URBAN ARCANA
SHADOWKIND
Most characters who are not native to the mundane world hail from a place beyond Shadow, and they are known to “mundanes” as Shadowkind.
You can also play characters native to Earth who are the offspring or descendants of Shadowkind.
Characters who enter our world through Shadow have no way of returning home and are forced to adapt to their new environment. Moreover, they retain only a few hazy memories of the place from whence they came.
PLAYING A SHADOWKIND
Shadowkind characters share several traits, as noted below.
Creatures of Shadow
Creatures brought to our world by Shadow are reclaimed by the tides of Shadow after they die. As a general rule, a creature of Shadow vanishes 1d4 rounds after it dies (drops to –10 hit points), leaving behind no trace of itself other than its clothing and equipment. Shadowkind heroes have stronger ties to our world than other creatures of Shadow; they fade away 1d4 hours after they die. Before they disappear, slain Shadowkind characters can be raised from the dead as easily as mundane characters can. Slain creatures of Shadow that are transformed into undead creatures remain on our world in their undead state and are not reclaimed by Shadow until they are destroyed.
A slain Shadowkind character who is reclaimed by Shadow can’t be raised from the dead or brought back by any means and is considered lost.
A Shadowkind character is treated as a “creature of Shadow” with regard to special abilities, spells, and psionic powers that affect creatures of Shadow.
TABLE: SKILL POINTS/LEVEL FOR SHADOWKIND
| Basic Class | Skill Points Per Level |
|---|---|
| Strong | 2 + Int modifier |
| Fast | 4 + Int modifier |
| Tough | 2 + Int modifier |
| Smart | 8 + Int modifier |
| Dedicated | 4 + Int modifier |
| Charismatic | 6 + Int modifier |
| Advanced Class | Skill Points Per Level |
| Soldier | 4 + Int modifier |
| Martial Artist | 2 + Int modifier |
| Gunslinger | 4 + Int modifier |
| Infiltrator | 6 + Int modifier |
| Daredevil | 4 + Int modifier |
| Bodyguard | 2 + Int modifier |
| Field Scientist | 6 + Int modifier |
| Techie | 6 + Int modifier |
| Field Medic | 4 + Int modifier |
| Investigator | 4 + Int modifier |
| Personality | 4 + Int modifier |
| Negotiator | 4 + Int modifier |
| Acolyte | 4 + Int modifier |
| Arcane Arranger | 6 + Int modifier |
| Archaic Weaponsmaster | 2 + Int modifier |
| Glamourist | 4 + Int modifier |
| Mage | 6 + Int modifier |
| Mystic | 4 + Int modifier |
| Occultist | 4 + Int modifier |
| Shadow Hunter | 4 + Int modifier |
| Shadowjack | 6 + Int modifier |
| Shadow Slayer | 2 + Int modifier |
| Speed Demon | 4 + Int modifier |
| Street Warrior | 4 + Int modifier |
| Swashbuckler | 4 + Int modifier |
| Techno Mage | 6 + Int modifier |
| Thrasher | 2 + Int modifier |
| Wildlord | 4 + Int modifier |
| Prestige Class | Skill Points Per Level |
| Archmage | 6 + Int modifier |
| Artificer | 6 + Int modifier |
| Ecclesiarch | 4 + Int modifier |
| Holy/Unholy Knight | 4 + Int modifier |
Skill Points Per Level
Shadowkind characters do not gain as many skill points as a human character of the same class. Shadowkind characters get 4 fewer skill points at 1st level and 1 fewer skill point each level thereafter.
Native Shadowkind vs. New Arrivals
Characters can be nonhuman natives of our world—the children of one or more Shadowkind parents, born and raised somewhere on Earth—or they can be new arrivals to our world, having recently come through Shadow. In the latter case, Shadowkind characters suffer the disadvantages of being “strangers in a strange land.” They are restricted to a handful of starting occupations at 1st level, they have no wealth to speak of, and they speak bizarre languages unknown to the majority of Earth’s population (though they also acquire the common language of the land they arrive in as a function of passing through Shadow).
Starting Occupation
Characters can be nonhuman natives of our world—the children of one or more Shadowkind parents, born and raised somewhere on Earth—or they can be new arrivals to our world, having recently come through Shadow. In the latter case, Shadowkind characters suffer the disadvantages of being “strangers in a strange land.” They are restricted to a handful of starting occupations at 1st level, they have no wealth to speak of, and they speak bizarre languages unknown to the majority of Earth’s population (though they also acquire the common language of the land they arrive in as a function of passing through Shadow).
Starting Wealth Bonus
A character who begins play as a newly arrived Shadowkind must select from the following starting occupations: hedge wizard, noviate, and squire. In addition, regardless of the Wealth bonus provided by the starting occupation, see Starting Wealth Bonus, below.
Shadowkind characters born and raised in our world follow the normal rules for determining Wealth bonus.
Languages Known
A character who begins play as a newly arrived Shadowkind knows one or more languages, most of which are not spoken on Earth. Such languages include Celestial, Draconic, Elven, and Goblin. However, they all share a common language (called Common) that has striking parallels to the predominant language spoken in the area where they arrived. Shadowkind characters born and raised in our world gain languages as human characters do. In addition to one or more local languages, they may know one or more languages of Shadow (taught to them by their parents and elders).
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