Class(es)/Skill: Swordsage/Hide Weapons: Dagger, short sword, sai, siangham, unarmed strike, and spiked chain Description: The Shadow Hand discipline teaches the arts of stealth, deception, and ambush. Its maneuvers allow a warrior to take on a shadowy aspect or to channel dark energy to sap an enemy's strength. Child of Shadow Shadow Hand (Stance) Level: Swordsage 1 Initiation Action: 1 swift action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: Stance As an initiate of the Shadow Hand school, you learn to channel and control dark, shadowy energies. This energy flows around you like a concealing robe, hiding you from your opponents as they attempt to strike you. If you move at least 10 feet during your turn, you gain concealment against all melee and ranged attacks until the start of your next turn. You also gain the standard benefits of concealment, but cannot use this stance to hide in plane sight; you must still use some other terrain feature that normally allows you to use the Hide skill. The fluttering shadows make it difficult to specifically target you, but your enemies are aware of your position. This maneuver is a supernatural ability. Clinging Shadow Strike Shadow Hand (Strike) Level: Swordsage 1 Initiation Action: 1 standard action Range: Melee attack Target: One creature Saving Throw: Fort partial As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack. If it hits, you deal +1d6 damage and your opponent must make a successful Fort save (DC 11 + your Wis mod) or suffer a 20% miss chance on all melee and ranged attacks for 1 round. A successful save negates only the miss chance. This maneuver is a supernatural ability. Island of Blades Shadow Hand (Stance) Level: Swordsage 1 Initiation Action: 1 swift action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: Stance You turn your enemies' strengths against them, improving your combat ability as well as that of an ally. When you and a comrade move to attack an opponent, you time your attacks and position yourself to frustrate your opponent's defenses. If both you and an ally are adjacent to the same creature, the two of you gain the benefit for flanking that opponent. You can gain this benefit against multiple opponents at the same time, as can your allies. If both you and an ally are adjacent to the same two creatures, the two of you gain the benefit of flanking against both creatures. Shadow Blade Technique Shadow Hand (Strike) Level: Swordsage 1 Initiation Action: 1 standard action Range: Melee attack Target: One creature This maneuver allows you to create a mystical double of your weapon. as you attack, your foe must decide which weapon to defend against. In most cases, the illusory weapon distracts your foe and allows your true attack to hit. In some cases, both attacks strike home. In this case, the shadow blade discharges its magic and imbues your attack with cold energy. As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack against an opponent. Unlike on a normal attack, you roll 2d20 and select which of the two results to use. If you use the higher die result, resolve your attack as normal. (Your mystic double misses but your true attack might hit). If you use the lower result, or if both results are the same, your attack deals +1d6 cold damage as both the mystic double's attack and your true weapon strike home. This maneuver is a supernatural ability. Cloak of Deception Shadow Hand (Boost) Level: Swordsage 2 Initiation Action: 1 swift action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: End of turn When you initiate this maneuver, you turn invisible, as the greater invisibility spell for the maneuver's duration. This maneuver is a supernatural ability. Drain Vitality Shadow Hand (Strike) Level: Swordsage 2 Prereqs: One Shadow Hand maneuver Initiation Action: 1 standard action Range: Melee attack Target: One creature Saving Throw: Fort negates As part of this maneuver, make a single melee attack. If this attack hits, you deal normal melee damage and the target must make a Fort save (DC 12 + your Wis mod) or take 2 Con damage. A successful save only negates the Con damage. Shadow Jaunt Shadow Hand [Teleportation] Level: Swordsage 2 Initiation Action: 1 standard action Range: 50 ft. Target: You As part of this maneuver, you disappear in a cloud of darkness and teleport up to 50 feet away. You must have line of sight and line of effect to your destination. If you attempt to use this maneuver to move into an occupied space, you do not move and the maneuver is expended to no effect. Assassin's Stance Shadow Hand (Stance) Level: Swordsage 3 Prereqs: One Shadow Hand maneuver Initiation Action: 1 swift action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: Stance A shadow cast by a gap between two armored plates or a crease in a creature's thick hide calls to your weapon, allowing you to strike with deadly accuracy against an unprepared opponent. While in this stance, you gain the sneak attack ability, if you do not already have it, which deals +2d6 damage. This benefit stacks with any existing sneak attack dice. Dance of the Spider Shadow Hand (Stance) Level: Swordsage 3 Initiation