The Thing That Goes Bump In The Night (3.5e Optimized Character Build)

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Introduction

This is a crowd control, stealth build based on a quite brief description by Piggy Knowles on the GITP board some time ago. It features low level caster/rogue features, and later level area of effect control with added stagger, stun, fear, slow, and blind effects. With some tweaking, you can have those effects hit intelligent undead and constructs. As a bonus, a properly tweaked build will allow their party members to get bonus strikes to enemies within the AoE. One more boon is the ability to stealth around creatures with 360 vision, infravision, and other magically enhanced vision.

References

Players Handbook Tome of Magic Lords of Madness Ebberon Campaign Setting

Game Rule Components

This requires the use of the use of the Ebberon Dragonmark flavored feats, so you will probably need permission to properly use this build. Its not particularly Ebberon flavored, but as long as your GM isnt a rules lawyer, you can just reflavor the feat. You are essentially giving up a feat in return for not multiclassing wizard into the mix. The feat itself has no rule requirement other than you be a race capable of receiving a dragonmark.

In addition, the author of the Shadowcaster section of the Tome of Magic, Ari Marmell wrote about their class on the GITP forums and offered some balance fixes for this class as players noted that it lags at earlier levels and didnt seem to have staying power in the later levels. This build makes use of those fixes which are: 1) Charisma determines the DC to save against your mysteries. Intelligence determines the highest level mystery you can cast.

2) Grant bonus mysteries per day based on Charisma. These would work just like bonus spells. For instance, if your Cha is 14, you can cast one extra mystery of 1st-level equivalent and one of 2nd-level equivalent per day. (Note that each mystery does give an equivalent level, even though you don't learn them by level.)

3) Eliminate the rule that says you have to take mysteries in a given Path in order. If you want to jump around, so as to broaden your versatility, you can.

4) Within a category—Apprentice, Initiate, Master—you must have at least two mysteries of any given level before you can take any mysteries of the next higher level. For instance, you must have two 1st-level mysteries before you can take any 2nds, and at least two 2nds before you can take any 3rds.

5) Eliminate the rule that says you get a bonus feat equal to half the number of paths you have access to. Instead, you get a bonus feat equal to the total number of Paths you complete. Thus, while you are no longer required to take the entirety of a given Path, there's still encouragement to do so.

6) You may “swap out” mysteries, just as a sorcerer does spells known. If you “un-complete” a Path in this way, however, you lose access to the bonus feat you gained from completing that Path. (You can regain access by re-completing the Path, completing a different Path and choosing that feat as your new bonus, or selecting that feat as a normal feat at your next opportunity.)

7) Once your Apprentice Mysteries become supernatural abilities, change the save DC from 10 + equivalent spell level + Cha to 10 + 1/2 caster level + Cha. This makes them useful even against high-HD opponents, and follows the pattern for other supernatural abilities.

Spells, Powers

In this build, you gain access to the Mysteries, which is an anachronism. Mysteries refer to old mystery cults from ancient Greece. The idea being that devotion to a school of thought would allow you to recieve special knowledge from the clergy of a specific group.

Mysteries begin as arcane spells. As you progress in your understanding of the Plane of Shadow, your spells become Spell-like Abilities. After progressing enough, they ascend in power even more and become Supernatural Abilities. Meaning that they are still subject to your "Use per day" requirement. But they lose spell resistance, penalties to hit. In fact, the only thing that can stop a Supernatural ability is an antimagic field.

In addition, because of the requirements needed for the prestige class, you gain two dragonmarks. "Cause Fear" and "Scare." These are used as spelllike abilities and have limited use per day just like your mysteries and can add extra threat at early levels.

Items

None.

You may benefit from use of Shadowsilk armor also featured in the Tome of Magic. Its a material that gives you bonuses to move and hide at lower light levels.

Progression

Starting Ability Scores (Before Racial Adjustments): (Assuming 40pt Buy) STR: 9 DEX: 14 CON: 12 INT: 18 WIS: 10 CHA: 18 <- starting ability scores before racial adjustments ->

Race (Templates): Human (Preferred for the feat and skill bonus), or Whisper Gnome (Second place for AC and hide/move silent bonus)

Starting Racial Traits: Bonus 1st Level Feat, +4 Skill pts at Chargen (+1 skill pt per level)

Class Feature - Bonus Feats: This class gets bonus feats of the shadow type (full list below) from mastery of the mysteries. Depending on the skill set you use, one should plan the mysteries they intend to take. This build uses the "Fix" written by Ari Marnell, the author of the class. In that, when a character finishes off an entire Path, they gain a feat. In the original, the full number of paths the character has at least one mystery in is divided by two, when a new whole number is reached, you gain an extra feat. In that, the 'fix' provides a total of 6 extra feats by level 18 if one specialized the spread of mysteries. In the original, there are 23 paths, which means, you can have up to 10 extra feats by level 20, but this does put you at a disadvantage as you will be restricted to the first Mystery in most paths, which has limited utility. I recommend using the fix and focusing on a few paths. With the fix, you will likely focus on 7 or 8 distinct paths. The Build progression assumes the most economical mystery learning, as such, you'll gain extra feats on levels 5, 6, 11, 12, 17, and 18.

