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A demigoddess in my campaign uses a technique called Shadow Iaijitsu that combines quick reflexes and illusory magic to strike so fast that an opponent never even notices you drawn your blade. The goddess mastered this technique to a degree where victims don't realize they've been mortally wounded after long after she dealt a killing blow to them.
After becoming the goddess's herald and loving shadow iaijitsu, the magus in my campaign now wants to learn this technique. So I must figure out how it works.
So what do you think of my initial draft? There's a lot of ways this ability could be implemented, but I decided to try making them spells.
I'd rather see them done as style feats, honestly.
That or as martial maneuvers, I mean bladed dash already exists for a spell type deal of the same vein and this really sounds like something of a hybrid Mithral Current + Veiled Moon kind of strike.
Good to have some free shadow iaijitsu stuff out there. ;)
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I like the idea of a fighting style that is based on using invisible weapons (I've always thought that a character who uses invisibility on their sword should gain some kind of advantage).
I guess it makes sense to implement the concept in the form of spells if it is meant for a magus character, but wouldn't the act of casting the spell give away its purpose, at least to somebody who succeeds at their Spellcraft check? And in many other tense situations where this spell would come in handy, casting a spell would likely be considered an aggressive move that initiates hostilities. So it is mostly aimed at assassins, who no longer have to rely on killing their target with the first strike (which admittedly is difficult to pull off at higher levels) or can get away before anyone notices that the target is dead (including the target themselves). I think such a spell is more useful as a plot device than as a tool in the hands of the average adventurer.
I'm pretty sure that the illusion subschools are mutually exclusive, but I could see an argument to be made that the different aspects of the spell represent different kinds of illusion magic (hiding the weapon attack is a glamer effect whereas the target not dying from the wound is a shadow effect). It still violates basic design principles, though.
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I like the idea of a fighting style that is based on using invisible weapons (I've always thought that a character who uses invisibility on their sword should gain some kind of advantage).
I guess it makes sense to implement the concept in the form of spells if it is meant for a magus character, but wouldn't the act of casting the spell give away its purpose, at least to somebody who succeeds at their Spellcraft check? And in many other tense situations where this spell would come in handy, casting a spell would likely be considered an aggressive move that initiates hostilities. So it is mostly aimed at assassins, who no longer have to rely on killing their target with the first strike (which admittedly is difficult to pull off at higher levels) or can get away before anyone notices that the target is dead (including the target themselves). I think such a spell is more useful as a plot device than as a tool in the hands of the average adventurer.
I'm pretty sure that the illusion subschools are mutually exclusive, but I could see an argument to be made that the different aspects of the spell represent different kinds of illusion magic (hiding the weapon attack is a glamer effect whereas the target not dying from the wound is a shadow effect). It still violates basic design principles, though.
Good points. Perhaps I should make them ruse spells that fool onlookers into thinking you're casting true strike or a self-buff spell? The subschool thing is definitely a mistake. I should either make it an illusion (shadow) spell or an illusion (glamer) spell with the shadow descriptor. I want to keep shadow as part of the technique since the goddess is one of shadow and mystery
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Good points. Perhaps I should make them ruse spells that fool onlookers into thinking you're casting true strike or a self-buff spell? The subschool thing is definitely a mistake. I should either make it an illusion (shadow) spell or an illusion (glamer) spell with the shadow descriptor. I want to keep shadow as part of the technique since the goddess is one of shadow and mysteryI like the idea of a fighting style that is based on using invisible weapons (I've always thought that a character who uses invisibility on their sword should gain some kind of advantage).
I guess it makes sense to implement the concept in the form of spells if it is meant for a magus character, but wouldn't the act of casting the spell give away its purpose, at least to somebody who succeeds at their Spellcraft check? And in many other tense situations where this spell would come in handy, casting a spell would likely be considered an aggressive move that initiates hostilities. So it is mostly aimed at assassins, who no longer have to rely on killing their target with the first strike (which admittedly is difficult to pull off at higher levels) or can get away before anyone notices that the target is dead (including the target themselves). I think such a spell is more useful as a plot device than as a tool in the hands of the average adventurer.
I'm pretty sure that the illusion subschools are mutually exclusive, but I could see an argument to be made that the different aspects of the spell represent different kinds of illusion magic (hiding the weapon attack is a glamer effect whereas the target not dying from the wound is a shadow effect). It still violates basic design principles, though.
What about making it a feat chain that requires the user to use the shadow-type spells? Like being able to combine them with stuff like Still and Silent spell while creating a shadow-weapon type deal for a reduced price at first, and higher up the chain you can do so as part of an attack action with spellstrike and stuff?
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I'm not really sure how a feat chain would work out especially since the main ability is being able to shadow iaijitsu strike. I'm struggling to imagine it.
I could definitely see a Path of War disipline centered around the demigoddess's fighting technique, but that might be a bit overkill.
I think a set of 3 style feats would be better, and open up the abilities to a greater range of classes/builds.
Keep the same general abilities, have the prereqs be something like the ability to cast arcane spells, caster level instead of BAB, quick draw, and weapon focus.
Dot for cool concept.
I'm not really sure how a feat chain would work out especially since the main ability is being able to shadow iaijitsu strike. I'm struggling to imagine it.
I could definitely see a Path of War disipline centered around the demigoddess's fighting technique, but that might be a bit overkill.
Well I was meaning something linked to the Shadow Weapon spell in particular in the vein the Style feats Johnnycat is talking about. For a magus in particular maybe something like
Shadow Iaijitsu Style
Prerequisites: Ability to cast Shadow Weapon, must possess an Arcane Pool and the Spell Combat class ability.
Special:This style is reserved only to those who are gifted with it's knowledge, and thus cannot be learned without being taught by another who already knows it, or it's creator.
Benefit: When the character chooses to cast the Shadow Weapon spell as part of Spell Combat, she may immediately make an attack with the created weapon, as well as spend a point of her Arcane Pool to enhance it. Any enhancement bonus given through this style also increases the DC to disbelieve the weapon by an equal amount.
At least this was an idea that jumped out at me lol. The later two feats could improve it's innate abilities, make it work with spellstrike as well to double up on action economy or something to make for some really explosive "One cut One Kill" type combos when it looks like the person was originally totally unarmed, then boom suddenly shadow sword.
If it has to be a shadow spell, maybe it could work like this:
-the spell only functions in areas of dim light or darkness
-the spell animates the caster's shadow, which attacks with a shadow replica of the caster's weapon
-the spell's duration changes to [1 minute/level until discharged], respectively [1 minute/level until discharged, then 1 round/level] for the higher-level version (allowing a set-up where the act of spell-casting is unobserved)
-the spell can be discharged as part of the Initiative check (situationally powerful, but you'd have to be in melee reach; higher level versions of the spell could grant reach)
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Here's an attempt designing the ability as feats. I'm not sure how I feel about it.