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That's 4ed and stuff we stubbornly ignore!

We 'deviate' from cannon lore from about.. 73 I think, so the spell plague and all that nonsense never happened in Amia and the shadowplane remains just the shadow plane.

The Spellplague and the death of Mystra are 4th Edition stuff, and haven't happened on Amia. We're only in year 1382 (I think?), so the stuff you're describing, if it's going to happen at all, is a ways out yet. For now, in the Amia FR, the Shadow plane is just the Shadow plane, and there is no Shadowfell.

(Dammit, ninja'd AGAIN.)

Good enough for me, thanks for the responses, I'll scrap the idea.

Don't scrap it! I kind of like your spirit medium thing, it's catchy. Just switch it up a bit, maybe? I just think you'd be better off with some sort of celestial for that function; something from the Outer planes. Or maybe you could DC request a reskin for your shade to be some sort of weirdo shadow-celestial hybrid kind of thing?

A shade is so vague it can pretty much fit however you want to RP it, pretty much. My SD's shade takes the personality and characteristics of his imaginary friend from his childhood.

The spirit medium thing might be able to work with some DM insight or approval, sure.

(Second time writing this as my login timed out and I lost the post...)

Thanks everyone for the input.

I've continued to work on this concept, although I've dropped the spirit guide/medium notion for now. Before I can continue any further, I really need some clarification on some information I've sourced again from here: http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Plane_of_Shadow. I'm again unsure if this is 4th Edition lore and whether or not it's applicable to Amia.

Point one:

"Naturally occurring intermittent portals called vortices appeared between this plane and the Material Plane in seemingly random areas of heavy shade or darkness. The entry and exit point of a vortex were unpredictable as was their duration, lasting a few days at most."

Point two:

"Occasionally, animals and monsters would wander or fall into a vortex to the Shadow Plane and become trapped there. Those that survived eventually took on shadow-given abilities, carved out a niche in the ecosystem, and preyed on whatever attracted their attention.

Questions on Point One:

1. Are these vortices applicable to Amia? I have until now assumed that the entries into the Shadow Plane that are present in Brogdenstein, Endirs Point and Amia Forest have all been sustaining examples of these vortices, albeit in less shaded or darkened areas.
2. Is it feasible to assume that a vortex could occur, only to vanish moments later as the loop closes due to instability?
3. How would a vortex appear visually? Would it be invisible in it's surroundings or would it leak the darkness of the plane it led to?
4. Could a Vortex occur in even the slightest area of shadow?

Questions on Point Two:

1. If a person were to walk through or "fall" into a Vortex, would this be similar to normal portal travel use? Would the person instantly cross over to the other plane and the reflection of the world that awaited them there, or would the transition occur over a moment, with the world warping and changing to adjust before the persons eyes?
2. Assuming a person survived the first moments of crossing over to the other plane through the Vortex, and continued to survive beyond the initial days and weeks, eventually into years; and assuming they took on shadow-given abilities due to continued exposure to the Plane of Shadows, what would be some examples of these shadow-given abilities? For my purposes, I have assumed that these would at the very least include changes to one’s personality, skin colour, eyesight, skin complexion (although in part this is owed to the likeliness of malnutrition as just about everything you can eat or drink spoils or poisons quickly). I am interested in the possibility of supernatural side effects.
3. What energy does the Shadow Plane derive from or use? Would shadow-given abilities brought upon by the prolonged exposure in this plane be due to Negative Energy or the Shadow Weave/Shadow stuff? I'm vaguely aware that areas of negative energy exist within the shadow plane, which helps add to its renowned hostility.
4. Assuming one became trapped in the Shadow Plane, realistically, on a large scale, how long might it take locate "civilisation" and find an exit vortex back to the material plane?

