’ and ‘’shadow walk’’ at the cost of 1 point of ki.
• At 15th level, she can cast ‘’greater shadow evocation’’. She can also cast ‘’shadow walk’’ as a move action. Either use costs 2 points from her ki pool.
• At 18th level, she can cast ‘’shades’’. She can also cast ‘’shadow walk’’ as a swift action. Either use costs 3 points from her ki pool.

Shadowdancer Tricks

As a shadowdancer continues her training, she learns a number of tricks that allow her to confuse her foes and grant her supernatural abilities. Starting at 2nd level, a shadowdancer gains one shadowdancer trick. She gains one additional shadowdancer trick for every 2 levels attained after 2nd. Unless otherwise noted, a shadowdancer cannot select an individual shadowdancer trick more than once.

Tricks marked with an asterisk (*) add effects to a shadowdancer’s sneak attack. Only one of these tricks can be applied to an individual attack and the decision must be made before the attack is made.

Acrobatic Master (Su): As a swift action, a shadowdancer with this trick can focus her ki to grant her a +20 bonus on one Acrobatics check of her choice made before the start of her next turn. Using this ability expends 1 ki point from her ki pool.

Choking Darkness (Ex): Whenever a shadowdancer uses the darkness trick, all living creatures in the darkness must make a Fortitude save each round or become staggered for 1d4 rounds. The DC of this saving throw is equal to 10 + 1/2 the shadowdancer’s level + the shadowdancer’s Wisdom modifier. The shadowdancer can decide to create an ordinary darkness as normal. The shadowdancer must have the darkness trick before selecting this trick.

Combat Trick: A shadowdancer who selects this trick gains a bonus combat feat.

Darkvision (Su): This trick allows the shadowdancer to use her ki to enhance her sight, giving her low-light vision and increasing the range of her darkvision by 30 feet. Using this trick is a standard action that costs 1 ki point. The enhanced senses last for 1 hour.

Fast Stealth (Ex): A shadowdancer with this trick can move at full speed using the Stealth skill without penalty.

Feather Fall (Su): As an immediate action, the shadowdancer can slow her descent as if using feather fall. This ability uses her shadowdancer level as the caster level. Each use of this ability uses up 1 ki point.

Forgotten Trick (Ex): A shadowdancer with this ability can recall one trick hidden in the darkness of her mind. When she uses this ability, she selects one shadowdancer trick (not a master trick) that she does not know and can use that shadowdancer trick for a number of rounds equal to her level. She must pay any ki costs associated with the trick as normal. Using this ability expends 1 ki point from her ki pool, plus the ki cost of the trick she chooses.

High Jumper (Ex): When a shadowdancer with this trick makes a high jump, the DC for that jump is half the normal DC. The shadowdancer must have the acrobatic master trick before taking this talent.

Incorporeal Attack (Su): By spending 1 ki point as a swift action, the shadowdancer gains the ability to make her melee attacks as incorporeal touch attacks. Incorporeal touch attacks ignore armor, natural armor, and shield bonuses to armor class, except that force armor and armor with the ghost touch property protect fully against them. In addition, the shadowdancer’s attacks cause full damage to ethereal and incorporeal creatures. The effect lasts until the end of the shadowdancer’s turn.

Incorporeal Defense (Su): By spending 1 ki point as a swift action, the shadowdancer gains immunity to non-magical physical damage and takes half damage from magical physical attacks for 1 round. Force effects, ghost touch weapons, incorporeal attacks, and other effects that specifically do full damage to incorporeal creatures are immune to this effect. She is not otherwise considered incorporeal, and cannot pass through solid objects. If the shadowdancer has the incorporeal attack trick, she can activate both effects with a single swift action, but must pay the ki cost separately for each.

Ki Block* (Su): A shadowdancer with this trick can prevent a creature from using its ki pool. Whenever the shadowdancer deals sneak attack damage, the target must make a Will save or be unable to spend any points from its ki pool for a number of rounds equal to the shadowdancer’s Wisdom modifier. The DC of this save is 10 + 1/2 the shadowdancer’s level + the shadowdancer’s Wisdom modifier. The number of points in the target’s ki pool is unaffected, and abilities that do not require the subject to spend ki still function.

