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Shadow Mage

At a glance:
Be the dying of the light.
Type: Mage
​​Primary Stat: Cleverness
​Secondary Stat: Precision
Casting Method: Somatic
Toughness Rating: 3
Picture

What Gazes Back

Seldom glimpsed figures of campfire tales and folk legends, Shadow Mages occupy a disconcerting niche on most worlds. Embracing the darkness that so many rightly fear, these practitioners can move through and touch the world around them in ways few others can comprehend. Bending their minds and bodies to adapt to not just the absence of light, but to hear, see, and harness the susurrus of little-known forces that whisper in the deepest darks, Shadow Mages find a wealth of strange and intoxicating powers at their command. Only after decades of honing this craft do those that delve deepest into the mysteries of the dark begin to realize that, sometimes when they move through the darkest shadows, they're not alone. 
At Level 1, gain the following features:
​
​
Phantom Sight. If you do not already have it, you gain Darkvision (1,000ft.), and you can see through up to 30ft. of Magical Darkness. 

Aura of Shadow. As an Action, you create a 5ft. radius sphere around yourself. The sphere reduces the current light level in the affected area by one (so Blinding Light to Bright Light, Bright Light to Dim Light, or Dim Light to Darkness).
Reference Sheets. Add to your Character Packet for a printable quick-reference. Includes Specialization choices checklist for Major, cost multipliers for Minor/Influence.
shadow_mage_-_major.pdf
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shadow_mage_-_minor.pdf
File Size: 58 kb
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shadow_mage_-_influence.pdf
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Class Spells


​Darklight (1+)
Range: Touch or 60ft., 10ft. Radius
Use: Action
Activation Cost: 1+ Mana
Tags: darkness, darkvision, light, utility
You create a 10ft. Radius sphere at a target point within range, or centered on an object you can touch. If applied to an object, the sphere moves with the object. 

The sphere acts as a globe of magical Darkness for any creature without Darkvision, and it counts as an area of Darkness for the purpose of triggering other Shadow Mage abilities.

For creatures with Darkvision, the sphere appears as if it was lit with Bright Light, and objects within the sphere can be seen in full color. The sphere lasts until the end of your next turn.

Upcast: For every additional 1 Mana spent to activate this ability, the sphere lasts an additional Round.

​Eye of Night (1+/1+)
Range: Touch
Use: Action
Activation Cost: 1+ Mana
Sustaining Cost: 1+ Mana
Tags: darkvision, utility
You bestow Darkvision (60ft.) upon a creature you can touch. If the target already has Darkvision, it increases by 120ft. You may selectively dismiss this blessing from individual creatures as a Free Action at any time.

Upcast: For every additional +1/+1 Mana spent to activate this ability, you may bestow Darkvision upon one additional creature within Touch range. 

Become Phantasm (2/4)
Range: Self
Use: Action
Activation Cost: 2 Mana
Sustaining Cost: 4 Mana
Tags: debuff, defense, Eldritch, horror
You wrap yourself in shadows, becoming more powerful the darker your surroundings are according to the table below. Each effect stacks with the previous one.
  • Blinding or Bright Light: no effect
  • Dim Light: Weapon and Spell Attacks that target you are made with die one size smaller than normal. 
  • Darkness: When you deal damage to a target that is also in Darkness, you deal an additional 1d4 Eldritch Damage. 

Horror: When you deal Eldritch Damage with this ability against a target that is Frightened, it takes the same amount of Psychic Damage. 

​Maw of Darkness (3+)
Range: Touch
Use: Action
Activation Cost: 3+ Mana
Tags: Attack, Eldritch, Horror
Make a Spell Attack against a target you can touch. Horrible twisted fangs pierce the veil of reality around the target and attempt to maul it, inflicting 1d6 Eldritch Damage on a hit. 

Horror: If this ability deals damage to a target that is in Darkness, it takes an additional +1d4 Eldritch Damage, and must make a Willpower check against your Spell Check Target (Cleverness + Precision +1/2CL), becoming Frightened on a failure. 

Upcast: For every additional +4 Mana spent on this spell, it deals an additional +1d4 Eldritch Damage, and the target for the Horror Check (if applicable) increases by +1.
Shadowmeld (1/3)
Range: Self
Use: Action
Activation Cost: 1 Mana
Sustaining Cost: 3 Mana
Tags: Buff, Speed, Stealth, Search, Utility
So long as you are Sustaining this ability, your Speed increases by +5ft in Dim Light, and +10ft in Darkness. 