On the topic of Shades, as raised by Bobo, I am particularly keen on the concept of a tailored Shade. I was inspired by some 4th edition homebrew (found here: http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Shade,_Variant_(4e_Race)) which stated:

"Shades can look like almost anything, they always have glowing eyes, usually red, but blue and yellow are also common. They can seem humanoid or resemble animals, but a shade's shape is determined by their mind. They can distort and twist at times, but the overall shape of an individual shade stays the same for their entire life. Likewise, a shade's appearance is also affected by the individual's mental control. An insane shade is likely to look like a swirling cloud of matter, and a disciplined one has a well- defined shape with little blur around the edges."

I feel that if I were able to adopt this concept into my own, it would add a serious amount of depth to my shade companion, allowing it visually obtain a personality (as it's form morphs to reflect its emotions) and allow me to strengthen my characters relationship with it and provide an additional layer of interaction with others where it is normally limited only to gestures.

Any thoughts or feedback you can provide on this would be greatly appreciated, as anything I can obtain on this matter will support my planned special character request. I’d be happy to take things into a PM if anyone wants to discuss the particular details further.

Thanks.

1. Are these vortices applicable to Amia? I have until now assumed that the entries into the Shadow Plane that are present in Brogdenstein, Endirs Point and Amia Forest have all been sustaining examples of these vortices, albeit in less shaded or darkened areas.

They are, but typically a DM determines when and where they appear, and for how long.

2. Is it feasible to assume that a vortex could occur, only to vanish moments later as the loop closes due to instability?

Yep.

3. How would a vortex appear visually? Would it be invisible in it's surroundings or would it leak the darkness of the plane it led to?

A particularly dark shadow. The harder and harder you try to make out the shapes in it, the more of the other side you might glimpse.

4. Could a Vortex occur in even the slightest area of shadow?

Well, technically, yes. Every shadow maintains a tenuous link to the Plane of Shadow. However, a long sealed crypt that's never seen light for a thousand year is by far more likely to spawn a vortex than that shadow a person casts at high noon in the middle of a salt flat.

Questions on Point Two:

1. If a person were to walk through or "fall" into a Vortex, would this be similar to normal portal travel use? Would the person instantly cross over to the other plane and the reflection of the world that awaited them there, or would the transition occur over a moment, with the world warping and changing to adjust before the persons eyes?

Instantaneous cross over, just like the IG portals. When you cross a vortex, the Plane of Shadow looks like a twisted version of where you just came from. The further away you travel from the vortex, however, the more alien and bizarre the place becomes. As a whole though, the Plane of Shadow roughly mirrors the Prime, with vortexes and places of magical and historical significance serving as "anchors". The geography in between is morphic.

2. Assuming a person survived the first moments of crossing over to the other plane through the Vortex, and continued to survive beyond the initial days and weeks, eventually into years; and assuming they took on shadow-given abilities due to continued exposure to the Plane of Shadows, what would be some examples of these shadow-given abilities? For my purposes, I have assumed that these would at the very least include changes to one’s personality, skin colour, eyesight, skin complexion (although in part this is owed to the likeliness of malnutrition as just about everything you can eat or drink spoils or poisons quickly). I am interested in the possibility of supernatural side effects.

There's a template for this in manual of the planes. Generally, better saves, cold resistance, Darkvision, regeneration. Highly corrupted critters can get something similar to HIPS, and some invisibility and planeshifting options.

3. What energy does the Shadow Plane derive from or use? Would shadow-given abilities brought upon by the prolonged exposure in this plane be due to Negative Energy or the Shadow Weave/Shadow stuff? I'm vaguely aware that areas of negative energy exist within the shadow plane, which helps add to its renowned hostility.

There are "Darklands" within the Plane of Shadow, where the Negative and Shadow planes overlap. However, shadow itself has no energy trait. Shadowdancers just use shadowstuff. The Shadow Weave is entirely unrelated to the Shadow Plane (Though the Shadow Plane is easier to manipulate with the Shadow Weave than it is with the Normal Weave). The abillities are roughly granted by being more made of more shadowstuff than physical flesh. The Plane corrupts and changes those in it.

4. Assuming one became trapped in the Shadow Plane, realistically, on a large scale, how long might it take locate "civilization" and find an exit vortex back to the material plane?

