Shadow summon theme
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The description from the shadow sorcerer theme states that shadow magic is not evil, and that the plane of shadow is neutral-aligned. Where I would like some clarification is on the summoned shadow. Meta gaming being what it is, people are looking at the blue text "shadow fiend" above the head of my summons creature and jumping to the conclusion that my non-evil character and his shadow needs smiting. Now I've been playing this concept off as the shadow being his actual animated shadow and getting some good laughs and rp out of it. That all went to hell today when the characters I was traveling with decided I was an evil necromancer and with little to no role playing went into smite mode for the win. I have not been treating this summon as an undead and I would like to know what the creators of this theme intended it to be. My concept didn't encompass evil necromancer even a little, so I'm going to have to make a decision on whether or not to scrap the character based on how this goes. Personally I don't think the shadow should be considered undead.
To the characters I was with when this happened -
I was a little surprised to be honest. I've interacted with almost all of you with other characters in the past and know you to be, for the most part, good role playing friends. Give a guy a chance to type a little bit eh? Type back - converse and all that. -
While I can't speak for the DMs intention, all shadows are undead and chaotic evil in PnP. This does not, however, mean that your character is evil or even that he knows much about whatever it is he is summoning. Sorcerers don't have much control over their powers.
Easy fix: seek out a scholar in-game to find out about this and explain it to your paladin enemies. Should likely get you clear of the smiting, even if they would still disapprove of your character calling upon the things.
My two coppers.
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With this you'll have to play it out in game. After playing the first shadow adept on the server from my experience people will treat you strangly anyway, even hostile. And to clarify, Polaris made this class for RP purposes. So therefore some characters will behave negatively agaisnt you and your "shadow". Some people are ignorant of the planes and magic, so what may be good for you may be evil for some. Which is why the DM had a few elven NPC's brand me as a necromancer too (viewtopic.php?t=143558&p=822405&hilit=Shadow+necromancer#p822405).
So with that, its a handle it IG type of class.
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I'm hearing you brock. I got a tell from one of the characters after the attack on the shadow essentially stating that the description above its head says shadow fiend, so it's an undead whether I want it to be or not. Meta gaming descriptions is nothing new on coa, but short of getting the name changed, I'm not sure what to do. Clarification is needed ooc for this I think. I'm digging the whole rp aspect of the class. It's the only reason I roled the character. I've been playing the shadow differently than a summoned undead and for the last month folks have been playing along. Today I was trying to "Play it out" when my party quick hostiles me and attacked. I would have liked to see some rp come of it instead of reacting to the little blue words over the shadows head.
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The Shadow plane is neutral.
Most Magic relating to the plane of shadow is illusion using the stuff of the plane to make semi solid illusions. These are not evil, nor are they in any way inherently linked to negative energy.
The Summon of the shadow Adept, however summons a Shadow. These beings, whilst native to a neutral plane, are both evil, and undead. A shadow being created when another shadow fully drains the life from a living creature.
Sadly having shadow adepts simply create illusionary summons would have involved far far far too much scripting, and likely would not have worked correctly anyway. So instead shadow adepts use conjuration to summon a shadow from the plane.
Thus you ARE summoning an undead creature, and it can be classed as necromancy by the laws of the city, and the opinions of various anti undead groups.
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Appreciating the input so far. Thanks guys. If the shadow is intended to be evil-undead, then I'm going to have to make some adjustments to my concept. I can roll with this I think.
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Yes, shadows are inherently evil. And while all common sense is that they are not an actual undead being, some genius couldn't figure out a different category for them, so they got stuck with the undead subtype. But play it how you want, our characters aren't born with DnD Source books in their inventory.
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Yeah, their lore has struck me they should be an Outsider or even an Elemental (if we consider negative energy an element or para-element), but they've been typified as undead in D&D.
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Yes, shadows are inherently evil. And while all common sense is that they are not an actual undead being, some genius couldn't figure out a different category for them, so they got stuck with the undead subtype. But play it how you want, our characters aren't born with DnD Source books in their inventory.
This about sums up how it should be viewed. Your character (or anyone's for that matter) will not have a full and complete insight into the Shadow Plane. Some people may view it as evil and the act of summoning it just as evil. Some people will not care. Your character may well believe it's his own Shadow jumping off the ground to help.
