Shadow¶
Subtlety is your art, the tip of the blade your brush. You studied at a secret college, specializing in alchemy, illusion, or shadow-magics. Your training and knowledge place you among the elite ranks of assassins, spies, and commandos. But more potent than any weapon or sorcery is your insight into your enemies' weaknesses.
As a shadow, you possess abilities that deal significant damage, enable you to move swiftly across the battlefield and evade hazards, and allow you to fade from notice even in the midst of the most intense combat encounters. You also possess more skills than any other hero.
"Whenever there is doubt, there is no doubt."
Motto of the College of Black Ash
Basics¶
Starting Characteristics: You start with an Agility of 2, and you can choose one of the following arrays for your other characteristic scores:
- 2, 2, −1, −1
- 2, 1, 1, −1
- 2, 1, 0, 0
- 1, 1, 1, 0
Starting Stamina at 1st Level: 18
Stamina Gained at 2nd and Higher Levels: 6
Recoveries: 8
Skills: You gain the Hide and Sneak skills (see Skills in Chapter 9: Tests). Then choose any five skills from Criminal Underworld or the skills of the exploration, interpersonal, or intrigue skill groups. (Quick Build: Criminal Underworld, Hide, Lie, Pick Lock, Pick Pocket, Sabotage, Sneak.)
Shadow Advancement Table¶
| Level | Features | Abilities | College Abilities |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Shadow College, Insight, College Features, College Triggered Action, Hesitation Is Weakness, Kit, Shadow Abilities | Signature, 3, 5 | - |
| 2nd | College Feature, Perk, College Ability | Signature, 3, 5 | 5 |
| 3rd | Careful Observation, 7-Insight Ability | Signature, 3, 5, 7 | 5 |
| 4th | Characteristic Increase, Keep It Down, Night Watch, Perk, Skill, Surge of Insight | Signature, 3, 5, 7 | 5 |
| 5th | College Feature, 9-Insight Ability | Signature, 3, 5, 7, 9 | 5 |
| 6th | Perk, Umbral Form, College Ability | Signature, 3, 5, 7, 9 | 5, 9 |
| 7th | Characteristic Increase, Keen Insight, Skill, Careful Observation Improvement, Ventriloquist | Signature, 3, 5, 7, 9 | 5, 9 |
| 8th | College Feature, Perk, 11-Insight Ability | Signature, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 | 5, 9 |
| 9th | Gloom Squad, College Ability | Signature, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 | 5, 9, 11 |
| 10th | Characteristic Increase, Death Pool, Perk, Skill, Careful Observation Improvement, Improved Umbral Form, Subterfuge | Signature, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 | 5, 9, 11 |
1st-Level Features¶
As a 1st-level shadow, you gain the following features.
Shadow College¶
Shadow College
Shadow colleges are secret institutions that turn ordinary folk into something else. Finding a college is the first step in a rigorous initiation process that tests the mettle of an applicant. Even those who make the cut often wash out—or are kicked out—as the master shadows who teach stealth, magic, and assassination to their students are often less than gentle in their approach.
You graduated from a shadow college chosen from the following options, each of which grants you a skill. (Quick Build: College of Black Ash.)
- College of Black Ash: The College of Black Ash founded the art of being a shadow. Its graduates are unmatched in mobility, using sorcery to teleport around the battlefield, manipulate shadows, and summon darkness. You have the Magic skill.
- College of Caustic Alchemy: The College of Caustic Alchemy teaches its students recipes for the acids, bombs, and poisons used in their grim work. Graduates of the college are exceptional assassins. You have the Alchemy skill.
- College of the Harlequin Mask: Graduates of the College of the Harlequin Mask learn illusion magic, which they use to infiltrate enemy strongholds and create orchestrated chaos in combat. You have the Lie skill.
Your shadow college is your subclass, and your choice of college determines many of the features you'll gain as you gain new levels.
Insight¶
Insight
By observing your enemy, you learn how to use their weaknesses against them, building up a Heroic Resource called insight.
Insight in Combat
At the start of a combat encounter or some other stressful situation tracked in combat rounds (as determined by the Director), you gain insight equal to your Victories. At the start of each of your turns during combat, you gain 1d3 insight.
Additionally, the first time each combat round that you deal damage incorporating 1 or more surges, you gain 1 insight.