Depends entirely on chance and where you entered the Plane. Getting out is the exception rather than the rule.

On the topic of Shades, as raised by Bobo, I am particularly keen on the concept of a tailored Shade. I was inspired by some 4th edition homebrew (found here: http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Shade,_Variant_(4e_Race)) which stated:

"Shades can look like almost anything, they always have glowing eyes, usually red, but blue and yellow are also common. They can seem humanoid or resemble animals, but a shade's shape is determined by their mind. They can distort and twist at times, but the overall shape of an individual shade stays the same for their entire life. Likewise, a shade's appearance is also affected by the individual's mental control. An insane shade is likely to look like a swirling cloud of matter, and a disciplined one has a well- defined shape with little blur around the edges."

I feel that if I were able to adopt this concept into my own, it would add a serious amount of depth to my shade companion, allowing it visually obtain a personality (as it's form morphs to reflect its emotions) and allow me to strengthen my characters relationship with it and provide an additional layer of interaction with others where it is normally limited only to gestures.

So long as you're very clear on the differences between a "Shade" and a "shade" you're golden for individual interpretation. Don't confuse the Shade Enclave Shade with generic shadow monster and you're good to go.

1. Are these vortices applicable to Amia? I have until now assumed that the entries into the Shadow Plane that are present in Brogdenstein, Endirs Point and Amia Forest have all been sustaining examples of these vortices, albeit in less shaded or darkened areas.

They are, but typically a DM determines when and where they appear, and for how long.

For the purpose of a special character request where this event must have already occurred in the characters past, can it be assumed that it would sufficient for my character to have already encountered the original vortex as part of her background plot information.

2. Is it feasible to assume that a vortex could occur, only to vanish moments later as the loop closes due to instability?

Yep.

Great, this fits with my current plotline.

3. How would a vortex appear visually? Would it be invisible in it's surroundings or would it leak the darkness of the plane it led to?

A particularly dark shadow. The harder and harder you try to make out the shapes in it, the more of the other side you might glimpse.

Does this vortex stand vertically, unsupported by a wall or object, or is it required to be cast on a on an object or surface, such as a horizontal shadow cast over the ground? Also, does the vortex emit any aura or presence that one might feel?

4. Could a Vortex occur in even the slightest area of shadow?

Well, technically, yes. Every shadow maintains a tenuous link to the Plane of Shadow. However, a long sealed crypt that's never seen light for a thousand year is by far more likely to spawn a vortex than that shadow a person casts at high noon in the middle of a salt flat.

My plotline aims at the occurrence of ill-fated chance, an instance of being in the wrong place, at the wrong time for a split moment.

Questions on Point Two:

1. If a person were to walk through or "fall" into a Vortex, would this be similar to normal portal travel use? Would the person instantly cross over to the other plane and the reflection of the world that awaited them there, or would the transition occur over a moment, with the world warping and changing to adjust before the persons eyes?

Instantaneous cross over, just like the IG portals. When you cross a vortex, the Plane of Shadow looks like a twisted version of where you just came from. The further away you travel from the vortex, however, the more alien and bizarre the place becomes. As a whole though, the Plane of Shadow roughly mirrors the Prime, with vortexes and places of magical and historical significance serving as "anchors". The geography in between is morphic.

This is as I assumed and is great confirmation of what I have already included in my plotline, the only difference is that I thought that it would be a quick, but gradual process of transforming over to the mirrored world.

2. Assuming a person survived the first moments of crossing over to the other plane through the Vortex, and continued to survive beyond the initial days and weeks, eventually into years; and assuming they took on shadow-given abilities due to continued exposure to the Plane of Shadows, what would be some examples of these shadow-given abilities? For my purposes, I have assumed that these would at the very least include changes to one’s personality, skin colour, eyesight, skin complexion (although in part this is owed to the likeliness of malnutrition as just about everything you can eat or drink spoils or poisons quickly). I am interested in the possibility of supernatural side effects.

