Shadow Twin' is a High-level class ability available only to the Shadowdancer thief kit.
High-level class abilities were added as a new feature to the BG game with the release of the Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal expansion and are also included in the Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition as well. The Shadowdancer kit was first added to the game in the enhanced edition release.
Description[]
| “ | Shadow Twin This ability creates an almost exact duplicate of the Shadowdancer for 2 turns. The duplicate is created at 60% of the level at which the Shadowdancer is currently on. It has all the abilities that the Shadowdancer would have at that level. It also has 60% of the Hit Points of the Shadowdancer. The duplicate is fully under the control of the Shadowdancer. |
” |
Gameplay[]
This ability is accessed from the character's "Special Abilities" button, select the button icon with the cursor (or F12 on a keyboard) to open the menu - use the cursor again and click on the desired ability icon or use one of the designated F-keys if playing with a keyboard interface.
When the ability is used, a short "clone animation" (a rising disc portal) plays adjacent to the caster, and the Shadow Twin clone appears on the map a few feet distance from the caster.
The twin has the hit points, saving throws, and fighting abilities/caster levels adjusted to match up with a creature at 60% of the caster's level. There are some in-game mechanisms that determine how this is calculated and implemented (see the Simulacrum article for more on this). The twin is a real temporary living being and can be hurt/killed, stunned, held, webbed, slowed etc. If the twin is killed, it leaves a corpse (or the clone can be "chunked") just like any corporeal body.
As the created twin is a real creature, it can perform a number of actions just like the caster. Unlike a Project Image clone, this creature isn't destroyed by Dispel Magic effects or removed by certain upper echelon divination attacks, such as Oracle, True Sight, True Seeing, or a Thief's detect illusion skill.
Clones do not count toward the 5 summoned creature limit per area map. Perhaps they should, but they currently don't. The number of Simulacrums on a map is only restricted by the party's ability to cast the spell and how long they last.
What the twin can do[]
The simulacrum twin is an approximate 60% version of the Shadowdancer. It can and must be controlled by the caster in order to do anything. It won't act on its own and has no actual AI script or default intelligence.
The twin may move, attack with weaponry and can cast any memorized spells available and use most innate abilities the caster had at the time the clone was created.
The twin is created with all of the caster's worn equipment items, and those items function on the clone. For example, A Ring of Regeneration, Amulet of Power, or Boots of Elvenkind all provide their powers and ability modifiers to the clone.
Similarly, items with use charges assigned to the twin's equipped items, such as weapons, rings, helmet, etc. can be selected from the "Use Item" menu, as normal.
The twin may use any items that are in the "Quick Items" slots at the time of its creation, such as scrolls, potions, wand or similar.
The twin may also open up the "Special Abilities" menu and activate any of those abilities.
A twin from a caster with thieving abilities is limited to only attempting to perform pickpocketing tasks - it can retain stolen items in its empty inventory slots (which will be dropped on the ground when the twin is expired/destroyed).
Shadow Twin restrictions[]
The twin is created as a lesser copy of the Shadowdancer, but when it is formed the twin will not receive any spell effects that are currently active on the Shadowdancer, such as a Blur, Mirror Image, Stoneskin, Potion of Strength etc. - the twin is formed without any buffs or ailments.
The twin cannot engage another creature in dialogue or initiate a conversation - it also doesn't trigger dialogue from other creatures even if it is within the creature's dialogue activation range. The game's AI scripts don't recognize the twin as a valid dialogue trigger.
The twin cannot clear the fog of war and explore with its own sight radius, such as a familiar can or the Wizard Eye spell provides.
The twin isn't able to pick up loot (although the clone's "Quick Loot" button will show the loot), interact with containers, pull levers, push buttons, open or close doors, or transition to other area maps - the twin also is unable to receive items into its inventory from other party members, and nor can any of its equipment or items be moved/transferred/dropped.
The twin cannot activate the "Find Traps/Detect Illusions" button, nor the "Stealth" button.
The caster's sequencers, spell trigger and contingency type buttons don't transfer to the twin and thus aren't available to use. If the twin attempts to create its own sequencer for use, the game allows the spell to be selected and a short casting animation will play out, but the creation menu doesn't progress, and the creation process is finished/nothing was accomplished.
A twin that casts/uses a scroll to attempt a Mislead, a Project Image, another Shadowtwin, or a simulacrum will begin the casting sequence, but the spell will fail and not achieve anything - the same applies if the clone activates Vhailor's Helm; a clone cannot create another clone of itself.
A twin that has the Turn Undead ability will have the ability button available on the clone's character record. The ability button can be selected to switch on the turn undead power - however, it doesn't actually radiate the effect and thus does nothing to affect undead creatures. It seems that the divine power granted by the deity to turn, destroy or control undead is not passed on to the clone.
If a twin casts Lesser Restoration or Greater Restoration, including from a scroll, the spell will appear to cast as normal, but it will not remove the level-drain effect.
Trivia[]
The Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 2nd Edition ruleset doesn't provide any High-level class abilities as implemented by the BG video game - the HLA's seen in the game are a creation by the developers for the video game series only - however some inspiration was provided to the BG developers from the following sourcebook material:
In 1995 under the Advanced D&D 2.5 ruleset the Dungeon Master Option: High Level Campaigns sourcebook was released. In chapter 7, High-Level Characters and Skills for High-Level Characters is sectioned for Warriors, Wizards, Priests, and Rogues.
It is from these rules and optional suggestions that the developers crafted their own High-Level Skills - or "abilities" as they are called in the game.
In terms of Shadow Twin - the sourcebook has no such skill mentioned.