Shadow Affinity

[Power]

**Cost**: 2CP per rank (Stealth +2 / Dodge +1)

**Activate**: none; use-activated (movement)

**Sustain**: per round; free action

**Range**: self

You have the uncanny ability to slip into patches of shadow and fade almost completely from sight. For each rank in this power, you get a +2 bonus to Stealth checks and a +1 Dodge bonus to AC as long as you stand in a patch of shadow larger than yourself, or are in general darkness. The GM has final say when determining if you have sufficient darkness to activate the power.

## Enhancements

**Enhancement**: Shadow Meld

> **Cost**: 4CP
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> **Prerequisite**: 4 ranks in *Shadow Affinity*
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> **Activate**: 1PP; swift action
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> When you are within a large enough patch of shadow, you can actually physically meld with the shadow or darkness, essentially becoming part of the shadow itself. Activating this ability costs 1PP, but has no sustain cost. While melded, you cannot interact with the outside world in any way, nor can the outside world affect you. However, you can interact normally with any other beings who meld or have melded with the same shadows. You are completely invisible and silent to the outside world while melded (though the *See Invisible*, *True Seeing*, *Power Detection*, or similar abilities still have a chance to detect you). You can move within the shadow at your normal speed, but if you perform a double-move or run, assuming the shadow is large enough to allow this, you will instantly emerge from the shadow. You can even move vertically within the shadow, or horizontally over open space, as long as the shadow extends through it. The shadow itself is all you need to support your weight. If a light source illuminates the space in which the shadow resides, like a spotlight, you appear again instantly, but without any harm or disorientation. You simply appear where the shadow used to be. If that means you appear in mid-air, you fall, as you normally would.
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**Enhancement**: Meld Other

> **Cost**: 2CP per rank
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> **Activate**: 1PP; full-round action
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> **Range**: Touch
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> For every rank in this enhancement, you can take one medium-sized person with you when you *Shadow Meld*. Large-sized people count as two Others, and Huge-sized as three Others, and so on. The additional person must be touching you when you *Meld.* Anyone you bring into a shadow with you must maintain physical contact with you, but they can move within the shadow and even Jump between shadows just as you do. However, having to hold hands (or what have you) imposes a -10 penalty on Jump checks. In addition, anyone in a shadow with you is exposed to Shadow Horrors, if you have that limitation. They must make the same Will save and face the same consequences.
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**Enhancement**: Shadow Jumping

> **Cost**: 3CP
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> **Prerequisite**: Shadow Meld
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> As a full round action, you can physically jump from one patch of shadow to another without passing through the real world. To anyone else, the shadow of someone leaping through the air passes between the two shadows; that shadow is you. You must roll an actual Acrobatics check to traverse the space between the two shadows. If you fail the check, you expend your action and do not travel between the shadows. If you fail by 10 or more, you involuntarily lose your Shadow Meld: you become physical and visible.
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**Enhancement**: Shadow Run

> **Cost**: 2CP
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> **Prerequisite**: Shadow Meld
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> You stay melded while or running or doing a double-move.
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**Enhancement**: Shadow Manipulation

> **Cost**: 2 CP/Rank
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> **Activate**: Varies, varies
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> You can manipulate any shadows or areas of darkness within a range of (10xrank) feet. This allows for cosmetic changes such as shadows turning into monstrous figures, wavering, etc as a free action, and these cosmetic changes cannot have any actual mechanical effect. This can also be used to extend any shadows or areas of darkness by (5xrank) feet in any one direction as a swift action, however, this costs 1 PP per rank used, i.e. extending by 5 feet costs 1 PP, extending by 10 costs 2 PP, and so on.
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**Enhancement**: Shadow Blend

> **Cost**: 4 CP
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> In areas where your Shadow Affinity is active, you gain Total Concealment. Against creatures with darkvision, you instead gain normal Concealment.
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**Enhancement**: Shadow Sight [Trait]

> **Cost**: 2 CP/Rank
> You gain 60 ft. worth of Darkvision for every Rank in this talent. At 5 ranks, they gain the See In Darkness ability.
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## Limitations

**Limitation**: Shadow Horror

> **Value**: 4CP
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> **Prerequisite:** Shadow Meld
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> While Melded, you experience unspeakable psychological horrors that cease only once you leave the shadow. Whenever you come back from the shadow, you must make a Will save (DC 18) or be *shaken* for 1d4 rounds (i.e., -2 attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, ability checks). This effect does not go away from repeated exposure.
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**NB** : This limitation is *made* for roll-play. The -2 penalty is one half of its in-game effect. The other half is that you are *constantly* exposed to horrors that you cannot ever fully describe or depict, except to say that every single time you go on, you're just as scared as the first time. Additionally, anyone who comes into a shadow with you could be profoundly changed by their exposure. Have fun with this one!