Faerûnian Prestige Class : Nightcloak
The Mistress of the Night is the twisted and perverse goddess of hatred, jealousy, and evil and the creator of the Shadow Weave. Nightcloaks are the apple of Shar's eye - devoted to her vision, preserving her secrets, practicing her magic, as twisted and bitter as she is. They are beings of iron will and determination, although that determination is perverse. They weave webs of intrigue, mental domination, blackmail, and control through the use of illusion, necromancy, and enchantment. Yet they are not afraid to smash their toys if it suits Shar's purposes. They are cruel and intelligent, and do not fear slipping away to return and grind their foes to dust at later time. Honor is of no consequence to them. They do as they please, as long as it furthers their - and Shar's - power.
Clerics most often become nightcloaks. Rangers are rare. Nightcloaks often have levels of wizard, sorcerer, bard, or rogue in addition to the class that grants them divine spellcasting ability.
Nightcloaks dwell in communities large and small, often worshiping in secret. Many work to overthrow governments, organize secret cabals, and create false cults to further their ends.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Nightcloak, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Alignment: Neutral evil.
- Skills: Bluff 2 ranks, Hide 2 ranks, Move Silently 2 ranks, Perform 4 ranks.
- Feats: Iron Will, Shadow Weave Magic, Spell Focus (Enchantment, Illusion, or Necromancy), and Pernicious Magic or Tenacious Magic.
- Base Attack Bonus: +3.
- Spells: Ability to cast 2nd-level divine spells. Clerics must have access to the Darkness domain.
- Patron: Shar.
Class Skills
The nightcloak's class skills are Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Heal, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (history), Knowledge (religion), Knowledge (the planes), Profession, Sense Motive, SpellCraft, and Survival.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
The following are features of the nightcloak prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A nightcloak gains no weapon or armor proficiencies.
Spells per Day/Spells Known: At each nightcloak level, the character gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if she had also gained a level in a spellcasting class to which she belonged before adding the prestige class level. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (improved chance of turning or destroying undead, metamagic or item creation feats, and so on). If the character had more than one spellcasting class before becoming a nightcloak, the player must decide to which class to add each nightcloak level for the purpose of determining spells per day and spells known.
Darkness Spells: A nightcloak can prepare any Darkness domain spell as if it were on her divine spell list. The spell uses a spell slot of a level equal to its level in the Darkness domain list. For instance, a cleric/nightcloak could prepare darkbolt as a 5th-level cleric spell, and a ranger/nightcloak could prepare blacklight as a 3rd-level ranger spell.
Eyes of Shar (Ex): Nightcloaks have eyes that are totally black. They have 60-foot darkvision. They can also see through magical darkness to a range of 10 feet (in the same black-and-white sight that darkvision provides). They cannot be blinded by magical effects.
Insidious Magic: At 3rd level, nightcloaks get the Insidious Magic feat as a bonus feat, reflecting their ability to use the Shadow Weave under Shar's close guidance.
Shadow Talk (Su): Nightcloaks are able to communicate mystically through the shadows of the mind. Nightcloaks can whisper short messages to other worshipers of Shar within 500 feet. All Shar worshipers within range hear the message as a whisper in their mind. Observers can hear the words if they are close enough to physically hear the nightcoak's actual whispers (a DC 15 Listen check if the listener is within 10 feet of the nightcloak, +1 DC per 5 feet beyond that). This is a language-dependent free action, and it can be used to communicate with undead worshipers of Shar and undead creatures in the service of worshipers of Shar.
Disk of Night (Su): Beginning at 5th level, any chakram used by a nightcloak is treated as if it were a +2 returning chakram. If it remains out of the hand of the nightcloak for more than 1 round, a chakram reverts to its original abilities. If the weapon has additional abilities (such as frost), these abilities still apply, and if the weapon has an enhancement bonus better than +2, the higher of the two bonuses is used.
True Lies (Sp): At 6th level, a nightcloak can reach into a creature's mind and modify a subject's memories as the 4th-level bard spell modify memory. A nightcloak can use this ability a number of times per tenday equal to her Charisma modifier (minimum one). The modify memory works as if cast by a bard of the nightcloak's character level.
Mind of Shar (Ex): Beginning at 7th level, Shar grants nightcloaks the ability to use the power of their minds to protect themselves. They add their Intelligence bonus (if any) to all saving throws.
Shar's Caress (Su): Once she reaches 8th level, a nightcloak can surround a held chakram, whip, or dagger with Shadow Weave magic, temporarily giving the weapon the unholy property. This ability lasts for 1 round each time it is used, and can be invoked as a free action a number of times per day equal to the nightcloak's Charisma bonus (minimum one). A nightcloak must decide to use this ability before the attack is made, and if the attack misses that use of Shar's Caress is wasted.
Minion of Shar (Sp): Upon reaching 9th level, once per tenday as a standard action a nightcloak can summon one shadow per class level to do her bidding for a number of rounds equal to her class level. Any shadows this summoned shadow creates by draining Strength are under the control of the nightcloak, but vanish along with the original when the duration expires. The nightcloak is able to verbally communicate with the shadows as if she knew their language. She can also use her shadow talk ability to communicate with them.
Voice of Ineffable Evil (Sp): At 10th level, nightcloaks can command a creature as per the dominate monster spell 1/day as though cast by a sorcerer of a level equal to the nightcloak's character level. The effect lasts one day. Unlike most spell-like abilities, voice of ineffable evil has a verbal component.
| Nightcloak | Hit Die: d8 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | Special Spells per Day |
| 1st | +0 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Darkness spells | +1 level of existing class |
| 2nd | +1 | +3 | +0 | +3 | Eyes of Shar | +1 level of existing class |
| 3rd | +2 | +3 | +1 | +3 | Insidious magic | +1 level of existing class |
| 4th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Shadow talk | +1 level of existing class |
| 5th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Disk of night | +1 level of existing class |
| 6th | +4 | +5 | +2 | +5 | True lies | +1 level of existing class |
| 7th | +5' | +5 | +2 | +5 | Mind of Shar | +1 level of existing class |
| 8th | +6 | +6 | +2 | +6 | Shar's caress | +1 level of existing class |
| 9th | +6 | +6 | +3 | +6 | Minion of Shar | +1 level of existing class |
| 10th | +7 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Voice of ineffable evil | +1 level of existing class |
Source: Faiths & Pantheons