Shades [Archive] - Wizards Community - Pages Merged by Solauren

Shades [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Ezekiel (NL)
05-13-04, 06:34 AM Im fairly new to the FOR, could anyone tell me what the shades do and represent??
newbDM
05-13-04, 07:59 AM Buy Lords of Darkness great book and as a bunch of info on the Shades.
AvengedMutablegenus
05-13-04, 10:05 AM Originally posted by newbDM
Buy Lords of Darkness great book and as a bunch of info on the Shades.
Yeah, thats the best way to find out, but mainly heres the summary

there was an ancient race or highly advanced magic users that used Mythllars (anicient magic devices) to suck magic up from the world around them and float on citys. One wizard got greedy and tried to steal the god of magic's power. They both died in the process. but when the god died, so did magic, and the floating citys pullmetting to the ground, except one, that escaped to the plane of shadow via dark magic. A few years back, they planshifted back to Faerun but are in a desert that got destroyed when the citys meet the earth, and the underground dwellers came up and had a battle and used earth-destroying spells. So the shades once were human, but the plane of shadow warped them to make them one with shadow, when they returned. There currently just lying low with a low profile (as low as the return of the shades can get) and they use very strong shadow and dark magic. their motives are unknown at this time

So thats in super-simple game terms, hope that helps
The_Declaration
05-13-04, 01:41 PM Avenged summed it up.

Shades are interesting:
- to me they fit perfectly the Realms. I like their style and their amazing powers at night.
- lots of intrigues are possible
- Shades are mysterious, nobody really knows their plans.
- it's an occasion to do something around Anauroch, a cool area...

I'm DMing a campaign that's about Shades. The campaign is not advanced yet (only 4 games), but that's what my players did:

* game 1: PCs meet in Deadsnow, they're in the town for different reasons. One of the PCs is a Torm priest and went to Deadsnow to meet his "master" who's supposed to be there for 2 weeks already. The master seems to have disappeared, a strange blue stone is found in his house. PCs think it doesn't come from the area around.
Indigo, a bardic travelling around is found dead the following mourning. He has a blue stone in his pocket...
Then, Pete, a young teenager disappears as well. Players think it has something to do with the tunnel that leads to the Underdark (they're wrong)

* game 2: PCs find Pete in the forest around the town. The guy went to Ascore with Indigo and they brought back interesting objects. He's hiding in the forest cause he's scared the people who killed Indigo wanna find him as well.
He leads them to his place, and while they arrive, a bunch of weird guys (shades and Shadovars) are already there. They stupidly got checked, a fight starts, and PCs all almost die. They escape with difficulty.
Back in deadsnow, 3 shades are spying the city, PCs run after them, but of course don't catch them.

* game 3: Pete explains everything to the autorities. A small troop is sent in the forest (including PCs), but the artifact Pete had stolen in Ascore disappeared...
The town decides to send a bunch of hunters/guards to kick the ass of the "weird guys from the desert". PCs propose to spy them and get info.
Actually the Shades just wanted to get the artifact and other toys back, they're around Deadsnows for a few more days to observe the reaction of the people. They wanna avoid that some curious people take a look of what's happening in Ascore.

* game 4: about 70 people are sent to kick the Shadovars out. PCs join the battle. They think -stupidly- that they should wait for the night...
the attack is a plain disaster, 25 people die in a few minutes, and the troop retreat very quickly. 2 PCs are left as dead on the battleground, and by chance survive. the town and the PCs discover the incredible power of the shades.
The Shadovars discovered the presence of gold around, and put a few golden stones in the river close to the battleground. When people go back to bury the deads, they jump on the gold and forget about the assault. Everybody's talking about it and the dwarves start looking for gold in the area.
Deadsnow forget the story about the Shadovars, Ascore, Indigo, blue stones and stuff... And the Shades go back to Ascore. PCs decide they should get to Ascore to see what's happening there...

* Next: the Shades are gonna spy heavily the Silver Marches, and PCs probably gonna be on their backs. I think it can become very exciting.
We're playing in a "fully opened campaign", means that players are totally free to make their choices, and engage in quests that their PCs wanna challenge. So maybe they'll give up the Shades to kick some orcish or drowish asses??
Nimzz
05-13-04, 08:53 PM Anyone know where i can find info on the Shade template?
Neo
05-13-04, 11:57 PM Originally posted by Nimzz
Anyone know where i can find info on the Shade template?

As a template in the FRCG, or as a Race write up in the Races of Faerun.
Mumm-Ra
05-17-04, 10:41 AM I am going to run an arcane age game where the pc's are shade scouts. The enclave has just shifted to the plane of shadow after the fall, the other cities of netheril have been destroyed, and the plane of shadow is open for exploration.

The pcs will find that shade enclave will not be able to get back to faerun due to some obscure magical anomaly, and they will be stuck in the plane of shadow for a loong time.