Whenever you use a heroic ability that makes use of a power roll, that ability costs 1 fewer insight if you have an edge or double edge on it. If the ability has multiple targets, the cost is reduced even if the ability gains an edge or has a double edge against only one target.
You lose any remaining insight at the end of the encounter.
Insight Outside of Combat
Although you can't gain insight outside of combat, you can use your heroic abilities and effects that cost insight without spending it. Whenever you use an ability or effect outside of combat that costs insight, you can't use that same ability or effect outside of combat again until you earn 1 or more Victories or finish a respite.
When you use an ability outside of combat that lets you spend unlimited insight on its effect, such as Black Ash Teleport, you can use it as if you had spent an amount of insight equal to your Victories.
1st-Level College Features¶
1st-Level College Features
Your shadow college grants you one or two features, as shown on the 1st-Level College Features table.
1st-Level College Features Table
| College | Feature |
|---|---|
| Black Ash | Black Ash Teleport |
| Caustic Alchemy | Coat the Blade, Smoke Bomb |
| Harlequin Mask | I'm No Threat |
Black Ash Teleport
You have the following ability.
Black Ash Teleport
In a swirl of black ash, you step from one place to another.
You teleport up to 5 squares. If you have concealment or cover at your destination, you can use the Hide maneuver even if you are observed. If you successfully hide using this maneuver, you gain 1 surge.
Coat the Blade
You have the following ability.
Coat the Blade
A little poison goes a long way.
I'm No Threat
You have the following ability.
I'm No Threat
Taking on an illusory countenance gives you an advantage on subterfuge.
You envelop yourself in an illusion that makes you appear nonthreatening and harmless to your enemies. You might take on the appearance of a harmless animal of your size, such as a sheep or capybara, or you might appear as a less heroic and unarmed version of yourself. While this illusion lasts, your strikes gain an edge, and when you take the Disengage move action, you gain a +1 bonus to the distance you can shift.
The illusion ends when you harm another creature, when you physically interact with a creature, when you use this ability again, or when you end the illusion (no action required). If you end this illusion by harming another creature, you gain 1 surge.
Smoke Bomb
You always carry a supply of smoke bombs to use for distractions and easy getaways. You can use the Hide maneuver even if you are observed and don't initially have cover or concealment. When you do so, you can shift a number of squares equal to your Agility score. If you end this movement with cover or concealment, you are automatically hidden.
College Triggered Action¶
College Triggered Action
Your shadow college grants you a triggered action, as shown on the College Triggered Actions table.
College Triggered Actions Table
| College | Triggered Action |
|---|---|
| Black Ash | In All This Confusion |
| Caustic Alchemy | Defensive Roll |
| Harlequin Mask | Clever Trick |
Clever Trick
You sow a moment of confusion in combat, to your enemy's peril.
An enemy targets you with a strike.
Defensive Roll
When an enemy attacks, you roll with the impact to reduce the harm.
Another creature damages you.
You take half the triggering damage, then can shift up to 2 squares after the triggering effect resolves. If you end this shift with concealment or cover, you can use the Hide maneuver even if you are observed.
In All This Confusion
You vanish in a plume of black smoke to avoid danger.
You take damage.
You take half the damage, then can teleport up to 4 squares after the triggering effect resolves.
Hesitation Is Weakness¶
Hesitation Is Weakness
You have the following ability.
Kit¶
Kit
You can use and gain the benefits of a kit. See Chapter 6: Kits for more information. (Quick Build: Cloak and Dagger.)
Shadow Abilities¶
Shadow Abilities
You specialize in dealing damage, then getting out of harm's way before the inevitable counterattack. You know a number of unique martial abilities that define your presence on the battlefield.
Signature Ability
Choose one signature ability from the following options. Signature abilities can be used at will. (Quick Build: Teamwork Has Its Place.)
Gasping in Pain
Your precise strikes let your allies take advantage of a target's agony.
One ally within 5 squares of the target gains 1 surge.
I Work Better Alone
"It's better, just you and me. Isn't it?"
If the target has none of your allies adjacent to them, you gain 1 surge before making the power roll.
Teamwork Has Its Place
You attack an enemy as an ally exposes their weakness.
If any ally is adjacent to the target, you gain 1 surge before making the power roll.