Action: 1 swift action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: Stance While in this stance, you gain a climb speed of 20 feet and do not need to make a Climb check to traverse vertical or horizontal surfaces, even if you attempt to move across a ceiling. You retain your Dex bonus to AC while climbing, and you must have at least one hand free to support yourself while you climb. You take no penalties, nor do your opponents gain any bonus when attacking you while you climb. You cannot take a run action while climbing in this manner. Shadow Garrote Shadow Hand (Strike) Level: Swordsage 3 Initiation Action: 1 standard action Range: 60 ft. Target: One living creature Duration: See text Saving Throw: Fort partial As part of this maneuver, you create a strand of shadow that you hurl at an opponent. The strand wraps around the target's throat and chokes it. As part of this maneuver, you make a ranged touch attack against a creature within range. If your attack succeeds, your opponent takes +5d6 damage. In addition, it must make a successful Fort save (DC 13 + your Wis mod) or become flat-footed until the start of its next turn. This maneuver is a supernatural ability. Strength Draining Strike Shadow Hand (Strike) Level: Swordsage 3 Prereqs: One Shadow Hand maneuver Initiation Action: 1 standard action Range: Melee attack Target: One creature Saving Throw: Fort half As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack against an opponent. In addition to dealing normal melee damage with the attack, you deal 4 Str damage. A successful Fort save (DC 13 + your Wis mod) halves the Strength damage. This maneuver is a supernatural ability. Hand of Death Shadow Hand (Strike) Level: Swordsage 4 Initiation Action: 1 standard action Range: Touch Target: Creature touched Duration: 1d3 rounds Saving Throw: Fort negates You draw upon the power of shadow to render a single foe helpless. By touching a specific nerve center and channeling your ki, you leave your enemy's muscles cold, locked, and useless. This maneuver functions only against flat-footed opponents. As part of this maneuver, you make a melee touch attack against your opponent. If this attack hits, your opponent must make a successful fort save (DC 14 + your Wis mod) or be paralyzed for 1d3 rounds. Obscuring Shadow Veil Shadow Hand (Strike) Level: Swordsage 4 Prereqs: Two Shadow Hand maneuvers Initiation Action: 1 standard action Range: Melee attack Target: One creature Duration: 1 round Saving Throw: Fort partial As a standard action, you can make a single melee attack. If it his, your opponent takes normal melee damage +5d6 damage. She must also make a successful Fort save (DC 14 + your Wis mod) or suffer a 50% miss chance on all melee and ranged attacks for 1 round. A successful save negates only the miss chance. This maneuver is a supernatural ability. Bloodletting Strike Shadow Hand (Strike) Level: Swordsage 5 Prereqs: Two Shadow Hand maneuvers Initiation Action: 1 standard action Range: Melee attack Target: One creature Saving Throw: Fort partial As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack. If this attack hits, your opponent takes 4 Con damage in addition to your attack's normal damage. A successful Fort save (DC 15 + your Wis mod) reduces this damage to 2 points, although the foe still takes full normal melee damage. Shadow Stride Shadow Hand [Teleportation] Level: Swordsage 5 Initiation Action: 1 move action Range: 50 ft. Target: You As shadow jaunt, except as above. Step of the Dancing Moth Shadow Hand (Stance) Level: Swordsage 5 Prereqs: Two Shadow Hand maneuvers Initiation Action: 1 swift action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: Stance While in this stance, you can wlak up to 5 feet above the ground. Your speed becomes 20 feet while in this stance, and you cannot run. You ignore any terrain feature that fails to project more than 5 feet above the ground, such as difficult terrain, burning lava, water, etc. In addition, you ignore thr standard penalties on Hide and Move Silently checks for moving quickly. Ghost Blade Shadow Hand (Strike) Level: Swordsage 6 Prereqs: Three Shadow Hand maneuvers Initiation Action: 1 standard action Range: Melee attack Target: One creature As part of this maneuver, you make a melee attack. As you strike at your opponent, you create an illusory double of your weapon. This double slashes at your opponent, tricking him into mistaking it for your attack. In truth, the illusion cloaks your real attack. Your opponent is caught flat-footed against this strike, as the hidden attack from a new direction ruins his defenses. This maneuver is a supernatural ability. Shadow Noose Shadow Hand (Strike) Level: Swordsage 6 Initiation Action: 1 standard action Range: 60 ft. Target: One flat-footed living creature Duration: 1 round Saving Throw: Fort partial As part of this maneuver, you form a noose of shadow that wraps around your target and strangles him. As part of this maneuver, you make a ranged touch attack against a valid target within range. If it hits, your opponent takes 8d6 damage. In addition, he must make a Fort save (DC 16 + your Wis mod) or