This PRC is a lore intensive piece for those of the Thieving nature. This PRC and its role-play is more focused on a True Thief, instead of say assassin ((killers)) or Master of Disguise ((disguises)). While we have "guild thief" the prc really doesn't do much for purely rogue/thieving toons as your often better building with out it, and those who do select guild thief in my view only select it for the Merchant affects and not actual thieving. The Guild Thief PRC actually doesn't do much of anything for thieves.
With the above stated this PRC is sort of a combination of Assassin and Shadow Dancer to make a more thieving focused PRC and one which is deeply rooted in Faerun Lore and realms. I strongly believe this PRC can offer new role play incentives for players and create some new interesting builds with strong utility for the thieving and shadowy types of the game.
I can go on with lists and wishes on this.. but with out further delay below is the book version.
Unapproachable East page 36.
Faerûnian Prestige Class : Telflammar Shadowlord
The Shadowmasters of Telflamm are one of Faerûn's most notorious thieves' guilds, a secret society every bit as grasping and ruthless as the Night Masks of Westgate or the Shadow Thieves of Amn. Under their subtle and cloaked rule, Thesk's port city of Telflamm is a prime center of trade in both legal and illicit goods.
The Shadowmasters are made up of burglars, murderers, and thugs with a variety of talents, including assassins, experts, fighters, rogues, shadowdancers, and warriors. A small number of clerics devoted to Mask belong to the guild, as do some arcane spellcasters whose greed outweighs their scruples. Above all these criminals stand the Telflammar shadowlords, the secret captains of iniquity who demand unquestioned obedience from their numerous minions. Characters of other classes may hold important positions in the guild, but the shadowlords call the shots.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Telflammar Shadowlord, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
Race: The character must possess the shadow-walker template, which is conferred by a special rite consecrated to Mask (see Chapter 6: Monsters of the East - Unapproachable East). Members in good standing of the Shadowmasters guild can arrange for the rite of transformation by gifting 2,000 gp to Mask's temple in Telflamm; others must give at least 10,000 gp and perform a service of some kind for the clerics of Mask. A character who is not a shadow-walker can still qualify for the Telflammar shadowlord prestige class, but he must meet the spellcasting requirement.
Alignment: Any non-good
Skills: Hide 10 ranks, Move Silently 10 ranks
Feats: Blind-fight, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack,
Spellcasting: If the character is not a shadow-walker, he must either possess the ability to shadow jump (as the shadowdancer prestige class ability) or be able to cast dimension door as a spell or spell-like ability.
Special: Sneak attack damage +2d6.
Special: The character must qualify to select regional feats from Thesk (the region is his home region, or he has 2 ranks in Knowledge [local - Thesk]).
Class Skills
The Telflammar shadowlord's class skills are Appraise, Balance, Bluff, Climb, Craft, Disguise, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Open Lock, Profession, Search, Sleight of Hand, Spot, Tumble, Use Magic Device, and Use Rope.
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All the following are Class Features of the Telflammar shadowlord prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Telflammar shadowlords gain no proficiency in any weapon or armor.
Spells Per Day/Spells Known: At each Telflammar shadowlord level, the character gains the ability to cast a small number of arcane spells. He gains arcane spells per day according to the table below and must choose his spells from the Telflammar shadowlord spell list, below. The shadowlord's caster level is equal to his Telflammar shadowlord level. To cast a spell, the shadowlord must have an Intelligence score of at least 10 + the spell's level. Telflammar shadowlord bonus spells are based on Intelligence, and saving throws against these spells have a DC of 10 + spell level + the shadowlord's Intelligence modifier. When the shadowlord gets 0 spells of a given level, such as 0 1st-level spells, at 1st level, the shadowlord gets only bonus spells. The shadowlord prepares and casts spells just as a wizard does.
Shadowsight (Ex): Gifted with a mystical connection to shadow and darkness, the shadowlord gains a superior form of darkvision with a 60-foot range. He can see through any form of normal or magical darkness without hindrance.
Shadow Jump (Su): A Telflammar shadowlord can 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 or darkness. The shadowlord can jump up to a total of 20 feet per class level per day in this way. This amount can be split up among many jumps, but each jump, no matter how small, counts as a 10-foot increment. If the Telflammar shadowlord already has shadow jump from another class (because he did not meet the spellcasting prerequisite, for example), this ability confers no additional benefit.
