SD summoned shadow

badjabadjabadja · Post by **badjabadjabadja** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 4:28 am

A question arose about the SD summoned shadow recently, now in my understanding these are animated shadow, owing more to illusion than any aspect of necromancy. The game engine uses the undead shadow as a game mechanic, & on Avlis i think this unchanged still, & so the shadow is effectively the ~same~ as undead, even to CE alignment. I think the jury is still out in the Avlis team..

http://www.avlis.org/viewtopic.php?t=92363&highlight=

But.. in Hades the same shadow has the following floaty: Shadowdancer Shadow Servant & a true neutral alignment. Also the shadow remains summoned while i rest on Hades, in fact.. behaves exactly like an animal companion.

I'd be interested in the official stance on Hala, specifically regarding the SD-shadow, but also on summoned undead in general.

silverdragonams · Post by **silverdragonams** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 5:09 am

IIRC...and someone can correct me if I'm wrong.... summoned shadows are more or less considered illusions on Hala, and I believe most other undead summons have been replaced with "death touched" summons. The reason being undead do not survive on Ysgard due to the positive energy influence of the plane.

Post by **Arkon** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 10:13 pm

Technically Shadows are undead, but for the purposes of a Shadow Summon's on Hala, I prefer to look at them this way.

A Shadowdancer's Summoned Shadow is a manipulation of the actual shadows around a shadowdancer. Through their connection to the shadow plane and their mastery over the shadows, they are able to manipulate shadows to the piont of giving them an almost corporeal form. This allows them to protect the master by taking the form of a shadow and fighting on their master's behalf.

badjabadjabadja · Post by **badjabadjabadja** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 7:02 am

Thanks for the replies

As my char is a ranger with bane of undead, I would not be happy with summoning an undead 'companion'.

A Shadowdancer's Summoned Shadow is a manipulation of the actual shadows around a shadowdancer. Through their connection to the shadow plane and their mastery over the shadows, they are able to manipulate shadows to the piont of giving them an almost corporeal form.

which is how i've always interpreted it, ie. an illusion spun from shadows. This is used as a distraction, or lure for enemies, or.. er.. for swatting annoying flies

I try to only call the shadow in appropriate places, (caves, Gray Wastes) or at times when a clumsy bear would be inappropriate.. as long as the team is happy with such a summons in Hala, I'll continue calling it here on odd occcasions.