There's a template for this in manual of the planes. Generally, better saves, cold resistance, Darkvision, regeneration. Highly corrupted critters can get something similar to HIPS, and some invisibility and planeshifting options.

I understand that this is probably stated in the Manual of Planes, but as I’m not sure I have a digital copy of this (need to check when I get home), what factors would add to a creature or persons level of corruption from the Shadow Plane? And how common is it for the inhabitants of the Shadow Plane to develop these kind of attributes. I’m considering that my character has been “trapped” for upwards of 35 Shadow Plane years.

3. What energy does the Shadow Plane derive from or use? Would shadow-given abilities brought upon by the prolonged exposure in this plane be due to Negative Energy or the Shadow Weave/Shadow stuff? I'm vaguely aware that areas of negative energy exist within the shadow plane, which helps add to its renowned hostility.

There are "Darklands" within the Plane of Shadow, where the Negative and Shadow planes overlap. However, shadow itself has no energy trait. Shadowdancers just use shadowstuff. The Shadow Weave is entirely unrelated to the Shadow Plane (Though the Shadow Plane is easier to manipulate with the Shadow Weave than it is with the Normal Weave). The abillities are roughly granted by being more made of more shadowstuff than physical flesh. The Plane corrupts and changes those in it.

Are Darklands visibly obvious, or is it something someone realises they have entered by an unsettling presence, or neither?

4. Assuming one became trapped in the Shadow Plane, realistically, on a large scale, how long might it take locate "civilization" and find an exit vortex back to the material plane?

Depends entirely on chance and where you entered the Plane. Getting out is the exception rather than the rule.

If I understand this correctly, its damn hard to get out, which is good news for me and my current plotline.

On the topic of Shades, as raised by Bobo, I am particularly keen on the concept of a tailored Shade. I was inspired by some 4th edition homebrew (found here: http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Shade,_Variant_(4e_Race)) which stated:

"Shades can look like almost anything, they always have glowing eyes, usually red, but blue and yellow are also common. They can seem humanoid or resemble animals, but a shade's shape is determined by their mind. They can distort and twist at times, but the overall shape of an individual shade stays the same for their entire life. Likewise, a shade's appearance is also affected by the individual's mental control. An insane shade is likely to look like a swirling cloud of matter, and a disciplined one has a well- defined shape with little blur around the edges."

I feel that if I were able to adopt this concept into my own, it would add a serious amount of depth to my shade companion, allowing it visually obtain a personality (as it's form morphs to reflect its emotions) and allow me to strengthen my characters relationship with it and provide an additional layer of interaction with others where it is normally limited only to gestures.

So long as you're very clear on the differences between a "Shade" and a "shade" you're golden for individual interpretation. Don't confuse the Shade Enclave Shade with generic shadow monster and you're good to go.

Could you humour me and provide some detail on these differences, I’m not sure I know which type of shade I should expect to have by having a shadow dancer companion ingame? I assume a Shade from the enclave?

Thanks so far Ninja.

For the purpose of a special character request where this event must have already occurred in the characters past, can it be assumed that it would sufficient for my character to have already encountered the original vortex as part of her background plot information.

I don't see why not. I know of at least one other SD that has a similar phenomena in her backstory.

Does this vortex stand vertically, unsupported by a wall or object, or is it required to be cast on a on an object or surface, such as a horizontal shadow cast over the ground? Also, does the vortex emit any aura or presence that one might feel?

The vortex lies across the surface of whatever the shadow lay on. A "freestanding" vortex seems illogical to me.

I understand that this is probably stated in the Manual of Planes, but as I’m not sure I have a digital copy of this (need to check when I get home), what factors would add to a creature or persons level of corruption from the Shadow Plane? And how common is it for the inhabitants of the Shadow Plane to develop these kind of attributes. I’m considering that my character has been “trapped” for upwards of 35 Shadow Plane years.

I get the impression that more obvious mutations happen across several generations once a creature is trapped and managed to breed in the Plane of Shadow. However, 35 years would likely result in discolorations, a tendency toward evil and maybe a hardiness against cold. A character like that however, would require a special request. The Shadovar race, for example, are Netherese humans that have been trapped in the Plane of Shadow for thousands of years until recently. They are severely discolored and evil, but don't have any special qualities over a normal human.

