RoyalProtector's Shadowdancer Overhaul (ZS_ShadowdancerOverhaul) – 1.1.3a

[RoyalProtector]

This mod is my personal take on the Shadowdancer kit. It's been my favorite kit, conceptually, since BeamDog introduced it to me. Functionally I did not like it as much.

Here's the GitHub link to download it

Some highlights:

• You can summon a loyal shade creature now. This shade grows in power up to level 40, from a humble Shadow to a Nighthaunt.
• Hide in plain sight is no longer hardcoded into the Hiding ability, but works as an innate invisibility spell that lasts for 15 seconds, and that you can cast at will every 5 rounds (cooldown improves with level). Hiding works exactly as it does with any other Thief.
• Gain new HLA's: Self Concealment, Improved Shadow Evade, and Shadow Artist (defensive and offensive buffs)
• Shadowstep is now called Shadow Jump and becomes the ultimate tool for either defensive maneuvers or backstabbing prowess, if so wish. It's now split into two selectable spells, once works similarly to vanilla Shadowstep, while the other works more like an instantaneous teleportation ability. Read the readme to understand how it works more precisely.
• Rethinking tactics with the Shade are allowed. You can talk with it, and you can order it to attack on sight, attack when attacked, or do nothing unless ordered. This strategy is local to the creature and will not carry over to the next summoning (yet).
• Existing SD HLAs are improved: Shadow Form (universal damage resistance, undetectable), Shadow Maze (saving throw penalty improves, causes weakness on living beings upon return) .
• New abilities: Shadow Evade, Shadow Illusion, Shadow Conjuration.
• It also fixes existing bugs with SD: wrong duration for Shadow Twin, wrong penalty for lack of weapon proficiency (there are also components to just fix the vanilla SD's issues), as well as simulacrum bugs that prevent thief clones from detecting traps and hiding.
• Compatible with RR, if installed BEFORE my kit, my Shadowdancer will use those new HLAs (that apply).

The rest of details are in the readme found in the provided link. If you do try it, I would like to know if you found the summoned shade overpowered. I suspect it might be at high levels (28-40). Cheers.

I used various references for inspiration (plus my own imagination, of course):
https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/prestige-classes/core-rulebook/shadowdancer/
https://nwn.fandom.com/wiki/Summon_shadow
https://nwn.fandom.com/wiki/Shadow
https://nwn.fandom.com/wiki/Epic_shadowlord_(summon)
https://dnd-wiki.org/wiki/SRD:Self-Concealment
https://www.aonprd.com/PrestigeClassesDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Shadowdancer

Edited November 18, 2024 by RoyalProtector

[subtledoctor]

Aren’t shadows immune to normal weapons? That seems OP under level ~10. (Totemic druid summons are immune to normal weaps at level 10… those might be a good comparison.)

The whole thing seems interesting, but as a pure thief? Put next to other thief kits, it definitely seems the odd one out. 

[RoyalProtector]

2 minutes ago, subtledoctor said:

Aren’t shadows immune to normal weapons? That seems OP under level ~10. (Totemic druid summons are immune to normal weaps at level 10… those might be a good comparison.)

As stated in the readme, immunity to normal weapons is not part of the Shadow initially, for balance purposes. Later on they get that, but it's at the point where enemies that present a problem would be using magical weapons already anyway. You can think of it as if it's a lesser version of the real thing. This is true of other things such as strength sapping (only 5 rounds in duration, can't kill).

2 minutes ago, subtledoctor said:

The whole thing seems interesting, but as a pure thief? Put next to other thief kits, it definitely seems the odd one out.

I don't know what you mean by that.

Edited June 23, 2024 by RoyalProtector

[subtledoctor]

5 hours ago, RoyalProtector said:

I don't know what you mean by that

Sorry, I misread and thought you asked if it seemed OP. I’m just looking at all that next to a plain thief and considering if this is a trade-off, or thief+. I guess traps? Does this kit do traps? (I never use traps, so I tend to forget to factor them in to power comparisons.)