Release Shadow (Su): The shadowdancer can release her shadow as a swift action at the cost of 1 ki point. This acts as summon monster spell and summons a shadow, except that the creature is a construct (not an undead), inflicts 1d6 points of hit point damage instead of Strength damage, and lacks the create spawn ability. It must end each of its turns in sight of the shadowdancer or be destroyed. For every two class levels shadowdancer gains beyond level 6, the shadow gains +2 hit dice, +13 hit points, and a +1 bonus to AC, attack, damage and all saves. The added hit dice have no effect in themselves, they just makes the creature stronger for the purpose of effects related to hit dice. As long as her shadow is released, the shadowdancer casts no shadow, and she can only have one summoned shadow at a time. The shadowdancer must be at least level 6 to learn this trick.

Shadow Clone (Su): The shadowdancer can create 1d4 shadowy duplicates of herself that conceal her true location. This ability functions as mirror image, using the shadowdancer’s level as her caster level. Using this ability is a standard action that uses up 1 ki point.

Slow Metabolism (Ex): The shadowdancer has a slower-than-normal metabolism. She can hold her breath for twice as long as normal before needing to make Constitution checks (four times her Constitution score). In addition, whenever the shadowdancer is poisoned, the time between saving throws (the poison’s frequency) is doubled. Thus, a poison that has a frequency of “1/round for 6 rounds” would instead be “1/2 rounds for 12 rounds.”

Slow Reactions* (Ex): Opponents that are damaged by the shadowdancer’s sneak attack can’t make attacks of opportunity for 1 round.

Darkness (Sp): The shadowdancer can use darkness as a spell-like ability like a cleric of her shadowdancer level. This effect is heightened (as the Heighten Spell feat) to a spell level equal to half the shadowdancer’s level. Each use of this ability uses 1 ki point.

Vanishing Trick (Sp): As a swift action, the shadowdancer can use vanish. Using this ability uses 1 ki point.

Ventriloquism (Su): As a swift action, the shadowdancer can throw her voice as if using the spell ventriloquism. She can use this ability for 1 minute per shadowdancer level. Each use of this ability uses up 1 ki point.

Wall Climber (Su): A shadowdancer with this ability gains a climb speed of 20 feet, but only on slopes or vertical surfaces. This ability cannot be used to scale perfectly smooth surfaces or to climb on an inverted slope or the underside of horizontal surfaces.

Evasion (Su)

At 3rd level, a shadowdancer gains evasion. If exposed to any effect that normally allows her to attempt a Reflex saving throw for half damage, she takes no damage with a successful saving throw. The evasion ability can only be used if the shadowdancer is wearing light armor or no armor.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex)

Starting at 4th level, a shadowdancer can react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. She cannot be caught flat-footed, nor does she lose her Dexterity bonus to AC if the attacker is invisible. She still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. A shadowdancer with this ability can still lose her Dexterity bonus to AC if an opponent successfully uses the feint action against her.

If a shadowdancer already possesses uncanny dodge from a different class, she automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead.

Hide in Plain Sight (Su)

A shadowdancer of 5th level can use the Stealth skill even while being observed. As long as she is within 10 feet of an area of dim light, a shadowdancer can hide herself from view in the open without anything to actually hide behind. She cannot, however, hide in her own shadow.

Dark Steps (Ex)

At 6th level, a shadowdancer learns to move while barely touching the surface underneath her. As a full-round action, she can move up to twice her speed, ignoring difficult terrain. While moving in this way, any surface will support her, no matter how much she weighs. This allows her to move across water, lava, or even the thinnest tree branches. She must end her move on a surface that can support her normally. She cannot move across air in this way, nor can she walk up walls or other vertical surfaces. When moving in this way, she does not take damage from surfaces or hazards that react to being touched, such as lava or caltrops, nor does she need to make Acrobatics checks to avoid falling on slippery or rough surfaces. Finally, when using dark steps, the shadowdancer ignores any mechanical traps that use a location-based trigger.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex)

At 8th level, a shadowdancer can no longer be flanked. This defense denies another shadowdancer (or rogue) the ability to sneak attack the shadowdancer by flanking her, unless the attacker has at least four more levels in classes that grants sneak attack than the target has levels in classes that grant uncanny dodge.

Master Tricks

At 10th level, and every two levels thereafter, a shadowdancer can select one of the following master tricks in place of a shadowdancer trick.

Advanced Talents: The shadowdancer can select a rogue talent from the list of Advanced Talents in place of a shadowdancer trick. The shadowdancer cannot select a rogue talent that has the same name as a shadowdancer trick.

Blinding Darkness (Ex): Whenever the shadowdancer uses the darkness trick, all living creatures in the effect must make a Fortitude save or be blinded by the black darkness for 1d4 rounds. The DC of this saving throw is equal to 10 + 1/2 the shadowdancer’s level + the shadowdancer’s Wisdom modifier. This trick cannot be combined with a choking darkness, but the shadowdancer can combine a blinding darkness with a poison darkness. The shadowdancer must have the choking darkness shadowdancer trick before selecting this trick.