Shadow Blur (Su): At 2nd level, a Telflammar shadowlord gains an unusual defense - anytime he is not in daylight or the illuminated radius of a light source, the shadows cloak his every movement, conferring the benefits of a blur spell. The shadowlord can choose to activate or end this effect as a free-action.
Shadow Walk (Sp): Once per day starting at 3rd level, a Telflammar shadowlord may use shadow walk as a caster whose level is equal to his shadowlord class level. If he previously possessed the ability to use shadow walk as a spell-like ability, he gains a second daily use of that power.
Shadow Pounce (Ex): At 4th level, a Telflammar shadowlord learns how to attack swiftly from the shadows. Any time he uses an ability, spell, or effect with the teleportation descriptor (for example, his shadow jump ability), he may execute a full attack upon completion of the teleportation. The shadowlord must have line of sight on his intended target from his original location, and the spot to which he teleports must be a place from which he can launch a melee attack at the intended target with whatever weapon he has in hand at the beginning of his action.
Shadow Discorporation (Su): At 5th level, a Telflammar shadowlord learns how to use his mastery of shadows to cheat death. If the shadowlord is in shadow or darkness (anything but direct daylight or the illuminated radius of a light source), any damage that would reduce him to 0 hit points or below instead has a chance to discorporate him. The shadowlord attempts a Reflex save (DC 5 + damage dealt); if successful, he simply break apart into dozens of flitting shadows and vanishes, along with anything be is holding or carrying. At the next sunset, the shadowlord reappears at a spot of his choosing within one mile of the place where he was forced to discorporate. While discorporated, the shadowlord simply does not exist he can do nothing, nor can any of his enemies do anything to him.
Death Attack (Ex): At 6th level, a Telflammar shadowlord gains the ability to make a death attack as the assassin ability. If the shadowlord has levels in the assassin prestige class, he may add his assassin and Telflammnar shadowlord class levels together to calculate the save DC of his death attack.
Telflammar Shadowlord Hit Die: d6
CL BAB Fort Ref Will Special Spells per Day
1st +0 +0 +2 +0 Shadowsight, shadow jump 0 - -
2nd +1 +0 +3 +0 Shadow blur 1 - -
3rd +2 +1 +3 +1 Shadow walk 1 0 -
4th +3 +1 +4 +1 Shadow pounce 2 1 -
5th +3 +1 +4 +1 Shadow discorporation 2 1 0
6th +4 +2 +5 +2 Death attack 2 2 1
Spell List
Telflammar shadowlords choose their spells from the following list.
1st level - blindness deafness, chill touch, darkness, darkvision, invisibility, knock, levitate, shadow mask, shadow spray.
2nd level - air walk, blacklight, displacement, haste, improved invisibility, nondetection, vampiric touch.
3rd level - confusion, darkbolt, detect scrying, dimension door, mass invisibility, mislead.
Some notes and thoughts of my own. It be kinda cool to see this built out to level 10, maybe with a Hips in there, as to allow another prc option instead of Shadow Dancer or Assassin to be the only sources. In Paper and Pen it assumes you take the Shadow Dancer prc, but as a level 1 dip as your allowed to do that in PnP while you must take 3 here.
If built out to ten, some SA progression could be nice, perhaps replacing death attack to make it not be OP?
Shadow Pounce (Ex): At 4th level, a Telflammar shadowlord learns how to attack swiftly from the shadows. Any time he uses an ability, spell, or effect with the teleportation descriptor (for example, his shadow jump ability), he may execute a full attack upon completion of the teleportation. The shadowlord must have line of sight on his intended target from his original location, and the spot to which he teleports must be a place from which he can launch a melee attack at the intended target with whatever weapon he has in hand at the beginning of his action.
Maybe a separate click feat shadow jump that causes an attack. If you select a target already with shadow jump you jump to that person.. this new option would just then cause you to attack immediately. ((dont click the wrong one!))
