Baldur's Gate : The Sword Coast Chronicles : NWN2 Persistent World

shadowofnight wrote:Can anyone help me with any interesting of special lore on shadowdancers? Stuff I can use in RP. I'm going to end up with all 10 levels so I can use shadow jump which should be interesting in RP.

I'm going for that with my sneak as well. What is very important to understand is that being a shadowdancer has nothing to do with the shadow weave. Some people seem to have misunderstood this.

This is what PnP Dungeon Master's Guide 3.5 says:

Operating in the border between light and darkness, shadowdancers are nimble artists of deception. They are mysterious and unknown, never completely trusted, but always inducing wonder when met.
Rogues, bards and monks make excellent shadowdancers. Fighters, barbarians, rangers and paladins also find that shadowdancer abilities allow them to strike at their opponents with surprise and skill. Wizard, sorcerer, cleric and druid shadowdancers employ the defensive capabilities inherent in the prestige class to allow them to cast their spells from safety and move away quickly. Despite their link with shadows and trickery, shadowdancers are as often good as evil.
Shadowdancers often work in troupes, never staying in one place too long. Some use their abilities to entertain. Others operate as thieves using their abilities to infiltrate past defenses and dupe others. All shadowdancer troupes maintain an aura of mystery among the common folk, who never know whether to think well or ill of them.

I've coloured what I think is most worth noting about this.

Further, the book states that the Shadow the shadowdancer can summon isn't an evil undead, but a reflection of the shadowdancers own alignment. I don't know if this is how it will be seen here, but that's the lore at least. And I like lore.

Can't find any Forgotten Realms specific lore on it, though. There's no NPCs with shadowdancer levels, for instance, except Mask, I think.

Deathgrowl wrote:
Further, the book states that the Shadow the shadowdancer can summon isn't an evil undead, but a reflection of the shadowdancers own alignment. I don't know if this is how it will be seen here, but that's the lore at least. And I like lore.

Thanks, I was wondering about this part. Was avoiding summoning the shadow because I didn't know if it was a evil undead or not.

I probably wouldn't summon it until I got a proper DM ruling on how to RP it.

When I was a DM the shadow was considered to have the same alignement as the caster, like in P&P.

-Though-, it doesn't mean that people might take it as if it was an evil undead. Even the fists. Not everyone know about shadowdancer's shadows, and you could get in IC troubles for getting caught with it, as much as a necromancer.

If things have changed I'm not aware.

Passiflora wrote:When I was a DM the shadow was considered to have the same alignement as the caster, like in P&P.

-Though-, it doesn't mean that people might take it as if it was an evil undead. Even the fists. Not everyone know about shadowdancer's shadows, and you could get in IC troubles for getting caught with it, as much as a necromancer.

If things have changed I'm not aware.

I argued this ICly as a young elven shadow dancer with several Paladins found within Doron. It got me no where! It's not worth it really is the bottom-line, unless you know you are alone perhaps? Hell, I even forgot that I have the ability

Passiflora wrote: -Though-, it doesn't mean that people might take it as if it was an evil undead. Even the fists. Not everyone know about shadowdancer's shadows, and you could get in IC troubles for getting caught with it, as much as a necromancer.

Certainly. Only people with high lore skill or otherwise reason to know would know how it works. Maybe it could be used to bring about some of the "mystery and wonder" that shadowdancers are supposed to inspire.

Just tell Hoihe when you need a few paladins explained how it works if you're an elf. I'll take up the explaining Hoihe-way for you!

If you're not an elf.... I still like to talk so !



And yeah, it can be quite a way to pass the time if you are bored. You could even make awesome screenshots for us on your double-teaming with your shadow!

I actually remember a halfling using his shadow as the doorkeeper of his tavern under Lyrewyn's (I think) supervision. That tavern was the best.

"The Crack".

As far as using the shadow goes... everyone is right... most see the shadow as an evil undead. An acceptable preconception considering how stero-types are readily embraced in the game.

Nihm will be a full 10 level SD as well but doesn't adventure like the typical character so the need for the shadow to aid her is not there. She mostly uses it for fun... which really annoys it.

Best advice would be the same for any player who has a character with a questionable summoned creature or companion... be careful where and when you call it... and be ready to do some fast talking when someone sees it with you! Good luck!

Is the shadowdancer shadow supposed to be the character's own shadow come alive, or is it just a random shadow?

scriver wrote:Is the shadowdancer shadow supposed to be the character's own shadow come alive, or is it just a random shadow?

This is what the Dungeon Master's Guide 3.5 says about the shadow:

"At 3rd level, a shadowdancer can summon a shadow, an undead shade (see the Monster Manual for the shadow's statistics). Unlike a normal shadow, this shadow's alignment matches that of the shadowdancer, and the creature cannot create a spawn. The summoned shadow cannot be turned, rebuked or commanded by any third party. This shadow serves as a companion to the shadowdancer and can communicate intelligibly with the shadowdancer. (...)"

I interpret this as summoning the shadow not being an evil act like Animate Dead or Create Undead, and that the shadow isn't an ordinary undead being (can't be turned, for instance), but sort of an aspect of the shadowdancer herself.

But there would still need to be a proper DM ruling on this, I think...

A Shadowdancer's summoned shadow is actually akin to a mage's familiar... if it is unsummoned or destroyed there is a fortitude roll (dc 15) to save against xp loss. The undead shade comes from the Plane of Shadow and, as the term undead implies, was once a living being from the Prime Material Plane. Even replacing it cannot be done for 30 days in PnP. It is simply a shadow entity with a close bond to the shadowdancer that serves as his or her companion.

I've always looked at it as the Shadowdancer's own shadow that comes alive. Like that of Peter Pan.

Catam wrote:A Shadowdancer's summoned shadow is actually akin to a mage's familiar... if it is unsummoned or destroyed there is a fortitude roll (dc 15) to save against xp loss. The undead shade comes from the Plane of Shadow and, as the term undead implies, was once a living being from the Prime Material Plane. Even replacing it cannot be done for 30 days in PnP. It is simply a shadow entity with a close bond to the shadowdancer that serves as his or her companion.

Where did you find this information? By the description in the Dungeon Master's Guide, it doesn't seem like "simply a shadow entity" at all. It can't be turned, it can't create a spawn, it has the same alignment as the shadowdancer.

I'm inclined to agree with Xanfyrst, though.

How is changing patron gods viewed by the divines?

(if patron god is decided by amount of dedication)

Depends on whether you're clergy or not, I suppose. The significance for a priest, for instance, is vast. The significance for a soldier, not so much. I assume conversions may be somewhat common, even, among non-clergy.