The Temple Shadow
The Temple Shadow
Temple Shadows are guards for places where putting someone in full plate outside the door would draw the wrong kind of attention. They are often found in temples, archives, reliquaries, and other places where a fight needs to end before it gets out of hand. Their magic is practical. It helps them move, control the room, protect what matters, and get an ally back on their feet. Some are obvious temple guards, while others protect hidden shrines, secret orders, or people who do not want it advertised that they need protection.
Basic Detail
HD Type: d8
Bonus HP Per HD: +4
Attack Curve: Medium
Magical Prowess: Standard
Spell List: Generalist
Sub-Type: Generalist
Skill Growth: 6 + Intelligence Modifier (x4 at first level)
Suggested Skills: Acrobatics, Balance, Concentration, Conceal, Discern Intent, Heal, Intimidate, Knowledge (Arcana),
Knowledge (Religion), Listen, Move Silently, Profession (Temple Guard), and Spot.
Known Skills: 10 + Intelligence Modifier
Weapon Proficiency: Pole Weapons and two weapons of choice; this prebuilt uses a quarterstaff
Armor Proficiency: Light, medium, heavy, and shields (except tower shields); light armor is recommended
Saves: 2 High and 2 Low
Primary Mental Attribute (PMA): Charisma
Suggested Attribute Distribution: Str 14, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 18
Progression
| HD | Perk | Base Attack | High Save | Low Save | Spell Proficiency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Melee Combatant (Pole Weapons)D, Lesser OpportunistA, Lesser Suppression FieldA, and Weapon Fixation (Quarterstaff)F | +0 | +2 | +0 | +1 |
| 2 | - | +1 | +3 | +0 | +1 |
| 3 | Weapon Offensive (Quarterstaff)F | +2 | +3 | +1 | +1 |
| 4 | Improved Weapon Fixation (Quarterstaff)F | +3 | +4 | +1 | +1 |
| 5 | Ward +2D | +3 | +4 | +1 | +1 |
| 6 | Improved Weapon Offensive (Quarterstaff)F | +4 | +5 | +2 | +1 |
| 7 | - | +5 | +5 | +2 | +1 |
| 8 | Improved OpportunistA, Ward +3 | +6/+1 | +6 | +2 | +2 |
| 9 | Weapon Defensive (Quarterstaff)F | +6/+1 | +6 | +3 | +2 |
| 10 | Improved Suppression FieldA and Speedy (+10 ft.)D | +7/+2 | +7 | +3 | +2 |
| 11 | - | +8/+3 | +7 | +3 | +2 |
| 12 | Weapon Mastery (Quarterstaff)F, Weapon Casting (Quarterstaff)F, Ward +4, and Speedy (+20 ft.) | +9/+4 | +8 | +4 | +2 |
| 13 | - | +9/+4 | +8 | +4 | +2 |
| 14 | - | +10/+5 | +9 | +4 | +2 |
| 15 | Spell FocusF and Nimble +3D | +11/+6/+1 | +9 | +5 | +2 |
| 16 | Greater Suppression FieldA, Ward +5, and Nimble +4 | +12/+7/+2 | +10 | +5 | +3 |
| 17 | - | +12/+7/+2 | +10 | +5 | +3 |
| 18 | Greater Spell FocusF | +13/+8/+3 | +11 | +6 | +3 |
| 19 | - | +14/+9/+4 | +11 | +6 | +3 |
| 20 | Greater OpportunistA, Bolster SpellF, Skulker +6D, Ward +6, and Nimble +5 | +15/+10/+5 | +12 | +6 | +3 |
F Feat, A Ability, and D Definition
The Breakdown
The Temple Shadow should make Reflex and Will their high saves. Move Silently must remain at the skill point cap, both because it fits the work and because the Opportunist line requires it. Place the attribute increases at 4, 8, 12, and 16 HD into Dexterity. This reaches Dexterity 20 in time for Greater Opportunist. The final increase can go into Charisma, Constitution, or Strength.
Melee Combatant (Pole Weapons): Become proficient with Pole Weapons and increase their weapon damage die category by one. This build uses a quarterstaff, which does not suffer the adjacency penalty of other pole weapons.