The arrival of shade will change the balance of power in the established order. Netherese arrogance has already made many enemies in the plane of shadow in previous trips by the Archwizard Shadow and his associates, and shade will be attacked by a coalition of shadow fey, nightshades, and other denizens, and it will be up to the players to gather tactical info to thwart the shadow coalition.
And of course they will have loads of work to do exploring the hostile plane.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Ezekiel (NL) 05-13-04, 06:34 AM	Im fairly new to the FOR, could anyone tell me what the shades do and represent??
newbDM 05-13-04, 07:59 AM	Buy Lords of Darkness great book and as a bunch of info on the Shades.
AvengedMutablegenus 05-13-04, 10:05 AM	Originally posted by newbDM Buy Lords of Darkness great book and as a bunch of info on the Shades. Yeah, thats the best way to find out, but mainly heres the summary there was an ancient race or highly advanced magic users that used Mythllars (anicient magic devices) to suck magic up from the world around them and float on citys. One wizard got greedy and tried to steal the god of magic's power. They both died in the process. but when the god died, so did magic, and the floating citys pullmetting to the ground, except one, that escaped to the plane of shadow via dark magic. A few years back, they planshifted back to Faerun but are in a desert that got destroyed when the citys meet the earth, and the underground dwellers came up and had a battle and used earth-destroying spells. So the shades once were human, but the plane of shadow warped them to make them one with shadow, when they returned. There currently just lying low with a low profile (as low as the return of the shades can get) and they use very strong shadow and dark magic. their motives are unknown at this time So thats in super-simple game terms, hope that helps
The_Declaration 05-13-04, 01:41 PM	Avenged summed it up. Shades are interesting: - to me they fit perfectly the Realms. I like their style and their amazing powers at night. - lots of intrigues are possible - Shades are mysterious, nobody really knows their plans. - it's an occasion to do something around Anauroch, a cool area... I'm DMing a campaign that's about Shades. The campaign is not advanced yet (only 4 games), but that's what my players did: * game 1: PCs meet in Deadsnow, they're in the town for different reasons. One of the PCs is a Torm priest and went to Deadsnow to meet his "master" who's supposed to be there for 2 weeks already. The master seems to have disappeared, a strange blue stone is found in his house. PCs think it doesn't come from the area around. Indigo, a bardic travelling around is found dead the following mourning. He has a blue stone in his pocket... Then, Pete, a young teenager disappears as well. Players think it has something to do with the tunnel that leads to the Underdark (they're wrong) * game 2: PCs find Pete in the forest around the town. The guy went to Ascore with Indigo and they brought back interesting objects. He's hiding in the forest cause he's scared the people who killed Indigo wanna find him as well. He leads them to his place, and while they arrive, a bunch of weird guys (shades and Shadovars) are already there. They stupidly got checked, a fight starts, and PCs all almost die. They escape with difficulty. Back in deadsnow, 3 shades are spying the city, PCs run after them, but of course don't catch them. * game 3: Pete explains everything to the autorities. A small troop is sent in the forest (including PCs), but the artifact Pete had stolen in Ascore disappeared... The town decides to send a bunch of hunters/guards to kick the ass of the "weird guys from the desert". PCs propose to spy them and get info. Actually the Shades just wanted to get the artifact and other toys back, they're around Deadsnows for a few more days to observe the reaction of the people. They wanna avoid that some curious people take a look of what's happening in Ascore. * game 4: about 70 people are sent to kick the Shadovars out. PCs join the battle. They think -stupidly- that they should wait for the night... the attack is a plain disaster, 25 people die in a few minutes, and the troop retreat very quickly. 2 PCs are left as dead on the battleground, and by chance survive. the town and the PCs discover the incredible power of the shades. The Shadovars discovered the presence of gold around, and put a few golden stones in the river close to the battleground. When people go back to bury the deads, they jump on the gold and forget about the assault. Everybody's talking about it and the dwarves start looking for gold in the area. Deadsnow forget the story about the Shadovars, Ascore, Indigo, blue stones and stuff... And the Shades go back to Ascore. PCs decide they should get to Ascore to see what's happening there... * Next: the Shades are gonna spy heavily the Silver Marches, and PCs probably gonna be on their backs. I think it can become very exciting. We're playing in a "fully opened campaign", means that players are totally free to make their choices, and engage in quests that their PCs wanna challenge. So maybe they'll give up the Shades to kick some orcish or drowish asses??
Nimzz 05-13-04, 08:53 PM	Anyone know where i can find info on the Shade template?
Neo 05-13-04, 11:57 PM	Originally posted by Nimzz Anyone know where i can find info on the Shade template? As a template in the FRCG, or as a Race write up in the Races of Faerun.
Mumm-Ra 05-17-04, 10:41 AM	I am going to run an arcane age game where the pc's are shade scouts. The enclave has just shifted to the plane of shadow after the fall, the other cities of netheril have been destroyed, and the plane of shadow is open for exploration. The pcs will find that shade enclave will not be able to get back to faerun due to some obscure magical anomaly, and they will be stuck in the plane of shadow for a loong time. The arrival of shade will change the balance of power in the established order. Netherese arrogance has already made many enemies in the plane of shadow in previous trips by the Archwizard Shadow and his associates, and shade will be attacked by a coalition of shadow fey, nightshades, and other denizens, and it will be up to the players to gather tactical info to thwart the shadow coalition. And of course they will have loads of work to do exploring the hostile plane.