Post/Author/DateTime	Post
tr0ll 02-02-04, 08:52 PM	Something was not clear to me after reading Magic of Faerun: Do spells with Shadow in the name automatically use the Shadow Weave? E.g., could a spellcaster take the Shadow Conjuration spell without first gaining the Shadow Weave feat? From a story point of view, how else can Shar get lots of apprentice sorcerors and wizards to use the Shadow Weave without them realizing to whom they have allied themselves? This bit seems to have been covered inconculsively by discussion in the FRCS forum; i am wondering if anything has changed in v3.5 or if any of this stuff is applicable. (also posted question to FRCS Magic forum)
mbfu3k 02-02-04, 09:57 PM	Originally posted by tr0ll Do spells with Shadow in the name automatically use the Shadow Weave? E.g., could a spellcaster take the Shadow Conjuration spell without first gaining the Shadow Weave feat? Spells with the Shadow descriptor do not (necessarily) use the Shadow Weave. They use the normal Weave but manipulate the substance of the Shadow Plane. A spellcaster can take Shadow Conjuration without first taking the Shadow Weave Magic feat. Mechanics-wise, Shadow Weave magic is handled through the feat Shadow Weave Magic (pg 37 of the FRCS book). This feat gives several benefits, such as +1 DC and CL for Illusion, Necromancy, and Enchantment schools and the ability to cast normally in a dead magic zone, as well as several disadvantages, such as -1 CL for Evocation and Transmutation schools, a complete inability to cast light-producing spells, and an (nearly) unrestorable, instantaneous loss of 2 points of Wisdom. The feat also qualifies you for several other Shadow Weave related feats and PrC's. Originally posted by tr0ll From a story point of view, how else can Shar get lots of apprentice sorcerors and wizards to use the Shadow Weave without them realizing to whom they have allied themselves? I could be mistaken, but I understood Shadow Weave Magic to be something that is quite rare: a closely guarded secret of the priests of Shar, one only very rarely stumbled upon by arcane casters. I don't imagine that Shar, being the goddess of secrets, would really want very many people using the Shadow Weave, regardless of whether they knew from whence it came.
cowdragon 02-02-04, 10:50 PM	mbfu3k, very good and thourough answer! It was informative and correct. This brings up another related topic though... would 3.5 have much impact on how Shadow Weave Feats were handled? I personally see them as very balanced. But who knows, I also thought that the old 3e rules for spell focus were balanced. Otherwise I love 3.5. Of course I favor spellcasters to anything else, so maybe it's not so much that I thought they were balanced as much as thought they were cool. :) The Cowdragon :mage:
tr0ll 02-03-04, 12:51 AM	thanks! i hadnt seen that bit about the Plane of Shadows
X105_Strike 02-03-04, 06:10 AM	Originally posted by cowdragon mbfu3k, very good and thourough answer! It was informative and correct. This brings up another related topic though... would 3.5 have much impact on how Shadow Weave Feats were handled? I personally see them as very balanced. But who knows, I also thought that the old 3e rules for spell focus were balanced. Otherwise I love 3.5. Of course I favor spellcasters to anything else, so maybe it's not so much that I thought they were balanced as much as thought they were cool. :) The Cowdragon :mage: They would upgrade [ie nerf] FRCS character and classes in the FR player handbook.
adiaven 02-04-04, 01:20 PM	something I wonder about: In 3.5 DMG, the nerfed Red Wizard's spell power ability to now be +X caster level for that school. I wonder if a future they will change Shadow Adept's spell power to be +caster levels instead of +DC. That would suck big time, since illusions and enchantments need DC not caster levels to be more powerful...