A Review of the Role Playing Game Supplement Handbook to the Shadow Plane

Handbook to the Shadow Plane by Maria Smolina is a role playing game supplement published by Zenith Games for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. As such, it is covered by the Open Game License and some parts are considered to be Open Game Content as a result.

This is a 21 page PDF that is available from DriveThruRPG but was purchased at the reduced price of $1.59 during a sale. One page is the front cover, one the Table of Contents and front matter and one the Open Game License.

The first bit of content has a few paragraphs about what the supplement contains then has the Traits of the Shadow Plane.

Navigating the Shadow Plane starts by covering the Border Shadow and the Deep Shadow; Border Shadow is the closest area to the Prime Material Plane and the easiest to visit. Deep Shadow is harder to get to and more dangerous. Travel starts with Umbral Portals, which are created as a means to get to the plane. There is also a table of what happens if such is destroyed. Umbral Paths are another means of getting to the plane (the text is not totally clear on this; it needed rereading to confirm that they weren’t a trail within the plane). Such paths always pose a challenge and if the challenges, which can include guardians, are destroyed, not beaten or passed, the path is destroyed too. It’s a shame there isn’t an example path. Next is Tracking and Silver Trails; non-natives leave silver paths when they travel. Such are created by regular travel. Leaving silver coins also creates a trail.

Umbral Hazards starts with the rather nasty Baleful Moon, a reflection of a (possibly nonexistent; the text is not clear again) moon in a pool. Creatures can wind up affected by a sympathy spell and then a curse which transforms them into a shadowy version of themselves.

Mollycoddle Grass is grass that produces a black tentacles spell. Mooneye Haze affects visions by losing natural darkvision and making all areas one level darker. Twisting Shadows can cross over to the Material and bind affected creatures, inflicting cold damage. Some shadows are influenced by the Negative Energy Plane and impose negative levels instead of doing cold damage. Umbral Phantoms are distracting hazards.

Shadow Monsters has some new creatures. Dusk Snatchers come from gnome horror stories and steal memories. The Trackless template can be added to a living corporeal humanoid. The Umbral Hag is a shadowy version of the hag. The Shade of Ill Luck is a birdlike creature. The Strigosphinx is a shadow version of a gynosphinx, formed when the most knowledgeable die.

Umbral Treasure and Special Materials starts with the optional rule of shadow imbuement, where items can become imbued with shadow simply by exposure. Shadowsilver has effects similar to normal silver against creatures vulnerable to it, but is more effective. There are then a number of magical items.

Shadow Feats has two shadow-related feats and Shadow Spells has three such, including a 9th level. Shadow Shaman Spirit is for shamans and the Shadow Psychopomp Hex can be selected by shamans and witches. Finally, there is a list of twenty adventure hooks.

Handbook to the Shadow Plane in Review

The PDF lacks bookmarks and is long enough with enough different sections that this is a noticeable detriment. The Table of Contents is reasonably thorough but not as much as it could be. Navigation could be better. The text maintains a two column format and appeared to be free of error. There are a number of black and white illustrations, most of which appear to be desaturated and tweaked stock photos. Presentation is okay.

This is a toolbox for the Shadow Plane rather than an explicit guidebook to it. It has encounters, creatures, items and related magic. So a GM will need to do some work to actually develop and adventure, but this toolbox should help. The clarity of the text is, as mentioned, lacking in a couple of places and in particular it would have been nice to have had an actual example of an umbral path. The supplement is inexpensive but there’s a feeling it could have been more with some more work. Handbook to the Shadow Plane is a decent enough supplement and it can be found by clicking here.