Wraithwalk (7+)
Range: 30ft.
Use: Action
Activation Cost: 7+ Mana
Tags: Reach, Darkness, Utility
When you use this ability, you may treat any two spaces of Darkness you can see within range as if they were adjacent. This effect lasts until the end of your next turn. 
Only you may interact with the affected spaces in this way, and you may change the spaces you designate at any time. 

Upcast: For every additional 2 Mana spent on this ability, increase the Range by 30ft.  

Grimpack (5+)
Range: Touch
Use: Action
Activation Cost: 5+ Mana
Tags: Summon, Frighten, Horror
You summon a Shadow Beast in an empty space within 5ft. of yourself. It is a medium creature with Armor and Health equal to your Character Level, a walking Speed of 45ft., and is considered an Aberration/Elemental creature type. 

A 5ft. sphere of magical darkness is centered on the Shadow Beast and moves with it. The Shadow Beast takes two Actions of your choice immediately, and two more at the start of your next turn. It vanishes at the end of your next turn. 

The Shadow Beast has the following Actions: Move, Shove, Grapple, Wait, Opportunity Attack (Reaction), Retreat (Reaction), Bite (below), and Howl (below). 
  • Bite. Range: 5ft., (1d12+summoner’s Cleverness) to hit, deals 1d4 Piercing Damage + 1d4 Eldritch Damage. 
  • Howl. Range: 30ft. All creatures in range that can hear the Shadow Beast must make a Willpower Check against your Spell Check Target (Cleverness + Precision + 1/2CL), becoming Frightened on a failure. On a success, they gain a +5 bonus against this ability for 24 hours. 

Horror. If the Shadow Beast deals Bite damage to a target that is Frightened, that target takes an additional 2d4 Psychic Damage. 

Upcast: For every additional +5 Mana spent on this ability, summon an additional Shadow Beast.

​Starting Equipment

If Shadow Mage is your Major Class, you get the following equipment at level 1.
Armor & Clothing:
  • A spare set of Commoner Clothing. ​
Melee Weapons:
  • A Dagger or a Sickle.
  • A Blade (Short), or a Club.​
Magic Items:
  • An Ether Ward or a Kinetic Ward.
Adventuring Gear & Currency:
  • A pack and sleeping roll.
  • 5 torches.
  • A fire starting kit.
  • 5 days of rations appropriate for the region.
  • 50ft. of rope.
  • 10GP, 40SP, and 300CP.
Potions
  • One Potion of Mana (Unusual)
  • One Draught of Sleep (Mundane)

Specializations

If Shadow Mage is your Major Class, gain the benefits below as you reach the indicated levels.
​

​Level 1
Choose one:
  • Adept of the Inner Dark. You are immune to the Frightened Condition. Once per Round, when you would take Psychic Damage, you may reduce it by your Character Level. 
  • Adept of the Outer Dark. You are immune to the Dissociated Condition. Once per Round, when you would take Eldritch Damage, you may reduce it by your Character Level. 
  • Adept of the Deepest Dark. Whenever you would deal Eldritch Damage to a target, you may deal an additional +1 Infernal Damage. Once per Rest, you may instead deal your Character Level's worth of Infernal Damage.​
Level 2
Choose one:
  • Increase Mana Regeneration by 1.
  • ​Choose a Perk.
Level 3
Choose one:
Creature of Night. Your Mana Capacity increases by +2 at night. 
Corner of your Eye. Once per Encounter, when you are in Darkness, you may ignore the first Opportunity Attack attempted against you. 