Lesser Opportunist: Deal +1d6 damage per 2 HD, to a maximum of +3d6, when attacking a target that is not applying their Dexterity bonus to AC. Flanked, flat-footed, helpless, and stunned targets also qualify. The additional dice inherit the attack's primary damage type and can apply to multiple attacks.
Lesser Suppression Field: Gain Lesser Suppression Field. Non-allies within 20 ft. suffer -1 AC and one selected suppression effect. The field can expose an energy vulnerability, add damage to physical attacks, slow movement, reduce physical damage reduction, or penalize a save.
Weapon Fixation (Quarterstaff): Gain a +1 training bonus to attacks made with a quarterstaff. The quarterstaff remains the selected weapon for the rest of this prebuilt's weapon feats.
Weapon Offensive (Quarterstaff): Gain a +2 training bonus to damage with the quarterstaff.
Improved Weapon Fixation (Quarterstaff): Increase the quarterstaff's training bonus to attack to +2.
Ward: Never begin combat flat-footed, even when surprised. Also gain the listed competency bonus to Listen and Spot.
Improved Weapon Offensive (Quarterstaff): Increase the quarterstaff's training bonus to damage to +4.
Improved Opportunist: Increase the maximum bonus damage from Lesser Opportunist to +6d6.
Weapon Defensive (Quarterstaff): Gain a +1 parry bonus to AC while wielding the quarterstaff.
Improved Suppression Field: The field's AC penalty increases to -2 and each selected suppression effect becomes stronger.
Speedy: Increase every base movement speed by 10 ft. At 12 HD, the increase becomes 20 ft.
Weapon Mastery (Quarterstaff): The quarterstaff now provides a total +3 training bonus to attack, +6 training bonus to damage, and +2 parry bonus to AC while wielded.
Weapon Casting (Quarterstaff): Motions made with the quarterstaff replace focus components and material components that cost less than 1 gp. The quarterstaff itself becomes a spell focus.
Spell Focus: Select a number of spells based on Charisma. This build uses Healing Touch, Haste, Trick Step, Thaumic Chain Bolt, and Predator's Prowess first. These spells are cast at +1 caster level and can exceed a normal damage, healing, or warding die limit by one die.
Nimble: Gain the listed competency bonus to Acrobatics and Balance. Defensive fighting grants another +1 dodge AC, and total defense grants another +2 dodge AC.
Greater Suppression Field: The field expands to 30 ft., imposes -3 AC, and improves each of its selected suppression effects again.
Greater Spell Focus: Choose Healing Touch and one other spell already selected for Spell Focus. Both gain another +1 caster level, are always signless and soundless, and can each be cast once per day as a swift action without consuming a spell slot.
Greater Opportunist: Remove the damage limit from Opportunist. Its additional damage continues increasing by +1d6 for every 2 HD.
Bolster Spell: Increase a spell's slot level by 2 to add four damage or healing dice. This cannot modify attribute damage.
Skulker: Tracking DCs against the Temple Shadow increase by 5. Also gain a +6 competency bonus to Conceal and Move Silently at 20 HD.
Spell Casting
Caster Level: The Temple Shadow's caster level is equal to their HD.
Spell List: The Temple Shadow casts from the Generalist spell list.
Simplex Spells: The suggested Simplex spells are Bless, Distract, and Tend.
Spells Known: These spells do not need to be prepared and can be cast whenever the Temple Shadow has a spell slot of the appropriate level. Other Generalist spells can still be recorded in a spellbook and prepared normally.
Spells Per Day: These are the Temple Shadow's base spell slots before bonus spells from Charisma. A 0 means the Temple Shadow can cast spells of that level only if Charisma grants a bonus slot.
Spells Known
| HD | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 4 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 5 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| 6 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - |
| 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - |
| 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - |
| 10 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - |
| 11 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - |
| 12 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - |
| 13 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - |
| 14 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - |
| 15 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 16 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 17 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 18 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 19 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 20 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
Spells Per Day
| HD | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 3 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
| 4 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - |
| 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - |
| 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | - | - |
| 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | - |
| 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | - | - |
| 10 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | - |
| 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - |
| 12 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | - |
| 13 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 14 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 15 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| 16 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 17 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| 18 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| 19 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| 20 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Suggested Spells by Level
The selected spells help the Temple Shadow move into position, survive a quick violent fight, and keep their allies standing. They are not meant to turn the build into a dedicated healer.