(As a note, this progression uses the feat progression (Feat on every odd level) from Pathfinder due to the game I'm currently in. This will be fixed in a later version of this page.)

ECL	Class/HD/LA	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Feats	Class Features	Special
			Fort	Ref	Will
1st	Shadowcaster 1	+0	+2	+0	+2	Able Learner, Abberant Dragonmark (Cause Fear)	Fundamentals Of Shadow, Apprentice Mysteries
2nd	Shadowcaster 2	+1	+3	+0	+3
3rd	Shadowcaster 3	+1	+3	+1	+3	Shadow Familiar	Umbral Sight (Darkvision 30ft)
4th	Shadowcaster 4	+2	+4	+1	+4		Bonus Fundamental, +1 Int (@LevelAttribute)
5th	Shadowcaster 5	+2	+4	+1	+4	Imperious Command, BONUS SHADOW FEAT	Sustaining Shadow (Only Eat 1 Meal/Week)
6th	Shadowcaster 6	+3	+5	+2	+5	BONUS SHADOW FEAT
7th	Shadowcaster 7	+3	+5	+2	+5	FEAT	Apprentice Mysteries (Spell Like Abilities), Initiate Mysteries
8th	Shadowcaster 8	+4	+6	+2	+6		Bonus Fundamental, +1 Cha (@LevelAttribute)
9th	Shadowcaster 9	+4	+6	+3	+6	FEAT
10th	Shadowcaster 10	+5	+7	+3	+7		Sustaining Shadow (Sleep 1hr/Night)
11th	Shadowcaster 11	+5	+7	+3	+7	FEAT, BONUS SHADOW FEAT	Umbral Sight (Darkvision 60ft)
12th	Shadowcaster 12	+6/+1	+8	+4	+8	BONUS SHADOW FEAT	Bonus Fundamental, +1 Int (@LevelAttribute)
13th	Shadowcaster 13	+6/+1	+8	+4	+8	Lesser Abberant Dragonmark (Scare)	Apprentice Mysteries (Supernatural Abilities), Initiate Mysteries (Spell Like Abilities), Master Mysteries
14th	Shadowcaster 14	+7/+2	+9	+4	+9		Unlimited Use of Fundamentals
15th	Dread Witch 1	+7/+2	+9	+4	+11	FEAT	Master of Terror, Unnatural Will, +1 Cha (@LevelAttribute)
16th	Dread Witch 2	+8/+3	+9	+5	+12		Absorb Fear, +1 Level Shadowcaster
17th	Dread Witch 3	+8/+3	+10	+6	+12	FEAT
18th	Dread Witch 4	+9/+4	+10	+6	+13		Delay Fear, Greater Mastery of Terror, +1 Level Shadowcaster
19th	Dread Witch 5	+9/+4	+10	+6	+13	FEAT	Fearful Empowerment 2/day, Horrific Aura, Reflective Fear, +1 Cha (@LevelAttribute)		20th	Shadowcaster 15	+9/+4	+10	+7	+13	2x BONUS SHADOW FEATS	Sustaining Shadow (Immune to Poison/Disease)

Class Feature - Bonus Feats: This class gets bonus feats of the shadow type (full list below) from mastery of the mysteries. Depending on the skill set you use, one should plan the mysteries they intend to take. This build uses the "Fix" written by Ari Marnell, the author of the class. In that, when a character finishes off an entire Path, they gain a feat. In the original, the full number of paths the character has at least one mystery in is divided by two, when a new whole number is reached, you gain an extra feat. In that, the 'fix' provides a total of 6 extra feats by level 18 if one specialized the spread of mysteries. In the original, there are 23 paths, which means, you can have up to 10 extra feats by level 20, but this does put you at a disadvantage as you will be restricted to the first Mystery in most paths, which has limited utility. I recommend using the fix and focusing on a few paths. With the fix, you will likely focus on 7 or 8 distinct paths. The Build progression assumes the most economical mystery learning, as such, you'll gain extra feats on levels 5, 6, 11, 12, and two feats at 20. Note that we take advantage of the shadowcaster feat dynamic. As we gained levels in Dread Witch, we gained mystery use, but since we were not gaining levels in Shadowcaster, we could not reap the feats granted by the two completed Paths. Taking that last level mops everything up.