Maybe this only works at level 30.. returns you to your last saved location? thus it cant get you past xp loss... though this is very cool rp thing! and is super flavorful. However being able to avoid xp loss with death seams to be an important feature, though making it rp only seams fine. ((this would be a great place to put a SA Dice so the level is not basicly blank and a trade in power..))Shadow Discorporation (Su): At 5th level, a Telflammar shadowlord learns how to use his mastery of shadows to cheat death. If the shadowlord is in shadow or darkness (anything but direct daylight or the illuminated radius of a light source), any damage that would reduce him to 0 hit points or below instead has a chance to discorporate him. The shadowlord attempts a Reflex save (DC 5 + damage dealt); if successful, he simply break apart into dozens of flitting shadows and vanishes, along with anything be is holding or carrying. At the next sunset, the shadowlord reappears at a spot of his choosing within one mile of the place where he was forced to discorporate. While discorporated, the shadowlord simply does not exist he can do nothing, nor can any of his enemies do anything to him.
Now for the ECL.
Shadow-walkers
Shadow-walkers are people who have experienced a magical ritual of the god Mask that attunes a person's body to shadow. Similar to shades, they gain powers in shadow and darkness. Jalaunther Ithbreeiur, high priest of the Maskarran temple in Thesk, discovered a rite sacred to his deity called the Ritual of Shadow Walking. This ritual exchanges some of the recipient's life force for shadowstuff. The recipient appears exactly the same as before, although her shadow stands out as crisp and dark even in overcast situations. The Shadowmasters use this ritual to allow their agents to enter and leave difficult spots with ease, and they normally work in pairs, with two agents transporting together to the site of the intended crime.
Creating a Shadow-walker
"Shadow-walker" is a template that can be applied to any humanoid (referred to hereafter as the "base character"). It uses all of the base character's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Special Attacks: A shadow-walker retains all the special attacks of the base character. The shadow-walker also gains the ability to manipulate shadows, granting her access to various spell-like abilities based on her character level, as shown in the table below. These spell-like abilities are as the spells cast by a sorcerer of the base character's level.
Level Abilities
1-2 Shadow mask 3/day
3-4 Dimension door 1/day (self only)
5-6 Darkness 3/day
7-8 Dimension door 2/day
9-10 Shadow spray 3/day
11-12 Shadow walk 1/day
13-14 Displacement 2/day
15-16 Dimension door 3/day
17-18 Evard's black tentacles 1/day
19+ Shadow walk 3/day
A shadow-walker cannot use any of her spell-like abilities in an area of bright light (sunlight or the radius of a daylight spell.
Special Qualities: A shadow-walker retains all the base character's special qualities, and also gains those special qualities listed below.
Light Blindness (Ex): Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or daylight spell) blinds a shadow-walker for 1 round. In addition, she takes a -1 penalty on all attack rolls, saves and checks when operating in bright light.
Darkvision (Ex): The character gains darkvision with a 60-foot range if she does not have darkvision already.
Abilities: Adjust from the base character as follows: Dex +2, Con -2.
Skills: Shadow-walkers gain a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks.
Challenge Rating: Same as the base character +1.
Level Adjustment: Same as the base character +1.
I think more racial templates could be a good thing, this one is mask only though.
All the abilities on this template can already be done on wands with the exception of Shadow mask 3/day, which would need to be created. Because all this can be done on wands, there is no real "spell power" or casting issue to unbalance the character in my mind. the other bonuses are pretty minor that can be achieved by being a half ling. with this ECL you get to save the weight of pounds on carrying the wands.. which is annoying. but its great RP and key to the above class and be great to have a greater shadow presence on the server.
This would of course probably be DM app only, think im fine with that. though really it being mask only should solve most problems. Though I think a good written letter/post on proper rp should cover all the issues anyone would have and how to rp both the Shadow-Walker and Shadowlord class.
this does seam like a lot to digest but I do not believe it over powered, it will not make anything that isnt a tier 1 build better or a tier 1 build godly. I do believe it gives more roguery prcs and builds some fun, and some better rp. It really be nice to have some other things to build and play with. Also the shadow-walker rp is really cool and important to Shadow's Role Play and thief rp. Really Shadow-walks/Shadow Lords are basically the Blade Singers of the thief world. They push guilds further, to take on bigger risks for higher rewards. they push the faith of Mask and are the start foundation to many of his plots.
Shadow-Walkers are all over faerun, and Shadowlords can be found in any major Faerun city. ((you don't just gotta be a thesken to qualify, you just pay more! =P how mask is that!!!!))
We could just name this Shadowmaster if it help
or just ShadowlordI hope this goes over well! eep!