Sorry, don’t mean to sound too critical. Just when people ask for advice on how a kit sounds, my brain switches to analysis mode. 

Edited June 24, 2024 by subtledoctor

[RoyalProtector]

My shadow actually gets immunity to normal weapons when character level is 20. I actually completely forgot that Totemic summons were immune to normal weapons that early. Maybe I should rethink it. I was afraid to break the game too early. Frankly I don't even remember the game in terms of armament used against the player too well.

In a way it makes some sense to delay it more, if only because Thieves level up much faster...

Edited June 23, 2024 by RoyalProtector

[Connelly]

Oh, nice. I don't think any kit mods around have tried to overhaul it.

One thing though, it won't install in BG1 (and possibly IWD1). Seems it looks for a ohdrod.itm, which is an item that exists in BG2 item but not BG1.

[RoyalProtector]

7 hours ago, Connelly said:

Seems it looks for a ohdrod.itm, which is an item that exists in BG2 item but not BG1.

Oh, right. I've been testing in BG2EE. I'll add a check for that modification and it should work. Sorry about that

[RoyalProtector]

Updated to 1.0.1

• Fixed installation errors in BGEE due to not found files
• Fixed Spirit Shaman tweak not installing if previous components weren't installed in the same session
• Allowed installation in IWDEE. Will need feeback on whether this works.

@ConnellyIt should install on BGEE now without issues.

Edited June 24, 2024 by RoyalProtector

[Connelly]

All good now with BG1. Will come back when I'm able to try with IWD.

[RoyalProtector]

On 6/23/2024 at 11:54 PM, subtledoctor said:

I guess traps? Does this kit do traps? (I never use traps, so I tend to forget to factor them in to power comparisons.)

Cannot use traps, same as in the original, or pick HLA traps. It's been enhanced offensively with things like Shadow Jump enhancing backstab gameplay, the Shadow Summon, of course, and an HLA that adds critical hit and backstab effects. There's also plentiful defensive enhancements.

All kit specific HLA were improved (though I'm not touching the general thief hlas) as well.

It is definitely more powerful than before, and more powerful than vanilla thieves though it is still has the same backstab multiplier reduction.

I would definitely suggest other mods that improve Thief gameplay generally speaking. And honestly I would suggest mods to improve every vanilla class, if only to make them less boring and more varied in abilities, outside arcane spellcasters.

[RoyalProtector]

On 6/23/2024 at 11:54 PM, subtledoctor said:

Sorry, don’t mean to sound too critical. Just when people ask for advice on how a kit sounds, my brain switches to analysis mode. 

I didn't even notice! Thanks for your comments

[megrimlock]

4 minutes ago, RoyalProtector said:

I would definitely suggest other mods that improve Thief gameplay generally speaking.

So should this be installed before or after Rogue Rebalancing, for instance?

[RoyalProtector]

12 minutes ago, megrimlock said:

So should this be installed before or after Rogue Rebalancing, for instance?

Before or after shouldn't matter, RR won't affect this mod, as it doesn't touch shadowdancers, but it will improve other HLAs and other thief related tweaks should apply. It will have access to those HLAs.

I highly recommend using it (or any other mod that overhauls thieves and other rogues really).

Although now that I think of it, I think RR introduces new HLAs which will probably not be added to this kits HLA table. If someone can confirm this, please tell me.

If it doesn't work, I'll add compatibility, in which case this mod will need to be installed after RR.

Edited June 25, 2024 by RoyalProtector

[RoyalProtector]

Also, I would recommend mods that implement evasion for thieves. It gives thieves a much needed survivability boost!

(Seriously, BG games really screwed over thieves and paladins compared to IWD)

[megrimlock]

1 hour ago, RoyalProtector said:

Although now that I think of it, I think RR introduces new HLAs which will probably not be added to this kits HLA table. If someone can confirm this, please tell me.

If it doesn't work, I'll add compatibility, in which case this mod will need to be installed after RR.

 I'll have a go using this with RR, ToF and Epic Thieving.