Path of the Bloodied Chain

Those who follow the Bloodied Chain learn to harness the primal fear of darkness, overwhelming and terrifying their foes with shadows. Many of their powers are based on kytons, the sadomasochistic devils of the Plane of Shadow that relish in the pain and fear they inflict.

Path Power: A nightblade that follows the Path of the Bloodied Chain gains the following path power.

Umbral Shackles (Sp)

You conjure an area of fearsome shadows, entangling chains of darkness terrorizing those within. Shadowy chains twist out from a point in space you designate within 50 feet in a 10-foot radius spread. At 8th level and again at 16th level, the maximum radius of umbral shackles increases by 10 feet. You can make the radius of the umbral shackles smaller than these amounts, though the radius must be a multiple of 5 feet.

The umbral shackles lower the light level in the area as a darkness spell. Creatures within the area are entangled as the chains pull at them (no save), though they are not anchored and can still move at half speed. In addition, creatures that enter the area of your umbral shackles or start their turn in the area must make a Will save or become shaken. This effect does not stack. At 6th level, creatures that are shaken that enter the area of the umbral shackles or start their turn in the area must make a Will save or become frightened. At 12th level, creatures that are frightened that enter the area of the umbral shackles or start their turn in the area must make a Will save or become panicked. The fear effects last as long as the creature remains in the area and for 1d4 rounds after they leave. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. Creatures immune to fear are immune to both the entanglement and fear effects. You are immune to the effects of your own umbral shackles (though the area is still dark to you, as the darkness spell).

Umbral shackles lasts a number of rounds equal to 3 + 1/2 your nightblade level and can be dismissed early as a standard action. You can have multiple umbral shackle effects active at the same time; overlapping areas do not stack nor cause any additional effects.

Surge Ability: A nightblade of 2nd level that follows the Path of the Bloodied Chain gains the following ability to use with her shadow surge class feature.

Haunting Rattle (Su)

As a move action, you can spend a shadow surge to create a phantom sound of rattling chains. Any enemies within 30 feet that are currently shaken, frightened, or panicked hear this illusory sound (other creatures cannot hear it) and have the duration of those conditions increased by 1 round. This is a mind-affecting fear effect.

Path Techniques: You become more adept at using shadow magic to sow terror on the battlefield.

Frightening Display (Ex)

At 1st level, you gain a bonus on Intimidate checks equal to half your nightblade level (minimum +1). If you manage to make a creature shaken for 4 or more rounds using the Intimidate skill, you can choose instead to make it frightened for 1 round for every 4 rounds it would have been shaken.

Aura of Fear (Su)

At 5th level, you radiate a palpably daunting aura that causes all enemies within 10 feet to take a –4 penalty on saving throws against fear effects. Creatures that are normally immune to fear lose that immunity while within 10 feet of you. This ability functions only while you remain conscious, not if you are unconscious or dead.

Thrive on Fear (Ex)

At 10th level, you become immune to fear effects, and gain a +2 bonus on saving throws against spells and effects with the pain or emotion descriptor. As long as there is at least one enemy within 50 feet of you that is suffering from a fear effect, you gain a +1 morale bonus on saving throws. This bonus increases to +2 at 18th level.

Eyes of Terror (Su)

At 15th level, you gain a gaze attack with a range of 30 feet that incites pure terror in those that see it. A creature that is subjected to your gaze attack must make a Will save or be staggered for 1 round, overwhelmed with fear. A creature with hit dice less than half your nightblade level is paralyzed for 1d4 rounds instead. Starting or ending your gaze attack is a standard action. You can use your gaze attack for a number of rounds per day equal to 1/2 your nightblade level. These rounds do not need to be consecutive. This is a mind-affecting fear effect.

Shadow of Dread (Su)

At 20th level, you become terror incarnate. You are immune to bleed effects and to spells and effects with the pain or emotion descriptor (unless you allow them to affect you). For each creature within 50 feet that is suffering from a fear effect, you gain fast healing 1; this fast healing stacks, up to fast healing 10. Once per day, you can cast weird as a spell like ability, using your nightblade level as your caster level.

Nightblade Arts: A nightblade that follows the Path of the Bloodied Chain can select from the following nightblade arts.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Path of Shadows, © 2015, Ascension Games, LLC; Author Christopher Moore

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