Shadowdancer (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

This is a work in progress.

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 merged prestige class.

Prestige Class: shadowdancer.

Build Classes: rogue

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: 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 Abilities

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

Shadowdancers are proficient with all simple weapons, plus the hand crossbow, rapier, sap, shortbow (normal and composite), and short sword. They are proficient with light armor, but not with shields.

Sneak Attack

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

The shadowdancer's attack deals 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. Should the shadowdancer score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied. Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks only if the target is within 30 feet.

With a weapon that deals nonlethal damage (like a sap, whip, or an 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, not 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 such a spot. A shadowdancer cannot sneak attack while striking a creature with concealment.

Trapfinding

A shadowdancer adds 1/2 her level to Perception skill checks made to locate traps and to Disable Device skill checks (minimum +1). A shadowdancer can use Disable Device to disarm magic traps.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex)

Starting at 2nd 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 Dex 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 (see Combat) against her.

If a shadowdancer already has uncanny dodge from a different class, she automatically gains improved uncanny dodge (see below) instead.

Evasion (Ex)

At 4th level and higher, a shadowdancer can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If she makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the shadowdancer is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless shadowdancer does not gain the benefit of evasion.

If a shadowdancer already has evasion from a different class, she automatically gains improved evasion (see below) instead.

Hide in Plain Sight (Su)

At 6th level, a shadowdancer 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.

Darkvision (Ex)

At 8th level, a shadowdancer gains darkvision out to a range of 60 feet. If she already has darkvision, the range increases by 30 feet.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex)

A shadowdancer of 8th level or higher can no longer be flanked.

This defense denies another shadowdancer the ability to sneak attack the character by flanking her, unless the attacker has at least four more shadowdancer levels than the target does.

If a character already has uncanny dodge (see above) from another class, the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum shadowdancer level required to flank the character.

Shadow Pool (Sp)

At 10th level, a shadowdancer gains a reservoir of mystical arcane energy that he can draw upon to cast shadow magic. This shadow pool has a number of points equal to his Intelligence modifier, and increases by one point for each level after 10. The pool refreshes once per day after resting.

This can be used to cast http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/silent-image silent image] as a spell-like ability, at the cost of one point from the shadow pool: http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/silent-image silent image]

At level 12, the shadowdancer can also use the following spells: shadow conjuration, shadow step.

At level 14, the shadowdancer can cast the following spells at the cost of 2 points: [www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/shadow-evocation shadow evocation], shadow walk.

At level 16, the shadowdancer can cast the following spells at the cost of 3 points: greater shadow conjuration.

At level 18, the shadowdancer can cast the following spells at the cost of 4 points: [www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/shadow-evocation greater shadow evocation].

At level 20, the shadowdancer can cast the following spells at the cost of 5 points: shades.

Silent Shadow Step (Ex)

At 15th level, when using shadow step from her shadow pool, the shadowdancer can make a Stealth check to hide immediately afterwards, and this Stealth check suffers no penalties for the shadowdancers actions earlier in the round.

= Improved Evasion (Ex)

This ability, gained at 16th level, works like evasion (see above). A shadowdancer takes no damage at all on successful saving throws against attacks that allow a Reflex saving throw for half damage. What's more, she takes only half damage even if she fails her saving throw.

Defensive Roll (Ex)

At 18th level, the shadowdancer can roll with a potentially lethal blow to take less damage from it than she otherwise would. When she would be reduced to 0 or fewer hit points by damage in combat (from a weapon or other blow, not a spell or special ability), the shadowdancer can attempt to roll with the damage. To use this ability, the shadowdancer must attempt a Reflex saving throw (DC = damage dealt). If the save succeeds, she takes only half damage from the blow; if it fails, she takes full damage. She must be aware of the attack and able to react to it in order to execute her defensive roll—if she is denied her Dexterity bonus to AC, she can't use this ability. Since this effect would not normally allow a character to make a Reflex save for half damage, the shadowdancer's evasion ability does not apply to the defensive roll.

Quick Shadow Step (Ex)

At 19th level, the shadowdancer can use shadow step from her shadow pool as a swift action, at a cost of three points from the shadow pool.

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.