Mysteries And Paths

Notes about Mysteries

  • Can be cast once per day if functioning as an arcane spell, two times per day if functioning as a spell-like ability, and three times per day if functioning as a supernatural ability.
  • Can be dismissed at will by the mystery user if it has a duration longer than instantaneous.
  • Functions in darkness or any sort of ambient light, even if the mystery describes the mystery user manipulating his or the subject's shadow. The mystery user's connection to the Plane of Shadow is so strong that he can manipulate a subject's "spiritual shadow" even where shadows cannot normally exist.
  • Requires a standard action to cast.
  • Requires somatic components if cast as an arcane spell.
  • Is subject to the same stacking rules as spells.
  • Does not easily interact with spells. Any attempt to use a mystery (such as shadows fade) to dispel a spell, or to use a spell (such as dispel magic) to dispel a mystery, takes a -4 penalty.
  • Can be identified with a Spellcraft check, but requires a different understanding of that skill. A mystery user with no levels in a spellcasting class takes a -4 penalty on Spellcraft checks made to identify spells. A spellcaster with no levels in a mystery-using class takes a -4 penalty on Spellcraft checks made to identify mysteries.
  • Cannot benefit from feats that enhance spells, such as metamagic feats, Ability Focus, or Empower Spell-Like Ability. Instead, mysteries benefit from metashadow feats.

Fundamental Mysteries

Arrow of Dusk: Ray deals 2d4 nonlethal, x3 crit.
Black Candle: As the spell darkness or light.
Caul of Shadow: Shadows grant deflection bonus to AC.
Liquid Night: Create ink by manifesting surrounding shadows.
Mystic Reflections: As the spell detect magic.
Shadow Hood: Subject takes -1 penalty on attack rolls and Dexterity-based checks.
Sight Obscured: +5 bonus on Hide, Sleight of Hand, or other checks to conceal your movements, actions, or presence.
Umbral Hand: As the spell mage hand, but can affect heavier objects and magic items.
Widened Eyes: Gain Low-light vision.

Apprentice Path Mysteries

Cloak of Shadows

  1. Steel Shadows: Gain +3 armor bonus and +3 shield bonus to AC.
  2. Sight Eclipsed: Hide even when observed.
  3. Sharp Shadows: Foes striking you take piercing damage.

Dark Terrain

  1. Carpet of Shadow: Transform the ground into shadow-stuff, impeding movement.
  2. Black Fire: Create fire in several squares that deals cold damage.
  3. Clinging Darkness: Root foes in place.

Ebon Whispers

  1. Voice of Shadow: As the spell command, but also affecting intelligent undead and constructs.
  2. Congress of Shadows: Hold two-way conversation at a distance.
  3. Flicker: Flash through several locations via conduits of shadow.

Eyes of Darkness

  1. Bend Perspective: Change point of view as though you were standing elsewhere.
  2. Piercing Sight: Gain darkvision 60 ft. and see invisible creatures.
  3. Killing Shadows: Gaze attack that deals damage.

Night's Long Fingers

  1. Quicker than the Eye: Gain bonus on Sleight of Hand checks; use Sleight of Hand at a distance.
  2. Trail of Haze: Touched target emits a trail of shadowy mist only you can see.
  3. Umbral Fist: Make special attacks at a distance.

Shutters and Clouds

  1. Dusk and Dawn: Create an area of shadowy illumination.
  2. Shadow Skin: Thicken your flesh with the power of shadow.
  3. Dancing Shadows: Make subjects harder to hit.

Touch of Twilight

  1. Life Fades: Deal nonlethal damage and cause fatigue.
  2. Flesh Fails: Deal minor ability damage.
  3. Umbral Touch: Deal damage and slow with a touch.

Umbral Mind

  1. Mesmerizing Shade: Daze subject for 1 round or cause -1 penalty on attack rolls, checks, saves.
  2. Thoughts of Shadow: Briefly enhance mental abilities.
  3. Afraid of the Dark: Create a shadowy reflection of the subject that deals ability damage.

Initiate Path Mysteries

Black Magic

4 Warp Spell: Steal the energy of another caster's mystery or spell.
5 Echo Spell: Repeat a mystery or spell cast in the previous round
6 Flood of Shadow: Casting in area is difficult; shadow mysteries and spells are empowered.

Body and Soul

4 Bolster: Grant subject temporary hit points.
5 Languor: Shadows weigh subjects down.
6 Shadow Investiture: Grant subject cold resistance 15, evasion, and ability to see in darkness.

Dark Reflections

4 Shadow Evocation: Mimic evocation below 5th level, but only 20% real.
5 Feign Life: Animate objects and give them concealment.
6 Shadow Evocation, Greater: Mimic evocation below 7th level, but only 60% real.

Darkened Alleys

4 Fearful Gloom: Area of shadow causes fear in all who enter.
5 Sickening Shadow: Area of shadow causes illness in all who enter.
6 Deadly Shade: Area of shadow enhances or dampens damage dealt within.

Ebon Roads

4 Step into Shadow: Short-range travel through shadow.
5 Pass into Shadow: As the spell plane shift, but must involve the Plane of Shadow.
6 Voyage into Shadow: As the spell shadow walk, but faster.

Elemental Shadows

4 Aura of Shade: Subject is protected from cold attacks and deals cold damage with attacks.
5 Dark Air or Water: As the spell control winds or control water.
6 Shadow Storm: Arcs of cold and electricity strike multiple targets.

Unbinding Shade

4 Shadows Fade: As the spell dispel magic.
5 Unravel Dweomer: As the spell break enchantment
6 Shadows Fade, Greater: As the spell greater dispel magic.

Veil of Shadows

4 Shadow Vision: Subject takes penalties on most actions and has 50% miss chance.
5 Curtain of Shadows: Block line of sight and deal cold damage.
6 Unveil: Remove many adverse conditions.

Master Paths

Breath of Twilight

7 Life Fades, Greater: As the mystery life fades, but more potent and affecting more subjects.
8 Flesh Fails, Greater: As the mystery flesh fails, but more potent and affecting more subjects.
9 Ephemeral Storm: Targets must save or die, success results in 5d6 damage.

Dark Metamorphosis

7: Ephemeral Image: Create a shadow duplicate through which you can cast your magic.
8: Umbral Body: Transform into an incorporeal being of shadow.
9: Shadow Time: Act freely for 3 rounds, as per the spell time stop.

Ebon Walls

7: Prison of Night: Entrap subject in a shadow prison.
8: Tomb of Night: Prison of shadow drains levels from subject inside.
9: Consume Essence: Slay creature and instantly reanimate it as a dark creature under your control.

Eyes of the Night Sky

7: Truth Revealed: As the spell true seeing, with additional, but possibly misleading, information.
8: Far Sight: As the spell greater scrying, in conjunction with the mystery truth revealed.
9: Reflections of Things to Come: Gain limited insight into the future.

Heart and Soul

7: Dark Soul: Compel a subject to attack a target of your choice.
8: Soul Puppet: As the spell dominate monster.
9: Shadow Surge: As the spell dominate monster, but affects multiple targets for 1 round.

Shadowscape

7: Grasping Shadows: Tendrils grapple foes and cause blindness.
8: Menagerie of Darkness: Transform nearby animals and vermin into shadow creatures and gain control over them.
9: Black Labyrinth: Shift portions of the real world into Shadow and vice-versa, creating a bewildering array of effects.

Shadow Calling

7: Summon Umbral Servant: Summon shadow elementals to serve you.
8: Shadow Plague: A cloud of shadow energy deals 4d6 cold damage/round.
9: Army of Shadow: Summon shadow elementals to serve you.