Are Darklands visibly obvious, or is it something someone realizes they have entered by an unsettling presence, or neither?

They tend to be crawling with undead, and you start taking negative energy damage every minute when you enter one. I'd say they are pretty obvious.

Could you humour me and provide some detail on these differences, I’m not sure I know which type of shade I should expect to have by having a shadow dancer companion ingame? I assume a Shade from the enclave?

A capital S "Shade" originates from the Shadovar I mentioned earlier. They are individuals that have proven them self to the rulers of the Shadovar city and were turned into immortal shadow creatures via ritual as a reward. The lowercase s "shade" a shadowdancer summons is more analogous to a wizard's familiar. When a shadowdancer attains a sufficient bond with the Plane of Shadow, they are able to call a generic creature comprised of shadowstuff to serve as a companion. The shadowdancer shares a telepathic link with the critter, and they cannot speak verbally. Beyond that however, Dancer are given a surprising amount of leeway in how they portray their summon or it's origins.

Boop. Sorry for the delay.

Thanks Ninja, really appreciate this information. As before, I still have some further questions.

I spoke to you ingame briefly about some of this. And one of the points was whether or not a "s" shade would be considered an outsider, or whether this only applied to an "S" shade, could you clarify please?

Additionally here are some new questions on the back of the last reply:

If a person were to enter the Darklands, and started taking this negative energy damage, would any long lasting symptoms follow this exposure?

Can a person's own shadow be a sufficient enough source for a "s" shade companion to be called out from?

If a person's shadow were to be cast out into an area of negative energy, would the person or it's shadow be affected in anyway?

Are players usually permitted to have a (S) shade companion ingame, represented by the shadowdancer summon, or is this suited to a special request?

Thanks again.

I spoke to you ingame briefly about some of this. And one of the points was whether or not a "s" shade would be considered an outsider, or whether this only applied to an "S" shade, could you clarify please?

Both.

If a person were to enter the Darklands, and started taking this negative energy damage, would any long lasting symptoms follow this exposure?

If they escaped, they would heal up no differently than someone effected by negative energy ray or similar spells.

Can a person's own shadow be a sufficient enough source for a "s" shade companion to be called out from?

No, actually. Previous rulings have been very clear in that a SD's summon is not their own shadow.

If a person's shadow were to be cast out into an area of negative energy, would the person or it's shadow be affected in anyway?

Nope.

Are players usually permitted to have a (S) shade companion ingame, represented by the shadowdancer summon, or is this suited to a special request?

A Capital S Shade makes no sense as a summon at all. They are free-willed, previously human beings that almost never leave their home city anyway.

Depends on which definition of "source" you use. The SD's shadow can be used as a gateway to call their shade through from the shadow plane, according to Amia lore anyway.

Thanks for the input Ninja, Serbiris. Any chance I could get some clarification on this "source" ambiguity? It would be far easier for me to go down the route of calling my summon from my own shadow if this is indeed a possibility?

The shade has to come from the shadow plane through /a/ shadow. It can be any shadow really (with given size parameters, most likely), including your own (unlike HiPS and shadowjump, which prevent you using your own shadow). However, it's not your shadow coming alive and gaining a third dimension and a statblock - although it is unique to you - which is what it means when it's said that your shadow isn't the source of the shade. At least, that's what the threads about SDs said. I dunno if they're still around at all...

Quote:

..... that's what the threads about SDs said. I dunno if they're still around at all...

Yup. It's been redone here.

Beyond that, as far as I've always known, the Shade /must/ be summoned via the Dancer's own shadow. Like Serb said, it's not your shadow that comes to life. The Dancer's shadow merely serves as a 'gateway' for the shade to arrive from it's native home, the Shadow Plane.

Possibly retarded question....

