Shade [Birthright]

Shades were once humans and still look so much like them that they are often mistaken for living people. Each keeps its former height and features, with dusky gray to nearly black skin and veiled eyes. They dress somberly and wear armor if they wish, provided it does not interfere with their spells. Their Intelligence caps how many languages they know, always including their native human tongue, and they have no tongue of their own.

Like all shades, these are feeble in full light or total darkness and formidable in shadow. No shadows (bright open daylight, many light sources, magical light or darkness, or a room with no light at all) brings penalties. Weak shadows (dawn, dusk, sunny woods, ordinary indoor light, or a cloudy or moonless night) leave the shade working normally, with keen senses and a -1 to opponents' surprise rolls. Strong shadows (night outdoors or dim interiors) give it advantages, and in the shadowy faerie realm, its home ground, its powers peak.

In favorable shadow a shade sees through gloom as a human sees by day and spots those hiding in shadows with ease. Opponents' surprise rolls drop by 1 while its own stay unchanged, and every bonus it gains is matched by an equal penalty to its foes, so +1 to hit in strong shadows means -1 for them. Penalties never cut its Hit Dice below 1 hit point per die or damage below 1.

Peaceful meetings are possible, but shades are reluctant to talk unless fishing for information and reveal nothing about themselves. Most are on errands and have neither time nor desire to linger.

Older shades know the shadowy faerie realm better and see more deeply through its glamour. They average a lesser perception score, lower for new shades and higher for ancient ones, and their glamour abilities shift with location and light.

Evil wizards make shades to serve as slaves. Any evil mage with enough power and resources can do it, but few qualify, and most of those live in the shadowy faerie realm, where shades are favored servants of its mighty denizens. Heroes who cross a high-level evil wizard may risk becoming shades themselves.

Shades are taciturn and solitary and live mostly in the shadowy faerie realm. A few keep ties to their old lives on the continent, but most were changed so long ago that mortal life is a dim memory; human concerns seem petty to them, and they can barely focus on mortals speaking to them. They return to the continent far more than other realm creatures, sent by masters who cannot or will not cross, to gather information, recover items, abduct or murder targets important or obscure, guard places or carry out other tasks.

Most are transformed against their will, though a few dedicated servants of evil volunteer. The change replaces the spirit with shadowstuff, making them effectively immortal (they die only if slain and kept from regenerating) and sterile. They eat as before but feed partly on shadow, and no captive has ever starved. Animals do not fear them, and lesser creatures see them only as shadows. Demihuman shades are rare and keep hints of their race; a dwarven one looks notably stout.

Create Shade (9th-level alteration; range special; components V, S, M; duration instantaneous; casting time 1 day; area one being; no save) requires a single-classed human or demihuman subject of 10th level or more and a free-willed wizard caster. Any disturbance ruins the lengthy ritual, which also needs gate, summon shadow, permanency and shadow walk cast on the subject. The subject then makes a system shock roll, +25% if cast in the shadowy faerie realm. Failure dissolves the subject into shadow, unrecoverable even by wish.

Alignment changes on 1d10: 1, none; 2-4, a step toward true neutral; 5-7, a step toward evil; 8-9, true neutral; 10, neutral evil. A wish blocks the change. The caster loses 1d6 Constitution, is unconscious for 1d8 days and ages five years if a wish was used. Components are 5 gold bars' worth each of powdered onyx and powdered diamond, both consumed, and a chip of the dark god's bloodstone that draws shadowstuff and dark magic from the shadowy faerie realm.