Shade [Classed]

Sages generally agree that a shade starts out as a powerful human or demihuman who chased immortality by fusing his own flesh with shadowstuff, the semi-element the demiplane of Shadow is built from. Only a single-classed character of 10th level or higher can make the change; dual-classed and multiclassed characters never can. Afterward the shade may keep rising in its class, still bound by racial limits, but can never switch classes. The few Prime Material folk who know shades exist keep the secret.

The dark essence drags alignment toward neutrality or evil. Of all shades met, 10% are good, 50% neutral and 40% evil, and only a wish stops the shift. A finished shade counts as a true native of the demiplane. Even good ones turn sullen and solitary, avoid their own kind, and shrug at the short, petty struggles of mortals, spending their endless years on research, power, wealth or some project measured in centuries.

A shade never dies of age; only being slain ends it. It no longer eats, feeding on shadows alone. It is immune to disease and level loss, has magic resistance of 3% per level, and regrows any lost limb except the head in 2d8 weeks. Every shade can also use shadow walk twice a day, shadowy transformation (as the 6th-level wizard spell) three times a day, and once a day a gate to the demiplane of Shadow with a 100% chance of success. The gate calls one particular creature the shade knows, such as an ally or pet, which may refuse to come and owes it no obedience.

Lighting governs all of this. In bright light (clear sun, the center of a continual light spell, a spot lit from all sides) the shade loses every special power, has only standard magic resistance, saves at -4 and loses 1 hp per round. Average light (overcast daylight, the center of a light spell, the outline of faerie fire) and complete darkness (a pitch-black cavern, a darkness spell) both strip its powers and resistance, impose -2 on saves and cost it 1 hp per turn. Twilight (dawn, dusk, normal indoor light, the edge of a light spell) and night (a moonless sky, a windowed room after dark) let it regenerate 1 hp per turn with full resistance and use shadow walk and shadowy transformation. Truly shadowy places, like the demiplane itself, torchlit tunnels or a dim forest, add the gate.

The rarest kind, since most gods forbid it; those who change usually serve powers of shadow and darkness, likely with permission. Wisdom rises by one (maximum 19) but the Sun sphere is lost. On the demiplane, spells above 2nd level come only from a power of the Inner Planes or of Shadow, if the campaign has one. They fight with their class's normal arms. Once a day in shadowy surroundings, a priest-shade can touch a creature's shadow for shadowharm, which acts as harm (save allowed), or shadowheal, which acts as heal. They dwell in shadowy temples and visit the Prime mostly to stay in touch with their mortal sect.

Next rarest, given how few and secretive psionicists are. The change adds 1d4 x 20 PSPs and grants animate shadow and shadowform even outside the character's disciplines, each usable twice a day with no initial or maintenance cost and never a roll of 20 on the power score. Poor in melee, they rely on psionics, which work freely on the demiplane, and shadow walk away from serious danger. They are the most reclusive shades, practicing alone in bare, practical homes, crafting the odd psionic artifact and seldom leaving.

Thieves qualify, bards do not. Dexterity rises by three (maximum 19), adjusting thief skill bases, and in shadow-level lighting the shade moves silently and hides in shadows at a 100% base chance, undetectable except by magic. In shadowy areas its habit of melting away and reappearing elsewhere grants +4 to attack rolls and +4 to Armor Class. Rogue-shades travel between worlds more than any other kind, serve no master, run thieves' guilds on Prime worlds from the demiplane, and stuff their well-guarded dusky mansions with loot.

Any warrior subclass qualifies, usually out of dread of growing feeble. Strength rises by one (maximum 19; 18 through 18/00 moves up one category). Paladins lose every subclass benefit, including spells, cure disease and protection from evil, and their war horses desert them. Rangers keep only hide in shadows and tracking that works both at home and on the demiplane. Either becomes a plain warrior of the same level, with experience adjusted down. In shadowy areas a warrior-shade gains +2 to Armor Class and +2 to attack and damage, stacking with other bonuses, and once a day can animate a shadow double with its own Armor Class, THAC0 and hit points. The double comes unarmed but may grab a weapon, obeys until dismissed or slain, and is dispelled for the day if it leaves the shade's sight. Among the most common shades, they sometimes step out of the dark to aid a cause in battle, then vanish, and live like royalty in staffed keeps; a few rule Prime lands.

The most common type, open to any wizard and seen as gentler than undeath. Intelligence rises by one (maximum 19). They ignore the normal penalties for casting on the demiplane, their shadow spells have double strength and duration, and targets save against their illusion/phantasm spells at -2. Most stay locked in their towers researching; a few live in towers of solid shadowstuff on the border between a quasi-elemental plane and an energy plane. Some still aid old friends on the Prime. A DM may fold world-specific subclasses into the nearest class, so a gladiator becomes a warrior-shade and a templar a priest-shade.

A wizard whose Constitution is driven to 0 by repeated castings of energy drain is reborn as a wizard-shade and turns neutral evil at once, unbalanced by the Negative Energy Plane. The deliberate route is create shade, a 9th-level alteration (range special; V, S, M; permanent; casting time 1 day; one creature; no save) that only a free-willed wizard can cast, on a single-classed psionicist, priest, thief, warrior or wizard of 10th level or more. Any interruption ruins it, and the caster must also cast shadow walk, shadowy transformation, gate and permanency on the subject. The subject then rolls system shock, +25% on the demiplane; failure dissolves it into shadow forever, beyond even a wish. Roll 1d10 for alignment: 1, unchanged; 2-4, one step toward true neutral; 5-7, one step toward evil; 8-9, true neutral; 10, neutral evil. A wish blocks the change but ages the caster five years. The caster also loses 1d6 Constitution and falls unconscious for 1d8 days. Components: 10,000 gp of powdered onyx and 10,000 gp of powdered diamond, both consumed, and an amulet of the planes that draws shadowstuff and energy from the demiplane and the Positive and Negative Energy Planes.