For an SD that becomes pregnant.. is shadowjumping safe as the child is part of her? This was RPIG from another toon that is, in fact, pregnant, so would like a little clarification for the sake of the child

Thank you.

MOD

If I was a DM I'd have the kid either vanish from the world, or the mother later gives birth to a tentacled, writhing shadow horror, but I don't make a kind DM

Best to wait for someone with a red name on that one.

I believe that in the Planescape Material it is mentioned that the exposure of an unborn child to the planes brings with it a chance for it to become planetouched. I do not know which book it was, and not being FR material makes me uncertain it would apply here. Also given it is a short exposure, likely the chances a rather minimal even by planescape standards.

MyOwnDestiny wrote:

Possibly retarded question....

For an SD that becomes pregnant.. is shadowjumping safe as the child is part of her? This was RPIG from another toon that is, in fact, pregnant, so would like a little clarification for the sake of the child

Thank you.

MOD

Not entirely certain but I am curious as to what prompts the consideration of Shadowjumping.

Technically should be alright... but probably not wise. Especially after the first trimester. Shadowdancing can be risky given the possibility of accidentally slicing yourself in two if you do it wrong, anyway.

As a rule of thumb you shouldn't do anything that can accidentally kill you if there's a miniature person inside that you haven't finished evicting/is still paying his rent.

Grymia wrote:

MyOwnDestiny wrote:

Possibly retarded question....

For an SD that becomes pregnant.. is shadowjumping safe as the child is part of her? This was RPIG from another toon that is, in fact, pregnant, so would like a little clarification for the sake of the child

Thank you.

MOD

Not entirely certain but I am curious as to what prompts the consideration of Shadowjumping.

PaladinOfSune wrote:

LetumLux wrote:

Can one Shadowdancer carry another Shadowdancer capable of Shadow Jump through a Jump? *

Yes. As long as the passenger has Shadowdancer levels, they may be carried through a Jump.

A shadowdancer can -jump- with another shadowdancer -only-. Since the baby isn't a shadowdancer it can't jump with the shadowdancer attempting the shadowjump so it's "left" where the dancer jumped from. I know thats sadistic and visually graphic but thats what I was told.

ITT: I open the can of worms wherein it is debated whether a gestating foetus is considered a separate person.

Verdict: Better to evade the issue and say "Don't do it!" Alternatively, it is implied that the SD experiences some sort of feedback force from rapid displacement (eg: warnings that SJing in the rain or through falling leaves results in physical harm (bruises and such). This could affect a foetus in the womb.

I find it a rather cool prospect, given the potential for becoming planetouched Gabe brought up. I don't know if it explicitly applies in modern canon FR (though I don't think it was ever retconned, and Planescape lore concerns the same planes that FR is connected to), but it is well-established Amian lore.

I think it's relatively unproblematic from a magico-mechanistic point of view: the fetus is part of the host body because it's physically connected and shares the same blood circulation. Ethical and ontological questions of what is a person aren't relevant, unless you're prepared to account for genuine split personalities (even more "separate" in a world where magic could trap two people in one body), siamese twins, ettins, hydras etc. when determining viable targets for single-target spells.

If a single-target ability (e.g. Finger of Death) affects both heads/persons of an ettin, then a single-target ability (e.g. Shadow Jump) should consider an equivalent, physically attached but perhaps mentally separate being as part of the main target. And what about invisibility? If a fetus isn't part of the mother's body nor "gear", we should see floating babies all around us.

It could also be that whatever the object/matter, if it's inside a body affected by magic it is also affected. It's not as if people lose their stomach contents every time they teleport, either. (Well OK, some do.)

That's not to say shadow jumping couldn't be dangerous to a fetus (as magic is always unpredictable), but there should be no fundamental problem.

Alright we could use some more general SD lore listed here, more than just the fluff for the mechanical SD stuff. I bring this up in no small part due to some of the SD stuff going on in the past few months and the fact that canon SD lore isn't the most in depth in the first place.

Sources say you shouldnt use SD powers while on the Shadow Plane because it's extremely dangerous.

