Friday, December 16, 2011

Spell: Shadow Theft

Shadow Theft
Level: 2
Duration: 1 turn
Range: 5' per level

The caster must roll to hit as though grappling or using a weapon such as a net, but with a +2 bonus and ignoring all armor (victim only gets DEX bonus). A successful hit with this spell latches onto the target's shadow and snatches away a portion of their shadow which does not regrow or reform until after the snatched-away portion dissipates into nothingness, which most who use this spell take measures to avoid.

The percentage of the victim's shadow that is extracted is determined by the caster rolling 1D20 per level, adding up the total. Should the victim make their Save, then 100 is deducted from this total, and the remainder is the % affected. If the victim fails to make their Save, then up to 100% of the shadow can be stolen, and any remainder left-over on the roll extends the duration by one turn for every extra point.

Loss of one's personal shadow bars them from entering some locations, locks the victim from certain planes, and makes entry into some sacred places problematic or impossible. It also leaves the victim open and vulnerable to undeath and various forms of taint and corruption, thus it is often part of the process of becoming a vampire, assuming the form of a lich, and is used in various dark, destructive rituals and rites.

This particular spell cannot be cast on ones self, however, which makes it necessary to acquire a helper or assistant, such as a fellow cultist or possibly a minion or ally, in order to use this spell in such dark rites as mentioned above. The somewhat similar seeming Internalize Shadow is not a substitute for this spell, and is in fact a suitable counter to it.

Shadow Theft inflicts damage upon umbral entities such as Grimmers, Glimmers and Broodlings. It also damages immaterial undead and will cause pain to conscious/aware undead such as vampires, so it has been used as part of the undead-slayer's spell-lists for many, many generations.


Some scholars speculate that this spell was originally derived from an attempt to reverse the Infuse With Shadow or Shadow Investiture spells during the Dark Ages.

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