You Were Watching the Wrong One
They can't watch both of you at once.
Heroic Abilities
A range of heroic abilities define your combat prowess, all of which make use of your insight.
3-Insight Ability
Choose one heroic ability from the following options, each of which costs 3 insight to use. (Quick Build: Get In Get Out.)
Disorienting Strike
Your attack leaves them reeling, allowing you to follow up.
Eviscerate
You leave your foe bleeding out after a devastating attack.
Get In Get Out
Move unexpectedly, strike fast, and be gone!
Two Throats at Once
A bargain.
5-Insight Ability
Choose one heroic ability from the following options, each of which costs 5 insight to use. (Quick Build: Coup de Grace.)
Coup de Grace
Your blade might be the last thing they see.
One Hundred Throats
As you move across the battlefield, every foe within reach feels your wrath.
You shift up to your speed and make one power roll that targets up to three enemies who came adjacent to you during the move.
Setup
Your friends will thank you.
Shadowstrike
They have no idea what the college taught you.
You use a strike signature ability twice.
2nd-Level Features¶
As a 2nd-level shadow, you gain the following features.
Perk¶
Perk
You gain one exploration, interpersonal, or intrigue perk of your choice. See Chapter 7: Perks.
2nd-Level College Feature¶
2nd-Level College Feature
Your shadow college grants you a feature, as shown on the 2nd-Level College Features table.
2nd-Level College Features Table
| College | Feature |
|---|---|
| Black Ash | Burning Ash |
| Caustic Alchemy | Trained Assassin |
| Harlequin Mask | Friend! |
Burning Ash
Friend!
Your illusions make your enemies believe you are their friend in critical moments. Whenever an enemy uses an ability or trait that targets multiple allies and you are within distance of the effect, you can choose to be a target of the effect as well.
Additionally, when you use your I'm No Threat ability, you can take the Disengage move action as part of that ability.
Trained Assassin
2nd-Level College Ability¶
2nd-Level College Ability
Your shadow college grants your choice of one of two heroic abilities.
2nd-Level Black Ash Ability
Choose one of the following abilities.
In a Puff of Ash
Too Slow
Your foe made a big mistake.
You use your In All This Confusion ability.
You ignore any effects associated with the damage that triggered your In All This Confusion ability. Before you teleport, you can make a free strike against a creature who damaged you to trigger In All This Confusion. After you teleport, you can spend a Recovery.
2nd-Level Caustic Alchemy Ability
Choose one of the following abilities.
Sticky Bomb
Explosives are best when they're attached to an enemy.
You attach a small bomb to a creature. If you are hidden from the creature, they don't notice the bomb and you remain hidden. The creature otherwise notices the bomb and can disarm and remove it as a main action. If they don't, at the end of your next turn, the bomb detonates. When the bomb detonates, you make a power roll targeting each enemy within 2 squares of it.
Stink Bomb
Putrid yellow gas explodes from a bomb you toss.
2nd-Level Harlequin Mask Ability
Choose one of the following abilities.
Machinations of Sound
Illusory sounds make your foes reposition themselves as they cower or investigate the disturbance.
This forced movement ignores stability. Instead, the forced movement is reduced by a number equal to the target's Intuition score.
So Gullible
When your enemy strikes, you reveal you were in a different place all along.
Another creature targets you with a strike.
You use your Clever Trick ability with no insight cost against the triggering creature and strike. You can teleport to an unoccupied space within 3 squares of that creature and can make a free strike against them. You can then spend a Recovery.
3rd-Level Features¶
As a 3rd-level shadow, you gain the following features.
Careful Observation¶
Careful Observation
You have the following ability.
Careful Observation
A moment of focus leaves a foe firmly in your sights.
As long as you remain within distance of the target, maintain line of effect to them, and strike no other creature first, you gain an edge on the next strike you make against the assessed creature, and gain 1 surge you can use only on that strike.
7-Insight Ability¶
7-Insight Ability
Choose one heroic ability from the following options, each of which costs 7 insight to use.
Dancer
You enter a flow state that makes you nearly impossible to pin down.
Until the end of the encounter, whenever an enemy moves or is force moved adjacent to you or damages you, you can take the Disengage move action as a free triggered action.
Misdirecting Strike
"Why are you looking at ME?!"