... What happens if you do? If that's true, how do people practice at the dance hall in Shadowscape?

I believe the premise that it is dangerous comes fro the fact that SD abilities are a "lesser" form of shadow magic in principle, and shadow magic is all increased in its potency on the shadow plane, which means for inexperienced dancers especially they could underestimate the amount their abilities are effected (Which could prove especially dangerous for things like shadow jumping).

Although amusingly because of the shadow plane in effect amplifying all shadow magic I imagine it would be a great place to train people in the use of it, since even if their abilities would be too weak to utilize shadow magic well on the prime it could prove far easier on the shadow plane.

You should not shadow jump on the Shadow Plane. All else is fine. It is why we always teach Shadow Jump on the Prime.

Shadow Magic is indeed a special thing we go over in detail. Some thing we like to save mainly for lvl 10 SD plus.

A note too is Shadow Magic and Shadow weave Magic are entirety two different things. I am happy to teach these things to SDs that can get on Brandriks good side, and on occasion some mages with the right credentials.

It's not so much that you should not Shadow Jump while on the Plane of Shadow so much as you cannot Shadow Jump while on the Plane of Shadow.

Think of the Prime Material as a normal floor. There are objects on the floor, furniture that casts shadows. Pretend these shadows are conveyer belts, like the moving walkways in some airports. In the Prime Material room, a Shadowdancer can hop into a shadow/onto the moving walkway to travel across the Prime Material room faster than someone else walking across it normally.

If they are already in the Plane of Shadow, the entire place is a conveyer belt, moving around faster in relation to the Prime Material, so there is no way to take advantage of the increase travel speed, because you're already moving at the 'accelerated speed' the 'trans-planar conduit' provides by interacting with the Plane of Shadow.

The other SD powers are not effected on the Plane of Shadow in any detrimental way, and it has never been suggested via mechanics that they are any more powerful there, either. Shadow Daze takes just as long to cooldown, the Summoned Shade is the same potency and has the same duration, and so forth. What it observable therefore suggest that there is no difference between using the default SD powers on the Prime Material as opposed to the Plane of Shadow, with the exception of the travel power.

Is shadow jump disabled in Shadowscape, then? Like, when you try to jump in the gauntlet, it fails and you get a "you cannot shadow jump in this area!" message.

It should be. It was in my notes to be added when I did the update to the Shadow Plane areas. I don't recall if the script made it in.

Not jumping on the shadow plane makes sense but not for the reason of it being impossible, the only place it should be impossible is the Ethereal plane as it lacks any shadows. Now if you're going with the premise of shadow jumping normally being temporarily shifting to the faster "current" or flow permeating the shadow plane in order to virtually instantaneously travel then the major problem with the shadow plane would likely be that while on other planes you basically force you way into the shadow plane's current and then allow yourself to be ejected back out onto your originating plane at the wanted location. Where as doing it on the shadow plane would be like just jumping into the current and then instead of just letting your self be tossed out as normal you would need to force yourself free which would be FAR harder and much more likely to mean you could become trapped or torn apart.

Also SD abilities really should be stronger on the shadow plane unless Amia has decided to homebrew to lore away from SD stuff being shadow magic, or just got rid of the lore about shadow magic being any stronger on the shadow plane.

Also this is part of what I mean of needing to come up with more cannon lore on SDs on Amia and also then making sure that lore is easy to find, currently the SD stuff is FAR too open to interpretation which is a serious issue. You are either severely limited in using lore by the small amount around or you basically get into situations where you and/or DMs are making stuff up as you go which is very detrimental.

The way I understand it: Shadow Jumping is using a shadow on the Prime Material as a portal INTO the shadow plane, and then back out at another location; the change in planes equating to why it seems like you do it instantly. It is thus impossible because you can't jump into the Shadow Plane to travel seemingly faster, because you're already there. Jumping to the Prime Material and then back to the Shadow Plane would then just make you do it really, really slow, and require backwards training I'd imagine.

It's like phasing into a parallel dimension and then back into your own, and you MOVED, but nobody saw it.

