What were some of the problems you had with it?
Any particular totems that are better than the others?
I've never tried one, but it sounds like it has potential especially as you have tons of HP and good BAB (hmm trying to use Conductive weapons for multiple strength damage attack per round?) for your companion. How far would you want to go into Shadow Dancer though? After level 3 for the shadow companion it seems mostly down hill until the capstone, which though awesome, may not be worth an additional 7 levels of delayed barbarian class features.
Made this once. chaoseffect has it about right. After the third level in shadow dancer, you have a meh period where the 7 barbarian class levels are more enticing. As for totems I went the chaos line since the GM had lawful crusaders after me. Spirit totem seems like a strong option though.
I was thinking just the 3 levels.
I like the spirit totem for pure asthetic reasons.
Can you explain the conductive weapon to me? Any reason why the dm would say it doesn't work with the shadow, does it have to be ghost touch?
I was thinking just the 3 levels.
I like the spirit totem for pure asthetic reasons.
Can you explain the conductive weapon to me? Any reason why the dm would say it doesn't work with the shadow, does it have to be ghost touch?
A Conductive weapon lets you use a supernatural or spell like ability through it once per round as an additional effect to the attack, but yeah, it would need to be Ghost Touch too. Normally your shadow would only have one touch attack regardless of BAB, but you get additional attacks if you use weapons once you hit 6 BAB.
So if your shadow is equipped with two such weapons it could potentially deliver its strength damage attack twice per round (you can alternate which weapon you attack with, so you are not actually using the two weapon fighting rules so no negatives) instead of once, but at the cost of needing specific and expensive (depending on level) magic weapons and needing to hit normal AC instead of touch; those two downsides make it rather iffy but still intriguing.
Would the damage done be the normal 1d6 or the weapon damage or the regular weapon damage and the 1d6 strength damage
Would the damage done be the normal 1d6 or the weapon damage or the regular weapon damage and the 1d6 strength damage
It would deal both normal weapon damage and its 1d6 strength damage. The weapon damage is pretty much nothing due to having no strength score, but is instead just a vehicle to deliver multiple strength damaging effects in a single round.
Would it be possible to do normal attack and conductive weapon attack?
I don't believe so, but I'm hazy on the rules concerning creatures that get odd attacks like shadows. If incorporeal touches counted as natural attacks then you could combine it with a weapon attack, but I have no idea if it would or not. I'm assuming not though.
That's really expensive way to miss since he is now subject to full AC instead of touch ac. A barbarian could make a good shadowdancer... Recomend human ur gonna need the feats.... Also urban barbarian could rate for dex to increase stealth... Then rage for str to attack.
If ur focus is the shadow companion though ranger is better due to 2 good saves.... There's a guide.
I'm going to advise a reach build, for several reasons.
For one, you already have combat reflexes due to your goals. Throw on power attack, and you have the basics down pat.
Next, reach is great for when enemies inadvertently walk through your threatened area.
Finally, my usual reach build advice particularly goes true for a shadow dancer- get lunge. Lunge lets you full attack anything in a 45' wide circle when you use a reach weapon. That is great for getting damage in while hidden. Also, lunge is great for reach since it lets you leave enemies right outside your threatened area at the end of your turn (instead of in 5' step range like normal). That guarantees that means most enemies have to eat a AoO and lose their full attack to get to you.
The new fortuitous weapon property lets you get in a second AoO 1/round, but at BAB-5. Basically, it means you get the better part of a full attack on an AoO. And this is only a +1 property. It means that enemies really suffer hard for messing with you...and just moving around at all is leaving them open for such a chance since they can't keep track of you.
Also note that the Conductive weapon wielding Shadow idea isn't necessarily a good idea, as Duncan888 brought up, so much as an intriguing one.
The main thing that kept me off barbarian is the inability to use Hide in Plain Sight in combat, since you can't stealth while raging.
There is a trait that solves that problem. Coherent rage lets you use stealth, escape artist, bluff, or handle animal (you only get 1 of those). It seems like a fairly basic trait, and rather much a prerequisite for mounted or animal using builds.