Any way you flip it, a Shadow is "evil" to some degree, whether that be mischievous (Peter Pan's Shadow) or flat out bloodthirsty (Shadow/Dark Link). Expect a variety of reactions, as well. Some people have fought Shadows before and may well distrust your character's ability to summon them.
End fact of the matter, however, is that no ones character knows the specifics (though they may grow to learn), and even if the player behind the character knows, it shouldn't change the outcome of the interaction.
And, as a further example: We, as players, know that Metallic Dragons tend to be of Goodly alignments; however, if a Silver Dragon landed in the middle of Arabel, everyone would freak out and likely react the same if a White Dragon landed.
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They are not like many undead creatures, but they are certainly undead still.
They are drawn to the living and drain the life from them. Once a victim dies from their attacks the victim then rises again as a Shadow himself. Each shadow was once a living creature, and has become a mindless shadow after his death.
They share more in common with wraiths and spectres than zombies and skeletons, but they are certainly undead creatures.
That said, the plane of shadow is home to many many creatures, most of which are not undead, nor evil. Unfortunately Shadows are just the most commonly encountered so some people are unaware of this.
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Most Magic relating to the plane of shadow is illusion using the stuff of the plane to make semi solid illusions. These are not evil, nor are they in any way inherently linked to negative energy.
Just to clarify, negative energy is not evil, nor is positive energy good. It's just energy, like fire or cold energies.
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^ Also Divine energy is just uhm, Divine. Evil gods whip it about as much as good ones.
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A Shadow is a undead from the plane of shadow
A Shade is a outsider from the plane of Shadow
They can be easy to get mixed up.
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A Shadow is a undead from the plane of shadow
A Shade is a outsider from the plane of Shadow
They can be easy to get mixed up.
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A Shadow is a undead from the plane of shadow
A Shade is a outsider from the plane of Shadow
They can be easy to get mixed up.
That may be true, but "Shade" is not a creature in NWN.. just saying.
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But you can make a shadow and rename it a Shade.
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One thing I would add about this particular cirsumstance - This summon did happen in the presence of both a Knight of the Red Hart and a Knight of the Eternal Order. I don't think it takes meta gaming for either to react hostily to the presence of a shadow that acts of its own accord. Especially in the middle of a hunt for a necromancer!
That being said, I was a bit sad they ordered us to attack, because I think your concept is fun!
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A shade is the product of an empowerment ritual performed by the netherese in the desert >_>
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I feel you, I quit my shadow adept for this exact reason. I didn't want to play an evil necromancer concept and I roleplayed that my summoned shadow of my character Ravor was my exact shadow named Rovar. I never summoned it in town but I was the subject of hate, ridicule, and attacks by lumomancers and Lathanderites on a daily basis. When it got to the point that my neutral-aligned sorcerer who was just trying to research the plane of shadows and prove not all shadow adapts are evil, would have to become a villain just to survive without getting ganked, I quit the concept. I don't like playing a character that I cannot have any say in and their personality is dictated outside of my control. I can understand where you are coming from and I hope you have better luck than I do.
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@DnD:
"Shadows are a form of incorporeal undead that resembles nothing more than their namesake. These wraith-like creatures exist to slay living beings, which they hate and desire to feed upon. When a shadow touches a living creature it saps the strength of the being. Any living creature slain by a shadow rises as a shadow soon afterwards."
That's pretty straightforward. Undead. Evil. Don't summon them in front of people who might smite you for summoning undead.
And Shades aren't creatures in NWN to summon, because they aren't creatures at all. They're people who've undergone a painful process to have part of their soul replaced with essence of shadow. And in the DnD verse, generall speaking - anytime you start replacing parts of your soul with things that aren't your soul, you're acts are going to be considered evil.
If you want to RP that you're animating your own actual shadow, then you're in an entirely new ballgame. And you need to make it very clear that's what you're doing. (And maybe get with a DM about it, too?) Because in game, "Casting Summon Creature III" - Resulting in "Summons a Shadow" - results in people going, "OMG YOU SUMMONED A SHADOW!"