Feat: A shadowdancer may gain any feat that she qualifies for in place of a shadowdancer trick.

Ghost Step (Su): When using the incorporeal defense trick, the shadowdancer can pass through walls as if she were a ghost. Until the end of her turn, she can pass through a wall or other surface that is up to 1 foot thick per level as if she were incorporeal. She must exit the solid material by the end of her turn. The shadowdancer must know the incorporeal defence trick to select this trick.

Invisible Blade (Su): Whenever a shadowdancer uses the vanishing trick shadowdancer trick, she is treated as if she were under the effects of greater invisibility. The shadowdancer must have the vanishing trick shadowdancer trick before selecting this shadowdancer trick.

See the Unseen (Su): A shadowdancer with this trick learns how to see that which cannot be seen. As a swift action, the shadowdancer can cast see invisibility, using her level as the caster level. Each use of this ability uses up 1 ki point.

Shadow Split (Su): This trick allows the shadowdancer to create an illusory double of herself that moves away from her, allowing the shadowdancer to create a distraction. When she uses this ability, an illusory double appears and moves away from the shadowdancer, heading in one direction. The double climbs walls, jumps pits, or simply passes through obstacles, moving at twice the shadowdancer’s speed in the direction indicated by the shadowdancer when the ability is used. Its course cannot be changed. The double persists for 1 round per level of the shadowdancer. Those who interact with the double receive a Will saving throw to recognize that it is fake. The DC of this save is 10 + 1/2 the shadowdancer’s level + the shadowdancer’s Wisdom modifier. Each use of this ability uses up 1 ki point. The shadowdancer must possess the shadow clone shadowdancer trick before selecting this trick.

Silent Shadow Step (Su): After using shadow step from her ki pool, the shadowdancer can make a Stealth check to hide, and this Stealth check suffers no penalties for the shadowdancers actions earlier in the round.

Shadow Swarm (Sp): When she uses release shadow, the shadowdancer can pay additional ki point each to summon additional shadows, up to her Wisdom bonus in number. She cannot use release shadow again until all the summoned shadows are gone. She must know release shadow to learn this trick.

Unbound Steps (Su): This trick allows a shadowdancer to use her ki to walk through the air. Whenever the shadowdancer uses the dark steps class feature, she can walk on air, rising or descending as she desires. She must end her move on a solid surface. Each use of this ability uses up 1 ki point.

Shadow Master (Su)

At 20th level, whenever a shadowdancer is in an area of dim light, she gains DR 10/— and a +2 luck bonus on all saving throws. In addition, whenever she successfully scores a critical hit against a foe who is in an area of dim light, that foe is blinded for 1d6 rounds.

Table: Shadowdancer

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1st	+0	+0	+2	+0	Safety in darkness, sneak attack +1d6
2nd	+1	+0	+3	+0	Ki pool, shadowdancer trick
3rd	+2	+1	+3	+1	Evasion, sneak attack +2d6
4th	+3	+1	+4	+1	Shadowdancer trick, uncanny dodge
5th	+3	+1	+4	+1	Hide in plain sight, sneak attack +3d6
6th	+4	+2	+5	+2	Dark steps, ki pool (silent image), shadowdancer trick
7th	+5	+2	+5	+2	Sneak attack +4d6
8th	+6/+1	+2	+6	+2	Improved uncanny dodge, shadowdancer trick
9th	+6/+1	+3	+6	+3	ki pool (shadow conjuration, shadow step), sneak attack +5d6
10th	+7/+2	+3	+7	+3	Master tricks, shadowdancer trick
11th	+8/+3	+3	+7	+3	Sneak attack +6d6
12th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+4	Ki pool (shadow evocation, shadow walk), shadowdancer trick, shadow move
13th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+4	Sneak attack +7d6
14th	+10/+5	+4	+9	+4	Shadowdancer trick
15th	+11/+6/+1	+5	+9	+5	Ki pool (greater shadow evocation, move action shadow step), sneak attack +8d6
16th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+5	Shadowdancer trick
17th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+5	Sneak attack +9d6
18th	+13/+8/+3	+6	+11	+6	Ki pool (shades, swift action shadow step), shadowdancer trick
19th	+14/+9/+4	+6	+11	+6	Sneak attack +10d6
20th	+15/+10/+5	+6	+12	+6	Shadowdancer trick, shadow master

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