So, I love the shadow dancer.
I know they are not the strongest PrC by ALONG SHOT, but I still love them.
So the question I have, what is the best/most intersting class to enter the Shadowdancer class with?
So far I have been partial to Magus and Inquistor as base class entries.
Paladin has merit with it's cha synergy.
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I like the theme of Shadowdancer, wish the mechanics would follow but anyway:
-Bard has the cha synergy and with archetypes like Archaeologist, Arcane Duelist or Sandman brings useful tools to the shadowdancer.
-Monk well , you are a monk striking from the shadows!
-Sorcerer , I wouldn't recommend the shadow bloodline, as you get most of the bloodline abilities as part of your prc. You might as well go with arcane to get invisibility as a bonus spell.
There was this guide awhile ago where u use a ranger or fighter that focuses on two handed weapons, possibly even reach weapons
I like the ranger (guide archetype) as chassis--2 good saves, full BAB, extra feats, 6+INT skills; go up to lvl 6 for best benefits.
Ruyan.
Do any of the new Advanced Class Guide classes look promising?
Paladin has merit with it's cha synergy.
That seems like an interesting case. The main objection one might have with this approach would be that shadows are undead...but due to how their loss can cause a negative level, and you need a month to recover before making a new one, you could say that the shadow is made from your own shadow. So there is room for arguing over whether it is moral or not.
There might also be objections about stealth being 'dishonorable'. But I kind of dislike the idea of paladins as knights in shining armor that simply go CHARGECHARGECHARGE. With the varying codes between orders and religions, it would be easy (particularly for a holy tactician) to play it as a fantasy equivalent of a SWAT team member. It simply comes down to giving a chance to surrender and protecting the innocents. Once that is handled, the specifics can be...flexible.
Plus, unlike many of the suggested classes, its natural spell casting is not really enough to discourage a multiclass.
Do any of the new Advanced Class Guide classes look promising?
Now that you mention it, the slayer actually looks pretty nifty for the class. Of the remaining classes from ACG, the swashbuckler is pretty nifty. The bloodrager would be... interesting. Especially with the Arcane bloodline (when you rage you can be a shadowdancing blurred and hasted monstrosity? sounds good lol)
Paladin has merit with it's cha synergy.That seems like an interesting case. The main objection one might have with this approach would be that shadows are undead...but due to how their loss can cause a negative level, and you need a month to recover before making a new one, you could say that the shadow is made from your own shadow. So there is room for arguing over whether it is moral or not.
There might also be objections about stealth being 'dishonorable'. But I kind of dislike the idea of paladins as knights in shining armor that simply go CHARGECHARGECHARGE. With the varying codes between orders and religions, it would be easy (particularly for a holy tactician) to play it as a fantasy equivalent of a SWAT team member. It simply comes down to giving a chance to surrender and protecting the innocents. Once that is handled, the specifics can be...flexible.
Plus, unlike many of the suggested classes, its natural spell casting is not really enough to discourage a multiclass.
Paladin/Shadowdancer is a good (or at least flavorful) way to make a Shadow or Batman-like character.
Paladin and a 1 level dip for Oracle of Lore mystery; get Sidestep Secret and, via Extra Revelation, Lore Keeper to get Charisma to AC, Reflex Save, and all Intelligence checks. Scion of War gets you Charisma in place of Dex on Initiative. Then, dip 2 levels of Archivist Bard to get Bardic Knowledge and the better Lore Mastery, giving you +1 to all knowledge checks and being able to Take 20 on Knowledge once per day. Alternatively, go vanilla bard to retain Versatile Performance and use Dance in place of both Acrobatics and Fly (since you're subbing out things that rely on Dex for Cha). If you're worried about all the class dipping, go Half-Elf and pick up Multi-talented Mastery to treat all classes as favored classes. So you'll have Cha to Knowledge checks, AC, Reflex Saves (x2), Fort and Will saves (x1), and Fly/Acrobatics (indirectly) so you can essentially leave Int, Dex, and Wis at 10, leaving you with only Str, Con, and Cha to worry about. Grab a 2-h weapon and call yourself the Darkshine Paladin.
That actually sounds pretty cool xD
I think you're overestimating CHA for a whatever/shadowdancer. Synergy? The SD gets max 5 uses of Shadow Illusion per day, 4 uses of Shadow Call, and 2 uses of Shadow Power.
Shadow Illusion either rocks or you'll never use it due to your GM.
While the list for (Greater) Shadow Call is rather long and has some nice spells on it, you'll never turn your whatever/shadowdancer into a caster; rather the spells are a source for much needed utility.
Also, take a look at what levels you gain the spell-like abilities.
Thus, it seems to me CHA is much more useful to your chassis class than to SD itself; which would lead to the question: why pick up a PrC in the first place?
Now, if your GM is fine with class hopping, then it's definitely a nice way to max effectiveness of your mix. Otherwise picking a full BAB class and grabbing a 2-handed (reach) weapon, enjoying your vulnerable flanking buddy and hopping around the battlefield seems the way to go--with added utility via the SP.
Ruyan.
If you go with at least 4 levels of paladin, oath of vengeance is a good archetype to pick up. You'll only have about 2d6 of healing from lay on hands, so being able to swap out your LoH uses for more smites is nice. It helps make up for having so few smites per day.
*Puffs in*
I prefer ninja/shadow dancer, but then again anything with a ninja is awesome.
*Puffs out*