General Prestige Class : Shadow Sentinel
"In the darkest hour, an the darkest place, I guard the ramparts and make sure no one threatens our homeland." - Blackpennant Thautar, illumian shadow sentinel
Shadow sentinels are elite illumian warriors who protect their people from githyanki raiders, demonic invasions, and hordes of barely imaginable monsters from the Plane of Shadow. They have learned to imbue their weapons with shadowstuff itself, causing them to flow like quicksilver, then strike as the hardest steel.
Becoming A Shadow Sentinel
The most straightforward path to sentinelhood is to attain 5th level as a fighter and then convince the sentinel leaders in Elirhondas that you have what it takes to defend illumian lands against monstrous invasion. The entry Requirements for the prestige class are broad enough that illumians from almost any class can eventually qualify. Because illumians often multiclass anyway, it's not unheard of for spellcasters to join the ranks of the sentinels, even though the prestige class doesn't offer advanced spellcasting power.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Shadow Sentinel, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Race: Illumian
- Skills: Weapon Focus (any slashing weapon)
- Base Attack Bonus: +5.
- Special: Must pass combat examination from sentinel leaders.
Class Skills
The shadow sentinel's class skills are Climb, Craft, Intimidate, Jump, Listen, Ride, Spot, and Swim.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
The shadow sentinel's class features focus almost entirely on wielding the umbral blade given to each new member.
Shadow Points (Su): Upon entering this class, you gain a reservoir of shadow essence that you can draw upon to power your class features. This reserve increases in size as you advance in level; the table below indicates your daily limit of shadow energy. It takes 8 hours of rest to restore your shadow points to their maximum. Spending shadow points is a swift action.
Umbral Blade (Su): As a new member of the class, you receive an umbral blade in an elaborate ceremony conducted in the Tombs of the Brave in Elirhondas. In the hands of anyone not trained in its use, an umbral blade is merely a weapon with a +1 enhancement bonus made of some unusually dark, oily metal. An umbral blade may be any kind of slashing melee weapon, from a dagger to a longsword to a greataxe; each new shadow sentinel can choose the specific weapon. You can infuse the umbral blade with the power of shadow itself, unlocking greater powers. Your umbral blade acts as a lens, focusing your power to accomplish feats no other weapon can match.
In time, your umbral blade grows in power as you become more familiar with it. At 4th level, your umbral blade gains a +2 enhancement bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls. The enhancement bonus rises to +3 at 6th level, +4 at 8th level, and +5 at 10th level. This enhancement bonus only applies when you wield it; for any other character it is only a +1 weapon.
You can't add other special properties or powers to your umbral blade.
You can have only one umbral blade at a time. If you lose your umbral blade, you can transform any slashing melee weapon that has at least a +1 enhancement bonus into a new umbral blade (with all the appropriate powers for your class level) by meditating and infusing the blade with the power of shadow. Doing this costs 100 XP, takes 24 hours, and uses up all your shadow points for that day.
Morphic Blade (Su): Even as a beginning shadow sentinel, you have rudimentary control over your umbral blade. You can spend 1 shadow point to change the dimensions of your weapon, turning it into a slashing melee weapon of your choice (sized appropriately for you). This change lasts for 24 hours or until you change the umbral blade's dimensions again, whichever comes first.
At 5th level, you can spend 3 shadow points to allow your umbral blade to mimic a special material (such as adamantine, silver, or cold iron). This effect lasts for 1 minute per class level. Your umbral blade retains the normal hardness and hit points for a weapon of its type.
At 9th level, you can spends shadow points to allow your umbral blade to mimic a specific alignment (chaos, evil, good, or law) for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. This effect lasts for 1 minute per class level. If the weapon has a different alignment (such as granted by your race or subtype), the new one suppresses the original alignment for the duration of the effect.
Shadowstrike (Su): You can spend 1 shadow point to momentarily turn your umbral blade into fluid shadowstuff, enabling you to pierce an opponent's defenses. Your next attack with your umbral blade (if made before the start of your next turn) is treated as a touch attack. The attack even ignores any AC bonus from cover (except total cover) that the target may have, since the blade's fluid nature allows it to reach around barriers.
Shadowbane (Su): At 2nd level and higher, you can spend 1 shadow point to grant your umbral blade the equivalent of the bane special ability against evil outsiders and against creatures native to the Plane of Shadow. The effect lasts for 1 round per class level.
Shadowsharp (Su): At 3rd level and higher, you can spend 1 shadow point to double the threat range of your umbral blade. This benefit is the equivalent of the keen special ability. The effect lasts for 1 minute per class level.
Shadow Drain (Su): At 7th level and higher, you can spend 1 or more shadow points when striking a living creature with your umbral blade. The attack permanently drains 1 point of Strength from the target per shadow point spent. You can spend a maximum number of shadow points per round on this ability equal to one-half your class level.
| Shadow Sentinel | Hit Die: d10 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | Points |
| 1st | +1 | +2 | +2 | +0 | Umbral blade +1, morphic blade (type), shadowstrike | 1 |
| 2nd | +2 | +3 | +3 | +0 | Shadowbane | 3 |
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +3 | +1 | Shadowsharp | 5 |
| 4th | +4 | +4 | +4 | +1 | Umbral blade +2 | 7 |
| 5th | +5 | +4 | +4 | +1 | Morphic blade (material) | 9 |
| 6th | +6 | +5 | +5 | +2 | Umbral blade +3 | 11 |
| 7th | +7 | +5 | +5 | +2 | Shadow drain | 13 |
| 8th | +8 | +6 | +6 | +2 | Umbral blade +4 | 15 |
| 9th | +9 | +6 | +6 | +3 | Morphic blade (alignment) | 17 |
| 10th | +10 | +7 | +7 | +3 | Umbral blade +5 | 19 |
Source: Races of Destiny