be stunned for 1 round. A successful save negates only the stunning. This maneuver is a supernatural ability. Stalker in the Night Shadow Hand (Strike) Level: Swordsage 6 Initiation Action: 1 full-round action Range: Melee attack Target: One creature As part of this maneuver, you move up to your speed and make a single melee attack at any point during your movement. If you were hidden before initiating this maneuver, you can keep the results of your previous Hide and Move Silently checks even though you move and attack. As long as you end your turn in a spot that allows you to hide, your foes must make Spot and Listen checks as normal to discern your presence. Your movement and this maneuver's attack have no effect on your Hide and Move Silently checks. Death in the Dark Shadow Hand (Strike) Level: Swordsage 7 Initiation Action: 1 standard action Range: Melee attack Target: One creature Saving Throw: Fort partial This maneuver functions only against a flat-footed opponent. As part of this maneuver, make a single melee attack. If this attack hits, you deal normal damage and the target must make a Fort save (DC 17 + your Wis mod). If the target fails this save, she takes +15d6 bonus damage. If she succeeds, she suffers only +5d6 extra damage. This maneuver doesn't work on creatures immune to critical hits. Shadow Blink Shadow Hand [Teleportation] Level: Swordsage 7 Initiation Action: 1 swift action Range: 50 ft. Target: You As shadow jaunt, except as above. Balance on the Sky Shadow Hand (Stance) Level: Swordsage 8 Prereqs: Three Shadow Hand maneuvers Initiation Action: 1 swift action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: Stance You gain the ability to use air walk (as the spell) on yourself only. You must keep at least one hand empty while using this stance. Moving upward requires you to spend 10 feet of movement for each 5 feet of elevation you gain. You gain the benefit of air walk only while you maintain this stance. If for some reason your stance ends while in midair, you fall to the ground. This stance is a supernatural ability. Enervating Shadow Strike Shadow Hand (Strike) Level: Swordsage 8 Prereqs: Three Shadow Hand maneuvers Initiation Action: 1 standard action Range: Melee attack Target: One creature Saving Throw: Fort negates As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack. If this attack hits, the target must make a successful Fort save (DC 18 + your Wis mod) or gain 1d4 negative levels. You gain 5 temporary hit points for each negative level gained. Temporary hit points gained in this manner last until the end of the encounter. The effects of any negative levels bestowed by this strike disappear in 24 hours. If the target has at least as many negative levels as HD, it dies. Each negative level gives a creature a -1 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and effective level (for determining the power, duration, DC, and other details of spells or special abilities). Additionally, a spellcaster loses one spell or spell slot from her highest availible level. Negative levels stack. In addition to the negative levels, your attack deals normal damage regardless of the saving throw's outcome. This maneuver is a supernatural ability. One with Shadow Shadow Hand (Counter) Level: Swordsage 8 Prereqs: Three Shadow Hand maneuvers Initiation Action: 1 immediate action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: See text As an immediate action, you become incorporeal, gaining all the benefits of the incorporeal subtype. All of your gear becomes incorporeal, although you cannot grant this state to a living creature you touch or carry. You remain incorporeal until the beginning of your next turn. Five-Shadow Creeping Ice Enervation Strike Shadow Hand (Strike) Level: Swordsage 9 Prereqs: Five Shadow Hand maneuvers Initiation Action: 1 standard action Range: Melee attack Target: One creature Duration: 1 minute Saving Throw: Fort partial; see text As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack. If you hit, you deal normal melee damage plus +15d6 damage, and a shadow spread out from your enemy's heart, freezing the blood in his veins. Roll a d20 and refer to the information below to determine toward which point of his body the freezing spreads. This effect functions even if your opponent is not humanoid; once you have struck your foe's heart, the shadow produces the same effects even in a creature of different anatomy. A foe struck by this attack must make a successful Fort save (DC 19 + your Wis mod) to resist its effects. On a successful save, the target ignores any special effect from the attack and takes half the indicated ability damage (but still takes normal melee damage as well as the extra +15d6 bonus damage). Each of the special effects lasts 1d6 rounds. This maneuver is a supernatural ability. d20 outcome Effect 1-7 Spreads out to legs. Ability damage: 2d6 Dex. Special effect: Speed is reduced to 0 ft. 8-14 Spread out to arms. Ability damage: 2d6 Str. Special effect: -6 penalty on attack rolls and Concentration checks. 15-20 Spreads to heart. Ability damage: 2d6 Dex + 2d6 Str. Special effect: 2d6 Con damage.