Thanks.
Now, could someone also clarify this:
-The FR Campaign Setting says that "Shade" is a template.
-It also makes it seem like the Shades are a race unto themselves.
Did an entire civilization inherit the template due to the whole 'souls being sold for power' thing?
Thanks for your help.
Really? Hmm, forgot all about that book.
Now, could someone also clarify this:
-The FR Campaign Setting says that "Shade" is a template.
-It also makes it seem like the Shades are a race unto themselves.
Did an entire civilization inherit the template due to the whole 'souls being sold for power' thing?
No, most inhabitants of the City of Shade are humans. Only an elite few are actual Shades.
No, most inhabitants of the City of Shade are humans. Only an elite few are actual Shades.
OK, so I take it the Shades were all humans originally? I'm sorry; I'm working on a campaign and I really want to use a Shade as my PC...I'm trying to research them as much as possible.
Everyone who is from the City of Shade are called Shades in FR, however, there is also a separation in the city's populace between regular human and human with the shade template. Those that take the Shade template (elite individuals like what RF said) trade part of their soul for shadowstuff and get those benefits listed in the template. For your question about Shades being human originally, yes all Shade template Shades are humans of Netherese descent. If you need more info on Shades you could check both Lords of Darkness and Races of Faerun supplements.
I've got both supplements; I just wanted public input into things, thank you.
Anyone have cool ideas for Shade PCs?
Another good concept is an Undead Shade (fun with the evils
)Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting: +2
Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting ERRATA: +5
Races of Faerûn: +4
Player’s Guide to Faerûn Web Enhancement: +5
The citizens of Thultanthar (Shade) are collectively referred to as Shadovars. They consists of approximately 25,000 Netherese humans, of which approximately 500 elite or noble citizens have been magically transformed into actual Shades. In addition, the city also has a vast populace of humanoid slaves such as half-orcs acquired from Faerûnand the Krinth they bred on the Plane of Shadow, however it is highly unlikely that these creatures would ever be selected for the transformation. The Determinist guild of the city selects individual citizens suitable for the transformation, and no one under 5th level can be transformed.
In addition, given their desperation for allies, the Shadovar have on occasion transformed non-Netherese humans into Shades as part of an alliance or agreement. One such arrangement involves elite members of the Shadow Thieves in Waterdeep being transformed in exchange for their spying on the city for the Shade Princes. Another potential example could be Tamlin Uskreven, the current Hulorn of Selgaunt, whom of late has become the puppet of Rivalen Tanthul....though I would wager that these are merely hollow promises meant to seduce the naieve mageling.
There is also one other large group of shades in FR [there are some individuals who have no connection to these organization but still have the shade template], the Eshowe of Chult. Eshodow [aspect of Shar] is worshiped by the Eshowe who reside in the valley of lost honor. More information about them can be obtained in a 2nd ed FR god source book (I think it was called Powers and Pantheons).
As for character types:
ftr/wiz/spellsword is one of my favorite shade combinations.
rogue/assassin is another.
My favorite campaign of all time involved shade pc's:
LE shade ftr 8/purple dragon 5/blackguard 11/legendary dreadnaught 5
CE shade ftr 8/duelist 14/wiz 5/shadow adept 2
LN shade wiz 5/shadow adept 21/Archmage 5
NE shade clr 9/shadow adept 10/hierophant 2
Honestly, the shade template is so versatile once you hit 8 HD, you can use it with just about any type of character. I would just be your favorite class if I was you.
I would go with +4 since there was a Dragon magazine article at one time giving a Savage Species type progression for it.
There is also one other large group of shades in FR [there are some individuals who have no connection to these organization but still have the shade template], the Eshowe of Chult. Eshodow [aspect of Shar] is worshiped by the Eshowe who reside in the valley of lost honor. More information about them can be obtained in a 2nd ed FR god source book (I think it was called Powers and Pantheons).
As for character types:
ftr/wiz/spellsword is one of my favorite shade combinations.
rogue/assassin is another.
My favorite campaign of all time involved shade pc's:
LE shade ftr 8/purple dragon 5/blackguard 11/legendary dreadnaught 5
CE shade ftr 8/duelist 14/wiz 5/shadow adept 2
LN shade wiz 5/shadow adept 21/Archmage 5
NE shade clr 9/shadow adept 10/hierophant 2
Honestly, the shade template is so versatile once you hit 8 HD, you can use it with just about any type of character. I would just be your favorite class if I was you.
Wow, Ramar; that's an insane group of Epics...
I'm thinking a of possibly making a CE Shade Ftr/Bbn with some type of prestige class (something which would fit into an FRsetting...maybe something else, I'm not sure yet. Any suggestions?
Great input by the way. Thanks for sharing it!
As for prestige classes, there a couple interesting ones in Tome of Magic in the shadow caster section. I haven't personally used any of the prestige classes yet and only briefly used a shadowcaster [wasn't really impressed...maybe with more uses per day]. The tank pc from the above mentioned campaign had a good build ftr > blackguard > legendary drednaught.
If you go the Eshowe route, then I would go with ranger or ftr/ranger (think shadow step and manyshot).
Barbarian....that was the one class I didn't think of. I would be warry of rage or frenzy abilities since you wouldn't be able to use your shadow step or shadow images [mobility and stealth are the corner stones of a good shade and with pretty much any other class they are just there].
As for prestige classes, there a couple interesting ones in Tome of Magic in the shadow caster section. I haven't personally used any of the prestige classes yet and only briefly used a shadowcaster [wasn't really impressed...maybe with more uses per day]. The tank pc from the above mentioned campaign had a good build ftr > blackguard > legendary drednaught.
If you go the Eshowe route, then I would go with ranger or ftr/ranger (think shadow step and manyshot).
Maybe some sort of Rogue/Asn/Shadow dancer
or even as you said, the fighter/blackguard combo; yes, I think that'll do nicely...