Getting the most out of Shadow Companion


Advice


Tips, Tricks, ideas, strategies; Share your wisdom

I'm entering Shadowdancer soon, and I'm intrigued by the potential of this feature.
I'm curious to know if it can be somehow enhanced statwise, and what strategies can be adopted with the help of a shadow companion.

First, bonuses:

-Is there any way to grant the shadow companion additional feats? (namely, I'm interested in teamwork feats and defensive feats)

-Can it wear magic items? Can it pass through walls when wearing magic items? Does a Ghost Touch Gauntlet allow it to interact with physical objects? How about bringing stuff with it?

-I believe the shadow doesn't get extra attacks when the BaB rises, because Natural Weapons do not have iteratives. But I also believe it gets extra attacks from Haste and the likes. Does it?

-In your personal opinion, should a Shadowdancer be allowed to precisely control the shadow's acttions in combat and during exploration

---

Second, ideas:

Other than Scouting, Flanking, Strength sapping and Aid Another, are there more creative uses of this creature that you have thought or seen at a table?


1. Doesn't seem that way. Its a strange companion in that it takes the shadow creature from the bestiary and simply replaces a few of their stats. You could potentially have a creature with over a hundred health, but only a few hit die. No other class feature operates like this, to my knowledge.

2. It can't wear magic items, as it is an incorporeal creature from the bestiary, and can't take feats that would open item slots.

3. Not entirely certain it's attack is a natural attack, but if it does, then that is how it works. "When making a full attack action, a hasted creature may make one extra attack with one natural or manufactured weapon."

4. A shadow has an int of 6, making it far smarter than any animal companion and most familiars. RAW, I think the GM is supposed to control companions. But given that the shadow is implied to be a part of you, given that its alignment matches yours despite technically being undead, and its stats are derived from yours, I'd be fine with its nature basically always lining up with yours, and giving you control.

As for recommendations,pick the slayer class. Its got arguably the most damage built into its core of any class, great hit points, skills to spare, access to the ranger weapon training to bypass stat requirements, and a ton of cool abilities while being full BAB. Many of these things will benefit your shadow, and nothing stops you from being the sort of shadowdancer that has high strength and wields a two handed weapon. After all, you have a scout and flying attacker built into your class. Also, remember that you can send your shadow into the ground tile beneath an opponent and slowly claw away at their strength. Breaking line of sight and gaining full cover is often worth attacking through cover against an opponent who can really damage your shadow.


[OT]

I am in fact playing a Slayer with the Stygian Archetype, Dex based - with a couple dips. It's not a very standardized build, but overall my stats and dpr are in the mid-to-high tier given my level (according to various threads about optimal performance per level in various aspects) and I'm quite satisfied with it

[/OT]

Keeping the shadow in the wall or below the ground is a solid tactic, I already thought of doing that, but it's also a little obvious.

I'm trying to discover obscure, original things that only an incorporeal creature can do!

By the way, a question is missing in opening post:

What effects exist that increase the shadow's strangth damage?

i.e. if I wear Gloves of Marking, will the shadow deal more damage? What if we have a bard singing?


i think with ghost touch gloves it can touch corpreal no?

also, it's a super scout. go into the wall, and return to report.
i plan on a very weird character soon, a mounted halfling with 1 dip into shadow dancer. (ranger as base class).
ranger will either charge for X3 damage, seek traps as scout (urban ranger and hide in plain sight), send in the shadow and much much more.
the mount, with boon companion will be -2 levels, but still decent.

another path, is a cavalier emissary . so many free feats.... but no trap finding...

you need to be wary, the shadow doesnt have THAT much HP , and if you annoy the DM too much.... a few incorporeal of super clerics will blast it away.

Liberty's Edge

Well, hit points is all your base class can give the shadow, so I have always wanted to try a barbarian.

I was thinking a gnome URBAN (increase dex when raging) barbarian with good dexterity (choose slashing grace etc and have a dex focused build), good constitution (to keep your HP and the shadows HP high), and good charisma (many shadowdancer abilities key off of charisma.)

Also, you don't see too many gnome barbarians, so you get to have a little fun being unusual.

Liberty's Edge

Maybe with stats (20 point buy):
STR: 8
DEX: 16
CON: 18
INT: 8
WIS: 10
CHA: 14

Just think how beefy your shadow is going to be with you having that 18 starting con! And you aren't too bad when raging with the dex increase.

Plus, you get to roleplay a gnome raging. Could anything possibly be more fun than that?


Builds are interesting but I am currently playing this character, it already exists.
I appreciate the character build ideas and I might use them in the future but this wasn't really what I was asking.

The Exchange

I don't think you can give him teamwork feats outside of those "grant party teamwork feats for a min" -I.e holy tactician paladin.

Arcane spells like resist energy, stoneskin, blur will do your shadow good.

Wearing items is a gray area, ghost touch or not - clear it with your GM first.


Recently I found amulet of grasping souls that allows my shadow to manipulate and transport objects, and even be equipped

With that in mind, what would you equip a shadow with?


I would boost it's AC and saves. That shirt that allows an extra move action is also a nice thing to have.

Liberty's Edge

Well, it does say "Summon Shadow": "At 3rd level, a shadowdancer can summon a shadow, an undead shade. Unlike a normal shadow, this shadow's alignment matches that of the shadowdancer, and the creature cannot create spawn. The summoned shadow receives a +4 bonus on Will saves made to halve the damage from positive channeled energy and the shadow cannot be turned or commanded. This shadow serves as a companion to the shadowdancer and can communicate intelligibly with the shadowdancer. This shadow has a number of hit points equal to half the shadowdancer's total. The shadow uses the shadowdancer's base attack bonus and base save bonuses.

If a shadow companion is destroyed, or the shadowdancer chooses to dismiss it, the shadowdancer must attempt a DC 15 Fortitude save. If the saving throw fails, the shadowdancer gains one permanent negative level. A successful saving throw avoids this negative level. A destroyed or dismissed shadow companion cannot be replaced for 30 days."

So it might be a summoned creature.

So possibly you can apply:

Feat Moonlight Summons: "Creatures you summon shed light as a light spell. They are immune to confusion and sleep effects, and their natural weapons are treated as silver for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction."

Starlight Summons: " Creatures you summon gain the Blind-Fight feat, a +5 bonus to Perception and Stealth checks in dim light or darkness, and their natural weapons are treated as cold iron for overcoming damage reduction." <-- This might be useful as shadows are stealthy.

Sunlight Summons: "Creatures that you summon shed light as a light spell. They are immune to blinding or dazzling effects, and their natural weapons are treated as magical for overcoming damage reduction."


Indeed it seems like it's a summoned creature,

However,

I am not playing a spellcaster, and the kind of suggestions I'm looking for are not build-related but actual in-game actions :)

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