Shadow jumping isn't just teleporting to the shadow plane, walking a few feat and then appearing back but seemingly no time having passed on the original plane... Well you could make it that way but then the entire shadow plane would have to have time pass on it FAR faster than on ANY other plane you can shadow jump from.

Now based on the lore description you seem to just skirt along the very edge of the shadow plane, using the turbulent forces of the boundary of the shadow plane and your originating plane itself to move virtually instantaneously, which should be possible from on the shadow plane by skirting the boundary of the plane and other planes... Although that would be a terrible idea that could eject you onto an unknown plane or onto several at one tearing you apart.

LetumLux wrote:

It should be.

It is.

Kamina wrote:

LetumLux wrote:

It should be.

It is.

Hooray!

I guess this is SD related!

The Shadow Plane is a monochrome coloured environment, but is that to everything that enters it or natural things that occur there? If I wore a nice purple suit, would it appear purple or a dark grey?

That the plane is 'bleached and colorless' is lore found in the Manual of the Planes....

As far as /I/ know, and usually play by....color doesn't simply and instantly disappear. It slowly is leeched away by the plane, leaving everything that remains in the plane for an extended duration, eventually bleached and colorless like everything else.

New Shadowjump question:

Are Shadowdancers required to have the ability to shadow jump already in order to be carried through a shadow jump by another shadowdancer? For example, while they are being taught the ability would that be possible?

You need at least one level of SD to get pulled through a Shadow Jump by another person. You don't need to know how to do it, if you're the passenger.

Neato, it's caused confusion a couple of times so I thought I'd ask.

I'm also pretty sure other rules still apply, such as not going through grates or things.

Yes, all of those rules still apply. To put it simply, someone trained in the shadow jump can take another shadowdancer through the jump, but other living things can not make the transition.

Is there any history of interaction between Shadowscape and Shadovar enclaves?

I've pointed this question out to Glim. Unless something changed after the end of the Reyes plot, there are no "shadovar enclaves".

Anatida is correct. So as things stand at present, any Shadovar that have come to Amia since (which I don't think there has been any new ones yet) must account for being "away from Shade Enclave" before the last few months of the Reyes plot. More information is available through IG investigation, or if you're planning a new Shadovar character and what to check your facts, you can contact Nihilus or myself.

Thanks, it was mainly a fleeting thought

(Realised I put this in the SD lore thread... meant it for the Shadow Plane thread)

Hi, I just want to remark, that some official resources are missleading.
This is in contradiction with in game book description. Just read Chapter 3: HiPS.
(I know, of course, it is just forgotten edit, but still confusing though)

Liz wrote:

Am I the only one who thinks all these rules and restrictions and situational caveats are arbitrary, overcomplicated, and needlessly restrictive? That it's a bit absurd to expect a player to memorize a roster of minutiae in order to avoid the inevitable screams of "you're doing it wrong"?

I have to second (or third or fourth in that topic) Supergirl, because when I started here, I had HiPSer and after witnessing some conflict in cordor and then flame about 'you cannot do that' scenario afterwards, I decided to change my primary toon to something else. Too hot and flame causing to play HiPS(t)er here. And if you feel that it is perfectly clear to you, for someone who just read resources it is still not clear.
Probably little OOC text like 'only for shadow jump there is a rule of being near some shadow; others are technically as they work in game' would help much. (notice 'like' not exactly like this).

Last edited by Nalkanar on Fri, May 13 2016, 7:33 AM, edited 1 time in total.

I recently had OOC discussion, and I would like to ask few questions:
1) Is it possible to use HIPS (or Shadowjump) in complete darkness? For example underground room with no source of light.
2) Does HIPS require shadows outside of the Shadowdancer? For example if SD is wearing multilayered complex clothes, does space in between the layers count as sources of shadows? (I find this stupid, but it came up in discussion)
3) As far as I understand, it is possible to make more shadows artifically - by creating some light source (spell, torch) in the right place, so that objects throw more shadows around. Right?

SD Lore Thread!

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