Level 4
Choose one:
  • Select a Spell or activated Ability from either your Minor or Influence Class. It no longer has a cost multiplier (2x or 4x). 
  • ​Choose a Perk.
Level 5
Choose one:
  • Increase your Cleverness and Precision by 1.
  • Increase your Mana Capacity by 2.
Level 6
Choose two:
  • Eversight. You gain Blindsight 15ft., and your Eye of Night ability bestows Blindsight 5ft. onto affected creatures, in addition to its other effects.
  • Hollowsight. You can see partially into the Ether and Ethereal Plane. Within 30ft., you are able to perceive anything rendered invisible through magic, as well as naturally invisible/ethereal creatures like ghosts or Etherborn.
  • Horrormark. Whenever a creature triggers one of your Horror effects, subsequent Attack or Spell Attack rolls you make against it gain +1. You can sense its precise location so long as it is within 1 mile of you, and it cannot hide from you. This effect expires after 24 hours. 
  • Shadow Swarm. When you use the Grimpack spell, it spawns one additional Shadow Beast for no additional cost.
  • Gift of the Dark. While in Darkness, your Stamina and Mana Regeneration increase by +2.
 ​Level 7
Choose one:
  • Increase the Core Stat of your choice by 1.
  • ​Choose a Perk.
Level 8
Choose one:
  • Select a Spell or activated Ability from either your Minor or Influence Class. It no longer has a cost multiplier (2x or 4x). 
  • Pick any unchosen specialization option from Levels 2, 4, 5, or 7.
Level 9
Darkbringer. Once per Round, you may activate or deactivate your Aura of Shadow feature as a Free Action (instead of an Action). 
Phantom. While Sustaining your Become Phantasm or Shadowmeld ability, you may add your Cleverness to Hide and Search Checks. 
​

Level 10 
​​Choose one:
  • Select a Spell or activated Ability from either your Minor or Influence Class. It no longer has a cost multiplier (2x or 4x). 
  • Increase the Core Stat of your choice by 2.
Level 11
  • Pick any two unchosen specialization options from Levels 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, or 10.
Level 12
Choose One:
  • Horrorphage. Whenever a creature triggers one of your Horror effects, you may heal 2d4 Damage of your choice.
  • Contagious Fear. Whenever a creature triggers one of your Horror effects, one creature within 10ft. of your choice must make a Willpower Check against your Spell Save (Cleverness+Precision+1/2CL), becoming Frightened on a failure.
  • Pack Leader. When you use the Grimpack spell, it spawns one additional Shadow Beast for no additional cost.
Level 13
Choose one:
  • Increase the Core Stat of your choice by 2, or any two stats by 1.
  • ​Choose a Perk.
Level 14
Choose one:
  • Increase your Mana Regeneration by 2.
  • ​Increase your Stamina Regeneration by 2.
  • Choose a Perk.
Level 15 
Choose One:
  • Glimpse. Activate this ability as an Action. All creature you have line of sight to within 120ft. (including you) are given a vision of darkness beneath reality, and must succeed on a Willpower Check against your Spell Check Target (Cleverness+Precision+1/2CL), taking 1d10 Eldritch Damage + 1d10 Psychic Damage on a failure or half as much on a success. Creatures that fail this Check also become Frightened for 1d4 Rounds. For every creature that becomes Frightened as a result of this ability, you heal 5 points of Damage you choose (if you would harm yourself with this ability, you may heal before taking the damage). 
  • Smother Light. Activate this ability as an Action. Magical Darkness covers a 500ft. radius around you, blocking all natural light sources completely and reducing all magical light sources to no more than a 5ft. radius of Dim Light. This effect moves with you, penetrates solid material without issue, and lasts for 1 minute or until you dismiss it as a Free Action.
​Level 16
Choose one:
  • Select a Spell or activated Ability from either your Minor or Influence Class. It no longer has a cost multiplier (2x or 4x). 
  • Increase the Core Stat of your choice by 2.
  • Choose a Perk.
Level 17
Choose one:
  • Increase your Mana Capacity by 3.
  • Choose a Perk.
Level 18 
Choose one:
Everwraith. Your Wraithwalk ability is permanently active at no cost. If you choose to cast or Upcast it, the base range becomes 150ft. 
Cursed Knowledge. When a creature triggers one of your Horror effects, you may use your Reaction to deal 3d12 Eldritch + 3d12 Psychic Damage to it. You gain Mana and Stamina equal to half of the total damage dealt.

Level 19 
Choose two:
  • Increase your Cleverness by 3.
  • Increase your Precision by 2.
  • Choose a Perk.
Level 20 
​Choose two. You may select the same option twice:
  • Select a Spell or activated Ability from either your Minor or Influence Class. It no longer has a cost multiplier (2x or 4x). 
  • Choose a Perk.
  • Increase the Core Stat of your choice by 1.
  • Pick any unchosen specialization option from Levels 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 13, 14 16, 17, or 19.
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    • Character Classes >
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        • Assassin (Martial)
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      • In Development >
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