Pinning Shot
One missile—placed well and placed hard.
Staggering Blow
There's no recovering from this.
4th-Level Features¶
As a 4th-level shadow, you gain the following features.
Characteristic Increase¶
Characteristic Increase
Your Agility score increases to 3. Additionally, you can increase one of your characteristic scores by 1, to a maximum of 3.
Keep It Down¶
Keep It Down
While conversing with any creature you share a language with, you can decide whether anyone else can perceive what you're conveying, even while yelling.
Night Watch¶
Night Watch
Perk¶
Perk
You gain one perk of your choice.
Skill¶
Skill
You gain one skill of your choice. See Skills in Chapter 9: Tests.
Surge of Insight¶
Surge of Insight
The first time each combat round that you deal damage incorporating 1 or more surges, you gain 2 insight instead of 1.
5th-Level Features¶
As a 5th-level shadow, you gain the following features.
5th-Level College Feature¶
5th-Level College Feature
Your shadow college grants you a feature, as shown on the 5th-Level College Features table.
5th-Level College Features Table
| College | Feature |
|---|---|
| Black Ash | Trail of Cinders |
| Caustic Alchemy | Volatile Reagents |
| Harlequin Mask | Harlequin Gambit |
Harlequin Gambit
Whenever you reduce an adjacent non-minion creature to 0 Stamina, you can immediately use a free maneuver to use your I'm No Threat ability and then move up to your speed.
If the creature is the same size as you, you can disguise yourself as them using I'm No Threat without spending insight. If you do, while I'm No Threat is active, the creature's body is disguised to look like your body. The illusion ends on their body if another creature physically interacts with it. When the illusion would end for either you or the creature's body, it ends for both.
Trail of Cinders
Whenever you reduce a non-minion creature to 0 Stamina, you can immediately use a free maneuver to use your Black Ash Teleport ability.
Additionally, you can now bring an adjacent willing creature along with you whenever you use a shadow ability to teleport. The creature appears in an unoccupied space adjacent to the space into which you teleported. If no such space exists, they can't teleport with you.
Volatile Reagents
Whenever you take damage, each enemy adjacent to you takes fire, acid, or poison damage (your choice) equal to your Agility score.
Additionally, your Defensive Roll ability now allows you to shift up to 5 squares, including shifting vertically. If you don't end this shift on solid ground and are not flying, you fall.
9-Insight Ability¶
9-Insight Ability
Choose one heroic ability from the following options, each of which costs 9 insight to use.
Blackout
You cause a plume of shadow to erupt from your eyes and create a cloud of darkness.
A black cloud fills the area until the end of your next turn, granting you and your allies concealment against enemies. While you are in the area, whenever an enemy ends their turn in the area, you can use a free triggered action to shift to a new location within the area and make a free strike against them.
Into the Shadows
You sweep your foe off their feet and plunge them into absolute darkness.
You and the target are removed from the encounter map until the start of your next turn. You reappear in the spaces you left or the nearest unoccupied spaces. Make a power roll upon your return.
Shadowfall
You vanish. They fall. You reappear.
You disappear before making the power roll. After the power roll is resolved, you appear in the first unoccupied space at the far end of the line.
You Talk Too Much
Silence is a virtue. A knife pinning their mouth shut is the next best thing.
The target can't communicate with anyone until the end of the encounter.
6th-Level Features¶
As a 6th-level shadow, you gain the following features.
Perk¶
Perk
You gain one perk of your choice.
Umbral Form¶
Umbral Form
As a maneuver, you lose control of yourself, becoming a shadow creature dripping with ash. This transformation lasts until the end of the encounter, until you are dying, or after 1 uninterrupted hour of quiet focus outside of combat. You gain the following effects while in this form:
- You can automatically climb at full speed while moving.
- Enemies' spaces don't count as difficult terrain for you. An enemy takes corruption damage equal to your Agility score the first time you pass through their space on a turn.
- If you end your turn with cover or concealment from another creature, you are automatically hidden from that creature.
- You gain 1 surge at the start of each of your turns.
- You have corruption immunity equal to 5 + your level.
- Creatures gain an edge on strikes against you.
- You take a bane on Presence tests made to interact with other creatures.
6th-Level College Ability¶
6th-Level College Ability
Your shadow college grants your choice of one of two heroic abilities.
