Editing Midnight Taint Rules (section)

==Dark Marks==
:  Taint brings corruption and decay as well as dark power. As the Shadow’s taint grows within her, a tainted channeler suffers a mark of the appropriate trait as selected by the DM. All Fortitude saves associated with dark marks have a DC of 10 + 1 / 2 the tainted channeler’s corruption level. All Will saves associated with dark marks have a DC of 10 + 1 / 2 the tainted channeler’s corruption level.


===Tier 1 Marks===
::*  '''Black-Eyed''': The eyes of the tainted turn entirely black, sclera, iris, and pupil become a single dark orb. Looking into his eyes is like looking into the void. The character becomes extremely sensitive to light; he is blinded in full daylight and suffers a –1 penalty to attacks and skill checks in any conditions brighter than dimly lit.
::*  '''Fear of the Thing''': The tainted channeler develops an irrational fear of something (chosen by the DM to suit the character’s personality). Whenever the object of her fear is in sight, or its presence is in some other way known to the channeler, she becomes shaken and will not recover from this state until the object of her fear is removed. The dark trait Already Mad does not protect against this mind-affecting effect. Tainted channelers who suffer this dark mark always gain the Fear Grows dark mark (see below).
::*  '''Lesions''': Dark, suppurating boils break out across the tainted channeler’s skin; the stench of their exudations is nauseating. The channeler must succeed on a Fortitude save at the beginning of each day or be sickened until the following day. Likewise, all living creatures with a sense of smell gain a +4 circumstance bonus on initiative against the tainted channeler, but if they come within 5 ft. of him they must succeed at a Fortitude save or become sickened. The vile odor lingers for 4d6 hours and creatures hunting the tainted gain a +4 circumstance bonus to Survival checks made to track him during this time. Creatures with the Scent ability gain a +10 bonus.
::*  '''Masochist''': The tainted channeler is consumed by the desire to inflict pain on others. She must torture and kill a single sentient creature other than herself (with Hit Dice equal to or greater than half her caster level) on the first day of each arc or suffer a –1 penalty to attacks and checks for each day that elapses until she does.
::*  '''Worn''': The taint takes its toll and the channeler’s physical form begins to fade into shadow. The tainted channeler’s Strength score is permanently lowered by 2.


===Tier 2 Marks===
::*  '''Fear Grows''': The tainted channeler’s irrational fear grows in its potency. The channeler is rendered panicked rather than shaken when in the presence of the object of her fear. This dark mark is always gained if the tainted channeler took the Fear of the Thing dark mark.
::*  '''Troubled Sleep''': Every week there is a cumulative 10% chance that the tainted channeler will be the subject of a nightmare. The channeler does not regain spell energy points following the night of disturbed sleep, and regains only half of his taint points. The chance of the nightmare occurring again resets to 0% after the nightmare.
::*  '''Uncertain Truths''': Every time the tainted channeler casts a spell, there is a 5% chance that he is assailed by waves of madness arising from the dark knowledge fomenting in his mind. The channeler must then succeed at a Will save or become affected as though by a confusion spell (caster level 7th). The chance of the tainted channeler’s madness rearing up to overwhelm him increases to 10% every time he uses a spell-like ability granted by his dark traits or uses only taint points to pay for a spell cost. 
::*  '''Withered''': The tainted channeler’s body weakens and withers beneath the spreading corruption; the creature’s Constitution and Dexterity are permanently lowered by 2.


===Tier 3 Marks===
::*  '''Festering''': Vile maggots nest in the rotting skin of the tainted, eating his flesh and destroying his muscle. The tainted channeler suffers 1d3–1 Constitution damage per day (minimum 0). This damage can only be repaired by normal rest, not by spells or other effects. 
::*  '''Hidden Master''': Dark forces swirl about the tainted channeler, corrupted spirits and Lost shades attracted by her vile aura. These entities seek to possess the tainted channeler in moments of weakness. Every time the tainted uses taint points to pay for a spell’s cost, there is a 5% chance per taint point used that an evil trapped spirit (HD equal to the tainted channeler’s caster level + 1 HD per level of the spell that was cast) will attempt to manifest by possessing her body. The tainted channeler may make a Will save as normal to resist the possession, but she suffers a –1 penalty to the save per 5 points of her maximum taint pool, and protection from evil and other defensive measures used to prevent the possession are ineffective.
::*  '''True Madness''':  The tainted channeler teeters on the edge of an abyss of insanity. Every time the tainted channeler uses taint points to pay for a spell’s cost, there is a 5% chance per taint point used that the tainted channeler will be subject to an insanity effect. The tainted channeler may make a Will save as normal to resist the insanity, but she suffers a –1 penalty to the save per 5 points of her maximum taint pool, and mind blank and other defensive measures used to block mind-affecting effects are ineffective. The insanity lasts for a number of days equal to the level of the spell that provoked it.