Shadowdancer

This class was was last updated December 2018.

(PRESTIGE CLASS: This class is not available at character creation and must be unlocked by meeting special requirements, listed below.)

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 may not take the Child of Night prestige class.

### Requirements:

Class: May not have any Child of Night levels.

Skills: Move Silently 8 ranks, Hide 10 ranks, Tumble 5 ranks.

Feats: Dodge, Mobility.

### Class Features:

- Hit Die: d8

- Base Attack Bonus: Medium.

- High Saves: Reflex.

- Weapon Proficiencies: Simple weapons.

- Armor Proficiencies: Light armor.

- Skill Points: 6 + Int modifier.

- Class Skills: Bluff, Craft Trap, Diplomacy, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Parry, Search, Sleight of Hand, Spot, and Tumble.

Class Abilities:

**Level 1:** Hide in Plain Sight
**Level 2:** Darkvision, Evasion, Uncanny Dodge
**Level 3:** Shadow Daze
**Level 4:** Shadow Evade (5% concealment, DR5/magic, +1 AC)
**Level 5:** Defensive Roll, Improved Uncanny Dodge, Steal Shadow
**Level 6:** Shadow Evade (10% concealment, DR5/alchemical silver, +2 AC)
**Level 7:** Slippery Mind
**Level 8:** Shadow Evade (15% concealment, DR10/alchemical silver, +3 AC)
**Level 9:**
**Level 10:** Improved Evasion, Shadow Evade (20% concealment, DR10/adamantine, +4 AC)

- Hide in Plain Sight: At 1st level, a shadowdancer may attempt to enter stealth mode even while being observed. If the attempt fails, the shadowdancer may try again in 15 seconds.

- Darkvision: At 2nd level, the shadowdancer gains darkvision, as the dwarf racial ability.

- Evasion: At 2nd level, whenever a shadowdancer succeeds on a Reflex save against any effect which allows a save for half damage (such as a fireball spell), the shadowdancer takes no damage.

- Uncanny Dodge: At 2nd level, the shadowdancer always retains his Dexterity bonus to AC, even if caught flat-footed.

- Summon Shadow: At 3rd-level, shadowdancer can use summon shadow as a spell-like ability. This ability has a 1 minute cooldown.

- Shadow Daze: At 3rd-level, the shadowdancer may inflict an illusory daze upon a target. This daze lasts for 5 rounds. The DC is 10 + Class Level + Dexterity mod. Once a creature has been affected by a Shadow Daze, whether they succeed or fail on its saving throw, they become immune to this ability for 10 minutes. This ability is instantly activated, and can be used an unlimited number of times per day.

- Shadow Evade: At 4th level, a shadowdancer may conceal herself in shadow. For three rounds, the shadowdancer gains a 5% concealment bonus, 5/magic damage reduction and +1 dodge AC bonus. At 6th level, the bonus becomes 10% concealment, 5/alchemical silver damage reduction, and +2 dodge AC bonus at level 6. At 8th level it becomes 15% concealment, 10/alchemical silver damage reduction and +3 dodge AC. At 10th level, Shadow Evade grants 20% concealment, 10/adamantine damage reduction and a +4 dodge AC bonus. This is an instantly activated ability with a 6 round cooldown.

- Defensive Roll: At 5th level, when a shadowdancer suffers damage from an attack that would put her below 1 hit point, she may make a Reflex save to suffer only half damage. This ability is used automatically, but only works once per day.

- Improved Uncanny Dodge: A 5th-level shadowdancer cannot be sneak attacked except by a character with four more total levels in classes that grant sneak attack than her character level.

- Steal Shadow: A 5th-level the Shadowdancer can steal the shadow of a hostile foe, creating a clone of the target under their control. The Hit Dice of the target cannot exceed twice the Shadowdancer's level, plus half the total of their other class levels (rounded down). This clone persists for a number of rounds equal to the value of the highest hit die creature the Shadowdancer can clone. This ability can be used once every 5 minutes.

- Slippery Mind: At 7th-level, the shadowdancer becomes so cunning and elusive that even her mind is hard to pin down. Whenever the shadowdancer fails a saving throw against an enchantment spell or effect, she may immediately reroll the saving throw once, keeping the better of the two results.

- Improved Evasion: At 10th level, the shadowdancer's evasion ability improves. Now, she take only half damage even on failed Reflex saves.

### Shadowdancer Feats

The following feats are available to Shadowdancers:

#### Blade of Shadow

**Prerequisites:** 2d6 Sneak Attack, 6 BaB, Shadowdancer.

**Benefits:** You gain a die of sneak attack damage at shadowdancer levels 4, 7, and 10. If you use Shadow Daze while you are under the effects of Shadow Evade, your target is Stunned for 1 round on a failed save in addition to being Dazed for 5 round. On a successful save, they are Dazed for 1 round instead.

#### Shadow Lyrist

**Prerequisites:** Bard level 6, 16 Charisma.

**Benefits:** When you take levels in Shadowdancer, you gain bard spellcasting progression at each odd level. This feat should be taken before your first level in shadowdancer. When you gain the Shadow Evade ability, each time you cast Darkness, Ethereal Visage, Greater Invisibility, or Invisibility as a bard you gain the benefits of Shadow Evade, even if the ability is on cooldown.