Hit Die: d6

Requirements:

• Hide: 10 ranks
• Move Silently: 10 ranks
• Perform: 10 ranks
• Special Ability: Evasion
• Dodge
• Combat Reflexes

Class Skills: The shadowdancer’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int, exclusive skill), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Innuendo (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Intuit Direction (Wis), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Perform (Cha), Pick Pocket (Dex), Profession (Wis), Read Lips (Int, exclusive skill), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha, exclusive skill), and Use Rope (Dex)

Skill Points: 6 + INT bonus each level

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Shadowdancers are proficient with the club, crossbow (hand, light, or heavy), dagger (any type), dart, mace, morningstar, quarterstaff, rapier, sap, shortbow (normal and composite), and short sword. Shadowdancers are proficient with light armor but not with shields.

Table: The Shadowdancer

Shadowstealth: The shadowdancer is able to blend into the shadows. He can hide in plain sight provided he is in shadows, and he gains a +10 circumstance bonus to all Hide checks made while in shadows. He can also blend with shadows as part of a Move Equivalent Action during which time he is considered to have 90% concealment while in shadows (opponents have a 40% miss chance against the shadowdancer). This is a supernatural ability.

Sneak Attack: Any time the Shadowdancer’s target would be denied her Dexterity bonus to AC (whether she actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), the Shadowdancer’s attack deals +1d6 points of damage. This extra damage increases by +1d6 points every other level (+2d6 at 3rd level, +3d6 at 5th level, and so on). Should the Shadowdancer score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied.

It takes precision and penetration to hit a vital spot, so ranged attacks can only count as sneak attacks if the target is 30 feet away or less.

With a sap or an unarmed strike, the Shadowdancer can make a sneak attack that deals subdual damage instead of normal damage. He cannot use a weapon that deals normal damage to deal subdual damage in a sneak attack, not even with the usual –4 penalty, because he must make optimal use of his weapon in order to execute the sneak attack.

An Shadowdancer can only sneak attack living creatures with discernible anatomies—undead, constructs, oozes, plants, and incorporeal creatures lack vital areas to attack. Additionally, any creature immune to critical hits is similarly immune to sneak attacks. Also, the Shadowdancer must also be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach a vital spot. The Shadowdancer cannot sneak attack while striking at a creature with concealment or by striking the limbs of a creature whose vitals are beyond reach.

If an Shadowdancer gets a sneak attack bonus from another source (such as rogue levels), the bonuses to damage stack.

Shadowform: The shadowdancer can assume shadowform a limited number of times per day. He can invoke this power only while in shadows (as a free action) and no more than once per encounter (or once per hour outside of combat), and each use lasts 3 + CHA bonus in rounds. While in shadowform, the shadowdancer is incorporeal and always considered to be blending with shadows while in them, gaining the 90% concealment bonus of shadowstealth. He must, however, remain in shadows, if he steps out of the shadows or suddenly finds himself bathed in light, his shadowform use for that encounter/hour is immediately dispelled. While in shadowform, he can only use items with the ghost touch ability, as all other items he has meld into his shadowform and become inert for the duration. He can make an incorporeal touch attack for d6 damage and 1 point of strength damage, or use a ghost touch weapon. He gains a deflection bonus to his AC equal to his CHA bonus while in shadowform. The shadowdancer retains his own type and all his normal vulnerabilities while in shadowform, he cannot be turned or commanded and is not considered undead, however, undead may ignore him while he is in this form. They must make a Spot check opposed by the shadowdancer’s Disguise check (he gains a +10 bonus to it for being in shadowform) to notice he is not a shadow. This is a supernatural ability.

Uncanny Dodge: At 2nd level and above, he retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) if caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker.

At 6th level, the shadowdancer can no longer be flanked. Another rogue at least four levels higher can still flank.

At 10th level, the shadowdancer gains a +1 bonus to Reflex saves made to avoid traps and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks by traps.

If the shadowdancer has other classes with the Uncanny Dodge ability, add the levels of his shadowdancer class to those class(es) to determine the total Uncanny Dodge ability.

Shadowsight: A shadowdancer can see in shadows (complete darkness negates this ability, there must be some light, even if faint) as well as he can see in full daylight. This is a supernatural ability.

Shadowdancing: The Shadowdancer can move in the shadows freely. As a Move Equivalent Action, provided the shadowdancer begins in the shadows and ends his movement in shadows, the shadowdancer can move his speed freely, even able to move through occupied enemy spaces as if Tumbling, without provoking attacks of opportunity. This is a supernatural ability.

Shadowdouble: The Shadowdancer can use his shadowform ability to create a shadowdouble of himself rather than assume shadowform himself. This still counts as his use of shadowform for the encounter/hour. The shadowdouble lasts as long as shadowform lasts, and the shadowdancer can control its actions freely (no hindrance to the shadowdancer’s own actions). The shadowdouble must maintain line of effect to the shadowdancer at all times, as well as remain in shadows at all times or it is dispelled. The shadowdouble shares the inherent abilities and powers of the shadowdancer, thus he does not gain the shadowdancer’s magic item bonuses nor spell effects currently on the shadowdancer, as these are not inherent to the shadowdancer. The shadowdancer can voluntarily choose to halve the current duration of any spell effect on himself when it is cast and this spell effect will then be shared with the double. The shadowdancer may also enhance his magic items with the Bonded Enhancement which costs half again the total cost of the item but then allows all bonded creatures to the shadowdancer (familiars, bonded mounts, and of course the shadowdouble) to benefit from the magic item effect as well. The shadowdouble is considered in shadowform and gains all powers of that ability. Because of the bonded nature, any damage suffered by the shadowdouble is also suffered by the shadowdancer, and any effect the double suffers forces the shadowdancer to suffer the same (except the shadowdancer gets his own save if the effect allows one). It cannot be turned or commanded, is not considered undead, and has the same type and vulnerabilities as the shadowdancer. This is a supernatural ability.

Shadowcloak: The Shadowdancer can shroud himself in shadows as a free action. These shadows override the current light conditions around the shadowdancer and out to a 5’ radius around him. He can maintain these shadows for a total of 1 round per shadowdancer class level per day. This shadowcloak is mobile with the shadowdancer. He may use these rounds as needed, and can turn this ability on and off as a free action and as a reaction (allowing him to instantly react to a situation even when it is not his turn to act, but only if the shadowdancer is not flat-footed), allowing him to only use up the power when he needs it. This is a supernatural ability.