Shadowdancer

(PRESTIGE CLASS: This class is not available at character creation and must be unlocked by meeting special requirements, listed below.)

Operating in the border between light and darkness, shadowdancers are nimble artists of deception. They are mysterious and unknown, never completely trusted but always inducing wonder when met. Rogues, bards, and monks make excellent shadowdancers. Fighters, barbarians, rangers, and paladins also find that shadowdancer abilities allow them to strike at their opponents with surprise and skill. Wizard, sorcerer, cleric, and druid shadowdancers employ the defensive capabilities inherent in the prestige class to allow them to cast their spells from safety and move away quickly. Despite their link with shadows and trickery, shadowdancers are as often good as evil.

Requirements:

Skills: Move Silently 8 ranks, Hide 10 ranks, Tumble 5 ranks.

Feats: Dodge, Mobility.

Class Features:

- Hit Die: d8

- Base Attack Bonus: Medium.

- High Saves: Reflex.

- Weapon Proficiencies: Simple weapons.

- Armor Proficiencies: Light armor.

- Skill Points: 6 + Int modifier.

- Class Skills: Bluff, Craft Trap, Diplomacy, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Parry, Search, Sleight of Hand, Spot, and Tumble.

- Hide in Plain Sight: At 1st level, a shadowdancer may attempt to enter stealth mode even while being observed. If the attempt fails, the shadowdancer may try again in 15 seconds.

- Darkvision: At 2nd level, the shadowdancer gains darkvision, as the dwarf racial ability.

- Evasion: At 2nd level, whenever a shadowdancer succeeds on a Reflex save against any effect which allows a save for half damage (such as a fireball spell), the shadowdancer takes no damage.

- Uncanny Dodge: At 2nd level, the shadowdancer always retains his Dexterity bonus to AC, even if caught flat-footed.

- Summon Shadow: Once per day, a 3rd-level shadowdancer can use summon shadow as a spell-like ability.

- Shadow Daze: Once per day the shadowdancer may inflict an illusory daze upon a target. This daze lasts for 5 rounds.

- Shadow Evade: At 4th level, a shadowdancer may conceal herself in shadow. For 3 rounds, the shadowdancer has a 5% concealment bonus, 5/magic damage reduction and +1 dodge AC bonus. At 6th level, the bonus becomes 10% concealment, 5/alchemical silver damage reduction, and +2 dodge AC bonus at level 6. At 8th level it becomes 15% concealment, 10/alchemical silver damage reduction and +3 dodge AC. At 10th level, Shadow Evade grants 20% concealment, 10/adamantine damage reduction and a +4 dodge AC bonus.

- Defensive Roll: At 5th level, when a shadowdancer suffers damage from an attack that would put her below 1 hit point, she may make a Reflex save to suffer only half damage. This ability is used automatically, but only works once per day.

- Improved Uncanny Dodge: A 5th-level shadowdancer cannot be sneak attacked except by a character with four more total levels in classes that grant sneak attack than her character level.

- Slippery Mind: At 7th-level, the shadowdancer becomes so cunning and elusive that even her mind is hard to pin down. Whenever the shadowdancer fails a saving throw against an enchantment spell or effect, she may immediately reroll the saving throw once, keeping the better of the two results.

- Improved Evasion: At 10th level, the shadowdancer's evasion ability improves. Now, she take only half damage even on failed Reflex saves.