Shadow
- Size: Medium
- Type: Undead
- Alignment: Chaotic Evil
- AC: 12
- Initiative: +2 (12)
- HP: 27(5d8+5)
- Speed: 40 ft
| ATTR | VAL | MOD | SAVE |
|---|---|---|---|
| STR | 6 | -2 | -2 |
| DEX | 14 | +2 | +2 |
| CON | 13 | +1 | +1 |
| INT | 6 | -2 | -2 |
| WIS | 10 | +0 | +0 |
| CHA | 8 | -1 | -1 |
- Senses: Darkvision 60 ft.; Passive Perception 10
- Languages: None
- CR: 1/2 (XP 100; PB +2)
Traits
Amorphous. The shadow can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch without expending extra movement to do so.
Sunlight Weakness. While in sunlight, the shadow has Disadvantage on D20 Tests.
Actions
Draining Swipe. Melee Attack Roll: +4, reach 5 ft. Hit: 5(1d6+2) Necrotic damage, and the target's Strength score decreases by 1d4. The target dies if this reduces that score to 0. If a Humanoid is slain by this attack, a Shadow rises from the corpse 1d4 hours later.
Bonus Actions
Shadow Stealth. While in Dim Light or Darkness, the shadow takes the Hide action.
Lore & Background
Shadows are undead remnants of humanoids who died in conditions of overwhelming darkness, despair, or negative energy. These incorporeal beings exist as living darkness, retaining only fragments of their former personalities while being driven by an insatiable hunger to drain the life force from living creatures. They represent the antithesis of life and light, spreading coldness and fear wherever they manifest.
These creatures are often found in places where great tragedies occurred, ancient burial sites, or locations steeped in necromantic magic. Shadows lack physical form but maintain a terrible intelligence and cunning, making them far more dangerous than simple mindless undead. They retain enough memory of their mortal existence to feel bitter resentment toward the living, driving their desire to create more of their kind.
Combat Tactics
Shadows rely on their incorporeal nature and stealth capabilities to ambush unsuspecting victims, phasing through walls and solid objects to attack from unexpected angles. They target isolated individuals when possible, using their strength-draining touch to weaken opponents before other enemies can arrive to help. Their lack of physical form makes them nearly immune to conventional weapons.
In combat, shadows prefer to attack from concealment, emerging from walls or objects to strike before retreating to safety. They use their ability to hide in darkness and their silent movement to maintain the element of surprise throughout an encounter. Multiple shadows often coordinate their attacks to overwhelm single targets.
Encounter Ideas
1. The Haunted Ruins Ancient ruins harbor multiple shadows created by a long-ago massacre. The party must navigate the crumbling structure while dealing with incorporeal attackers that can strike from any direction, using the ruins' architecture to their advantage.
2. The Eclipse Terror During a solar eclipse, shadows become more active and powerful, emerging from their usual hiding places to hunt in broad daylight. The party must survive the temporary period of enhanced shadow activity while investigating the cause of their increased aggression.
3. The Spreading Darkness A single shadow has begun creating others by draining victims' strength, leading to an exponentially growing threat. The party must track down the original shadow and stop the spread before an entire community becomes consumed by undead darkness.
4. The Shadow's Memory A shadow retains enough of its mortal memories to provide crucial information about past events, but communicating with it requires finding ways to temporarily strengthen its connection to its former life without falling victim to its deadly touch.
Environmental Effects
- Unnatural Darkness: Areas inhabited by shadows become cloaked in deeper darkness that resists normal light sources
- Temperature Drop: The presence of shadows causes a noticeable chill in the air, often accompanied by visible breath vapor
- Electronic Interference: In modern settings, shadows can cause lights to flicker and electronic devices to malfunction
- Emotional Drain: Prolonged exposure to shadow presence causes feelings of depression, hopelessness, and existential dread
Treasure
- Shadow-Touched Items (100-500 gp): Objects that have absorbed negative energy, useful for necromantic rituals
- Remnant Memories (varies): Psychic imprints of the shadow's mortal life, potentially containing valuable information
- Darkness Crystals (200-800 gp): Crystallized negative energy that forms in areas of intense shadow activity
- Cold Iron Fragments (50-200 gp): Metal pieces that have been exposed to shadow energy, gaining anti-fey properties
- Victim's Possessions (varies): Items dropped by the shadow's victims, often including coins, jewelry, and personal effects
Plot Hooks
1. The Fading Light Magical light sources throughout a city begin failing systematically, allowing shadows to emerge and hunt during daylight hours. The party must discover what is extinguishing the protective magic before the entire settlement falls to darkness.
2. The Shadow's Bargain A shadow offers to reveal the location of hidden treasure in exchange for the party allowing it to drain strength from a specific individual. The characters must decide whether to make a deal with an undead creature and face the moral implications.
3. The Inherited Curse A family's ancestral home is haunted by shadows of their predecessors, created by a generational curse that turns family members into undead upon death. The party must break the curse while avoiding becoming its next victims.
4. The Portal Guardian Shadows guard an ancient portal to the Shadowfell, preventing both entry and exit. The party needs to use the portal but must find a way to deal with the incorporeal guardians without alerting whatever power commands their loyalty.