6th-Level Black Ash Abilities
Choose one of the following abilities.
Black Ash Eruption
Your attack produces a cloud of black ash that launches an enemy into the air.
A creature force moved by this ability must be moved straight upward.
Cinderstorm
You teleport your friends in a burst of ash and fire.
Each target can teleport up to 5 squares. For each target in addition to you who teleports away from or into a space adjacent to an enemy, that enemy takes fire damage equal to your Agility score. Additionally, a target who ends this movement in concealment or cover can use the Hide maneuver even if they are observed.
6th-Level Caustic Alchemy Abilities
Choose one of the following abilities.
One Vial Makes You Better
A well-timed throw of a potion will keep your allies in the fight.
You ready, hand, or lob a potion to each target, who can immediately quaff the potion (no action required). If they don't drink the potion right away, they must use the Use Consumable maneuver to consume it later. The potion loses its potency at the end of the encounter.
A creature who drinks the potion can spend up to 2 Recoveries, and has acid immunity, fire immunity, or poison immunity (their choice) equal to your level until the end of the encounter.
One Vial Makes You Faster
Each ally who catches a potion you throw can take the battle to the next level.
You ready, hand, or lob a potion to each target, who can immediately quaff the potion (no action required). If they don't drink the potion right away, they must use the Use Consumable maneuver to consume it later. The potion loses its potency at the end of the encounter.
A creature who drinks the potion receives benefits based on your power roll.
6th-Level Harlequin Mask Abilities
Choose one of the following abilities.
Look!
You distract your foes, allowing your allies to take advantage of that distraction.
Until the start of your next turn, any ability roll made against a target gains an edge.
Puppet Strings
You prick little needles on the tips of your fingers into the nerves of your enemies and cause them to lose control.
You choose the new targets for the original target's free strike or ability. Additionally, if you are hidden or disguised, using this ability doesn't cause you to be revealed.
7th-Level Features¶
As a 7th-level shadow, you gain the following features.
Characteristic Increase¶
Characteristic Increase
Each of your characteristic scores increases by 1, to a maximum of 4.
Keen Insight¶
Keen Insight
At the start of each of your turns during combat, you gain 1d3 + 1 insight instead of 1d3.
Skill¶
Skill
You gain one skill of your choice.
Careful Observation Improvement¶
Careful Observation Improvement
You can target two creatures simultaneously with your Careful Observation ability, observing both simultaneously. Making a strike against one target doesn't end your observation of the other target.
Ventriloquist¶
Ventriloquist
Whenever you communicate, you can throw your voice so that it seems to originate from a creature or object within 10 squares. If you are hidden, talking this way doesn't cause you to be revealed.
8th-Level Features¶
As an 8th-level shadow, you gain the following features.
Perk¶
Perk
You gain one perk of your choice.
8th-Level College Feature¶
8th-Level College Feature
Your shadow college grants you a feature, as shown on the 8th-Level College Features table.
8th-Level College Features Table
| College | Feature |
|---|---|
| Black Ash | Cinder Step |
| Caustic Alchemy | Time Bomb |
| Harlequin Mask | Parkour |
Cinder Step
Whenever you willingly move, you can teleport. When you teleport this way, it counts as using a shadow ability for the purpose of using your Burning Ash and Trail of Cinders features.
Parkour
Your movement no longer provokes opportunity attacks. Additionally, you can use your Harlequin Gambit feature as a free triggered action when a creature is reduced to 0 Stamina by your Clever Trick ability.
Time Bomb
You have damage immunity against area abilities and effects equal to your Agility score. You also have the following ability, which you can use once per round on your turn.
Time Bomb
The longer it cooks, the bigger the boom.
Each target takes acid, fire, or poison damage (your choice) equal to your Agility score.
For each combat round that has passed since this ability was last used in the current encounter, the area increases by 1 and you gain 1 surge that must be used with this ability. After using the ability or at the end of the encounter, its area and surges are reset.
11-Insight Ability¶
11-Insight Ability
Choose one heroic ability from the following options, each of which costs 11 insight to use.
Assassinate
A practiced attack will instantly kill an already weakened foe.
Shadowgrasp
The shadows around you give way, allowing the shadow creature within you to grasp at your foes.