Paths and Mysteries

Shadowcasters gain the use of Mysteries at a rate of 1 Mystery per level. A full table is listed on page 113 of the Tome of Magic. Mysteries come in three classifications: Arcane Spell, Spell Like Abilities, and Supernatural Abilities. You gain the lowest level Mysteries for use as Arcane Spells. Upon reaching Level 7, the Apprentice Mysteries become Spell Like Abilities, and you gain Initiate level Mysteries as Arcane Spells. Upon reaching Level 13, the Apprentice Mysteries become Supernatural Abilities, the Initiate Mysteries become Spell Like Abilities, and the Shadowcaster gains the use of Master Mysteries. In addition, all Arcane Spells get 1 use per "Use per Day," Spell like abilities get 2 use per "Use per Day," and Supernatural Abilities get 3 use per "Use per Day." At level 13, a Shadowcaster can use Fundamentals unlimited times per day.

The Build I'm using uses the following Mysteries, mastering 6 Paths and dipping a toe into a 7th.

Level 1 - 3x Fundamentals

L0 - Arrow of Dusk - 2d4 Nonlethal Damage, x3 crit.
L0 - Black Candle - Light Or Darkness spell.
L0 - Umbral Hand - Mage hand with higher weight limits, and doesnt require concentration.
L1 -  Bending Perspective - Gain sight as though standing in selected square.

Level 2 -

L1 - Quicker Than The Eye - Ranged sleight of hand, exceptionally paired with a sneaky familiar that has a good touch attack.

Level 3 -

L2 - Piercing Sight - See Invisible & Darkvision. Stacks with class features.

Level 4 -

L2 - Trail of Haze - Your target leaves a trail of trackable shadows, touch attack, will negates. Another good pairing with a shadow familiar. 
L0 - Caul of Shadow - Up to +4 AC bonus, better with at will Fundamentals, but it will do. 

Level 5 -

L3 - Killing Shadows - 1d8 x Caster level (max 10d8) 15' cone. Will save halves. And its untyped too.

Level 6 -

L3 - Umbral Fist - Ranged Disarm, Trip, or Bullrush. Sub Caster level for BaB, and Charisma for Strength. 

Level 7 -

L4 - Shadow Evocation - Mimic any Evoke spell of 4th level or lower. 

Level 8 -

L4 - Fearful Gloom - AoE Fear effects, will save to Shaken for a round. Packages well with Dread Witch to cause massive fear effects and with a Cha heavy Shadowcaster, demoralize to upgrade their fear effects. 
L0 - Mystic Reflections - Detect Magic, no need to maintain concentration

Level 9 -

L5 - Feign Life - Animate Object but warps the appearance of the object, making them appear twisted. Objects also can benefit from the concealment you offer. 

Level 10 -

L5 - Sickening Shadow - Same as Fearful Gloom except creatures become nauseated. 

Level 11 -

L6 - Greater Shadow Evocation - Like original flavor Shadow Evocation, it mimics an Evoke spell, but level 6 spells and below. 

Level 12 -

L6 - Deadly Shade - Like Fearful Gloom and Sickening Shadow, a 30' area of darkness that; you pick; minor Damage and Energy Resists as a benefit. Or choose the offense and anytime a creature takes damage inside, they gain a negative level, will saves. Nasty nasty.
L0 - Sight Obscured - Bonuses to Hide and Concealment

Level 13 -

L7 - Truth Revealed - True seeing, but you pick up a whole hell of a lot more.

Level 14 -

L7 - Ephemeral Image - Project Image + Concealment + Cast magic through the image = win.

Level 15 -

NONE - You dont get caster level on the first level of Dread Witch.

Level 16 -

L8 - Far Sight - Greater Scrying + Auto Truth Revealed. Too much utility to pass up. 

Level 17 -

L8 - Umbral Body - Go incorporeal, has some utility, probably my least favorite mystery that I'm taking here.

Level 18 -

L9 - Reflections of Things to Come - Foresight and then some. AC and initiative bonus. And you can blow the spell to have an attack that hit you rerolled. 

Level 19 -

L9 - Shadow Time - Time Stop for Shadowcasters, 3 rounds of action, free. 

Level 20 -

L7 - Greater Life Fades - AoE 20d6 subdual damage

Highlights

This build works by exploiting the Shadowcasters ability to accrue helpful feats and dump crazy fear effects in AoE. You are crowd control and pin setter for your team mates, you set them up, your team mates knock them down.

Munchkin-Size Me

Whisper Gnome would look good on this. You can otherwise spec Wizard and then Noctumancer and be a HOUSE by level 10. This build is more flavor than substance, designed to be fun to play and a powerful hitter as well.

Side Notes

Stay hidden and scream as loud as you can in the ears of your enemies.

Limitations

Ability to mish mash classes and feats. This build gently abuses flavors from Ebberon and the Forgotten Realms.

DM Counters

Constructs will mess this guy up.

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