Shadow walk

[Nimor Starseeker]

What kind of action is it to exit shadow wall?

I want to use my nightmare ettercaps to shadow wack out of players spell black tentacles spell and position them adjecent to player characters on shadow plane .Then following turn: exit shadow planes and full attack if possible or if I have to use a move action to exit shadow plane, just do a single attack.

Spell for reference:

Shadow Walk
School illusion (shadow) [shadow]; Level alchemist 6, bard 5, sorcerer/wizard 6; Domain darkness 6; Bloodline dreamspun 6; Mystery shadow 6

CASTING

Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S

EFFECT

Range touch
Targets up to one touched creature/level
Duration 1 hour/level (D)
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes

DESCRIPTION

To use the shadow walk spell, you must be in an area of dim light. You and any creature you touch are then transported along a coiling path of shadowstuff to the edge of the Material Plane where it borders the Plane of Shadow. The effect is largely illusory, but the path is quasi-real. You can take more than one creature along with you (subject to your level limit), but all must be touching each other.

In the region of shadow, you move at a rate of 50 miles per hour, moving normally on the borders of the Plane of Shadow but much more rapidly relative to the Material Plane. Thus, you can use this spell to travel rapidly by stepping onto the Plane of Shadow, moving the desired distance, and then stepping back onto the Material Plane.

Because of the blurring of reality between the Plane of Shadow and the Material Plane, you can’t make out details of the terrain or areas you pass over during transit, nor can you predict perfectly where your travel will end. It’s impossible to judge distances accurately, making the spell virtually useless for scouting or spying. Furthermore, when the spell effect ends, you are shunted 1d10 x 100 feet in a random horizontal direction from your desired endpoint. If this would place you within a solid object, you are shunted 1d10 x 1,000 feet in the same direction. If this would still place you within a solid object, you (and any creatures with you) are shunted to the nearest empty space available, but the strain of this activity renders each creature fatigued (no save).

Shadow walk can also be used to travel to other planes that border on the Plane of Shadow, but this usage requires the transit of the Plane of Shadow to arrive at a border with another plane of reality. The transit of the Plane of Shadow requires 1d4 hours.

Any creatures touched by you when shadow walk is cast also make the transition to the borders of the Plane of Shadow.

They may opt to follow you, wander off through the plane, or stumble back into the Material Plane (50% chance for either of the latter results if they are lost or abandoned by you). Creatures unwilling to accompany you into the Plane of Shadow receive a Will saving throw, negating the effect if successful.

[Pizza Lord]

First, find out from your GM (or decide yourself if that's you), whether the spell is for one trip or not and ends when the caster shifts back or if it keeps running and they can just hop in and out (as long as they're in shadows). I can see it being interpreted either way, but it probably runs and allows the caster to always see a path to the Border Shadow. However, the wording seems to indicate that when returning it's to an abstract location. Even though it says 'when the spell ends', it can easily be interpreted as the spell ending when dismissed or when the caster first shifts back, so make sure you know how your GM rules it.

To me, it reads like the intention is to have a one-way trip to a desired distance and destination (basically within 50 miles per caster level, since you can move 50 miles in and hour and it lasts an hour per level). You get there and end the spell and appear somewhere within 1,000 feet of where you think you are.

The caster can dismiss the spell and end it as a standard action (maybe because their destination was much closer and they got there without needing to spend all the hours, like it was within 50 miles or less). Otherwise, using most spell effects is a standard action, and while it could be viewed as a movement to follow the path back, it's probably a standard.

If your GM does let the spell be used for multiple entering and exiting during the duration, they can transport back along the path (I'd probably rule that a standard action) and use move actions and time to travel along in the direction they want again and then to follow the quasi-real path back to the Material again (but it's still gonna be a random shunt and distance), that seems implied despite the wording of 'when the spell ends'.

Either way, you won't be positioning yourself. Even if you claim you aren't even taking a step after entering the Border Shadow, you and those you're holding are going to get shunted 100 to 1,000 feet in a random direction. Presumably because you aren't just shifting or phasing between planes, but more following a winding, meandering (though illusory) path into and out of the planar border that deposits you in the general area. If that location is a solid object, it's another 1,000 to 10,000 feet away. I see almost no way you will get a full attack, or likely even be able to attack anyone in your original location without incredible random chance or it being such an open and empty expanse that you can see them from where you end up (and have good range).

[I grok do u]

As Pizza Lord points out, Shadow walk is a utility travel spell like teleport or plane shift. It is meant as a one-way trip per cast. The duration and travel rate allow you to determine your maximum range (ie. 50 miles/level). The (D) after the duration means you can dismiss it earlier than the maximum duration.
So actions: Standard action to cast, and ends with a standard action to dismiss early or no action if you let it run the full duration and go the full distance.

[Mysterious Stranger]

Because of the blurring of reality between the Plane of Shadow and the Material Plane, you can't make out details of the terrain or areas you pass over during transit, nor can you predict perfectly where your travel will end. It's impossible to judge distances accurately, making the spell virtually useless for scouting or spying. Furthermore, when the spell effect ends, you are shunted 1d10 × 100 feet in a random horizontal direction from your desired endpoint. If this would place you within a solid object, you are shunted 1d10 × 1,000 feet in the same direction. If this would still place you within a solid object, you (and any creatures with you) are shunted to the nearest empty space available, but the strain of this activity renders each creature fatigued (no save).

The bolded sections show that you cannot place yourself where you want or even make out where the players are. That means you are not going to be able to attack the players when exiting the shadow walk. You will not even be able to reach the players for several rounds. Assuming you did manage to place yourself correctly you will be at least 100 feet away in random direction.

Shadow walk is a spell like ability which means it requires concentration and can be disrupted. Black Tentacles gives the grappled condition and in order to use shadow walk you need to roll a concentration check equal to (10 + CMB of the spell). The CMB of the spell is equal to the caster level +5. Assuming the player is 7th level (minimum level for a wizard to cast the spell) that means the DC is 22 and the Ettercap needs to roll a 17. If the caster is higher level (or a sorcerer due to minimum level being 8) the DC increases. Failure to make the roll still uses the spell like 1/day use of Shadow Walk.

If you get lucky the Ettercap may be able to escape the black tentacles but probably will not. Even if he does, he is not going to be able to attack the party for at least several rounds if at all.

[Claxon]

Main problem you're going to have, is that Shadow Walk in no way will accomplish what you want.

You can't control where you exit the shadow plane with enough precision to make any follow up plans. Best case scenario is you end up 100ft away from wherever you intended.

Beyond that, as Mysterious Stranger points out, the chance that you'll successfully be able to use Shadow Walk while grappled by the Black Tentacles is low.