Speed of Shadows
You make multiple strikes against a foe before they even notice they're dead.
You can use a strike signature ability four times, use a strike signature ability that gains an edge three times, or use a strike signature ability that has a double edge twice. You can shift up to 2 squares between each use.
They Always Line Up
You fire a projectile so fast that it passes through a line of foes, hamstringing them.
9th-Level Features¶
As a 9th-level shadow, you gain the following features.
Gloom Squad¶
Gloom Squad
At the start of each of your turns, you can forgo gaining insight to create 1d6 clones of yourself in unoccupied adjacent spaces. A clone acts on your turn and uses your statistics, except they have 1 Stamina. They are affected by any conditions and effects on you, and last until the start of your next turn. A clone doesn't have insight and can't use the Careful Observation ability, the Umbral Form feature, or any triggered actions. On their turn, a clone has a move action, a maneuver, and a main action that they can use only to make a free strike. While making a free strike, a clone must choose targets that you or another clone aren't also striking.
Outside of combat, you can have one clone active for every 2 Victories you have. If a clone is destroyed, you must wait 1 hour before creating another one.
9th-Level College Ability¶
9th-Level College Ability
Your shadow college grants your choice of one of two heroic abilities.
9th-Level Black Ash Abilities
Choose one of the following abilities.
Cacophony of Cinders
You tumble through the battle, stabbing foes and teleporting allies.
You shift up to twice your speed, making one power roll that targets each creature you come adjacent to during the shift.
Demon Door
You create a temporary portal to allow a massive demonic hand to reach through.
On a critical hit, the target is grabbed by the demon and pulled through the portal before it closes, never to be seen again.
9th-Level Caustic Alchemy Abilities
Choose one of the following abilities.
Chain Reaction
One explosion, an offense. Three explosions, an assault. Nine explosions, a celebration.
Each enemy within 3 squares of the target who is not currently targeted by this ability also becomes targeted by this ability. This effect continues until there are no more available targets. The ability deals acid, fire, or poison damage (your choice).
To the Stars
You attach your most potent explosive to your foe. Under less pressing circumstances, you're sure you could launch them into orbit.
The ground beneath a 3-cube area around the target's starting position is difficult terrain.
9th-Level Harlequin Mask Abilities
Choose one of the following abilities.
I Am You
Your mask reflects your foe's face. Surely they won't need it much longer.
Until the end of the encounter, you gain the target's damage immunities and speed (if they are better than yours), and can use any types of movement they can use. You can also use the target's signature ability, using their bonus for the power roll.
It Was Me All Along
After everything you've been through together, you twist the blade and make the pain extra personal.
If you are disguised as a creature the target knew using your I'm No Threat ability, this ability deals extra damage equal to three times your Agility score.
10th-Level Features¶
As a 10th-level shadow, you gain the following features.
Characteristic Increase¶
Characteristic Increase
Your Agility score increases to 5. Additionally, you can increase one of your characteristic scores by 1, to a maximum of 5.
Death Pool¶
Death Pool
The first time each combat round that you deal damage incorporating 1 or more surges, you gain 3 insight instead of 2.
Perk¶
Perk
You gain one perk of your choice.
Skill¶
Skill
You gain one skill of your choice.
Careful Observation Improvement¶
Careful Observation Improvement
You can target three creatures simultaneously with your Careful Observation ability.
Improved Umbral Form¶
Improved Umbral Form
You gain full control over the shadow creature you become with your Umbral Form feature, and you can end the transformation at will (no action required). Additionally, you are always wreathed in darkness that grants you concealment while in this form, and creatures no longer gain an edge on strikes against you.
While you are in your umbral form, you can spend 1 uninterrupted minute concentrating on a location where you've been before. At the end of that minute, you and each willing creature of your choice within 10 squares of you can teleport to unoccupied spaces of your choice within that location. Each creature who teleports this way is invisible for 1 hour or until they use an ability.
Subterfuge¶
Subterfuge
You have an epic resource called subterfuge. Each time you finish a respite, you gain subterfuge equal to the XP you gain. You can spend subterfuge on your abilities as if it were insight.
Additionally, you can spend subterfuge to take additional maneuvers on your turn. You can use one maneuver for each subterfuge you spend.
Subterfuge remains until you spend it.