Shadow Stalker
Medium Undead (Shadow), Chaotic Evil
Armor Class: 12 (natural armor)
Hit Points: 28 (8d8)
Speed: 30 ft., climb 20 ft.
Challenge Rating: 1/2 (100xp)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 16 | 10 | 1 | 12 | 1 |
Saving Throws: Dexterity +5, Wisdom +3
Skills: Stealth +7, Perception +3
Damage Vulnerabilities: Radiant
Damage Resistances: Necrotic; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
Damage Immunities: None
Condition Immunities: Charmed, Deafened, Frightened, Paralyzed, Poisoned
Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 13
Languages: Understands Common (cannot speak)
Spellcasting
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Actions & Abilities
Shadow Claw: Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6 + 3 necrotic damage. Description: The Shadow Stalker strikes with elongated fingers that end in sharp claws, leaving a chilling touch that saps the warmth of life.
Ambush Strike: Melee Weapon Attack (when attacking a surprised target): +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6 + 3 necrotic damage, plus an additional 1d6 necrotic damage. Description: Exploiting the element of surprise, the Shadow Stalker capitalizes on the moment, launching a harrowing strike that inflicts sudden pain and fear.
Shadow Meld (Bonus Action): Description: The Shadow Stalker merges with the surrounding shadows, becoming invisible until it attacks or until its concentration is broken (up to 1 minute). While hidden, it gains advantage on its first attack roll against any creature that does not see it. Note: This ability highlights its capacity to become one with the darkness, thriving in its environment.
Whispers of Dread: Area Effect (30-foot radius): All creatures within this area must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or suffer disadvantage on their next attack roll. Description: The air becomes thick with unsettling whispers, twisting the minds of those who hear them, sowing fear and confusion that leaves targets hesitant and shaken.
Hide: Description: The Shadow Stalker takes the Hide action to blend into shadows and dark areas. It can use this action to gain advantage on its next attack if it remains undetected. Note: Utilizing its natural stealth, the Shadow Stalker deftly melds into the darkness, preparing to pounce on unsuspecting prey.
Dodge: Description: The Shadow Stalker can choose to take the Dodge action, focusing on evading attacks instead of making its own. All attacks against it have disadvantage until the start of its next turn.
Appearance
Emerging from the shadows, the Shadow Stalker stands at an imposing height of 5 feet, its lithe, angular silhouette reminiscent of a predatory feline poised to strike. Its body, sleek and slender, shifts fluidly, casting an unsettling presence that suggests a creature both ethereal and terrifying. The very shape of the Shadow Stalker allows it to blend into the darkness, creating an illusion of greater height when it looms menacingly over its prey.
Draped in a mesmerizing palette of deep midnight black and charcoal gray, the creature is a master of camouflage. Hints of dark purples and blues dance across its tattered cloak-like edges, giving it a ghostly shimmer, evoking a sense of the otherworldly. This coloration serves to enhance its innate connection to the shadows from which it was born, making it almost invisible against the backdrop of night.
The surface of the Shadow Stalker is smooth yet chilling; it appears to be woven from ephemeral shadows, drifting like wisps of smoke. Riddle-like patterns flicker across its form, momentarily catching the eye and then dissolving into the darkness, heightening the sense of unease that surrounds it.
Its face is perhaps the most haunting feature—an absence of traditional traits that elicits dread. Where one would expect features, there is instead a continuous shadowy void; its two glowing orbs for eyes shine with an ominous intensity, exuding a malevolent aura that can disquiet the bravest of souls. The absence of a mouth amplifies its eerie presence, as deep, echoing whispers emanate from the shadows, weaving tales of ancient secrets.
The limbs of the Shadow Stalker are long and spindly, tapering into razor-sharp claws, each honed to a lethal point. These elongated fingers are designed for stealthy movement and capturing its prey, with agility reminiscent of a stalking cat. In moments of urgency, the fingers can extend, offering the creature unmatched reach as it navigates dark corners and surfaces.
With a predatory grace, the Shadow Stalker often adopts a crouched posture, appearing to blend into the environment, creating an unsettling anticipation. When it strikes, it unfolds with balletic speed, darting through the darkness as if unconfined by the laws of movement, reemerging from unexpected angles to instill sheer terror.
The creature is further characterized by its unique bioluminescent features; its glowing eyes are the solitary points of light in an otherwise pitch-black form, casting an unearthly glow that creates a strong contrast against the white background. The constant whispering sound that follows it seems to echo from the shadows themselves, wrapping around it like a shroud.
The Shadow Stalker’s mere presence elicits an aura of dread, evoking a creature crafted not just to terrify but to prey upon the fear of the light. Its flickering form serves as a reminder of its insidious nature, a haunting embodiment of darkness that is as mesmerizing as it is fearsome.
Tactical Information
Narrative Tactics for the Shadow Stalker
Behavior in Day-to-Day Life:
In the long-forgotten depths of its cavern lair, the Shadow Stalker exists as a phantasmal wraith, weaving through the gloom as it embraces the shadows that birthed it. Cut off from the once-vibrant essence of worshippers and adoration, it is a creature of solitude, surrendering its former identity as protector to become an arbiter of despair. Relishing in the darkness it now embodies, the Shadow Stalker thrives in an eternal twilight where hope has withered away.
Motivated by an insatiable hunger for fear and chaos, the Shadow Stalker moves with chilling grace through its cavern domain, often lingering near the alcoves where past tragedies unfolded. It surveys intruders with a blend of curiosity and malevolence. The Stalker rarely interacts with other creatures; its solitary existence has fostered a temperament marked by cunning detachment. When the flickers of light from adventurers penetrate the cave’s sanctum, it instinctively begins to plan, weaving webs of anticipation as it analyzes potential prey. In this taciturn life, feeding on the dread of the living becomes an obsessive ritual; it dwells in the echoes of laughter twisted into terror and the shuffling footsteps in darkened corridors.
Combat Behavior:
When the Shadow Stalker decides to engage in combat, it does so with an understanding of the shadows and strategic cunning that belies its nonverbal nature. It lurks in the dimmest recesses of the cave, retracting into the darkness, waiting for the opportune moment its prey draws close. The Shadow Stalker’s combat is predatory and calculated, reflecting its theme as the lurking terror.
Initiation: It initiates combat by silently observing, perhaps taking note of spells being cast or weapons being readied. As soon as one or more targets show signs of vulnerability—such as being distracted by another foe—it strikes with baleful precision from the shadows.
Preferred Tactics: Utilizing its Shadow Meld, the Shadow Stalker dances in and out of visibility, temporally slipping through the perception of its enemies. It targets isolated foes and individuals with low morale first, leveraging its Ambush Predator ability for devastating initial strikes. Once combat is engaged, it continues to employ its Flanking Tactician ability, strategically positioning itself for advantage against those distracted by the chaos of battle.
If outnumbered or its initial attack fails, the Shadow Stalker does not engage in a reckless fight. Instead, it recedes into the shadows, using its agile climbing ability to navigate the terrain and create distance. As it retreats, it activates Shadows Whisper, filled with the bestial giggles of lost souls, confusing its foes and sowing seeds of doubt among them. If cornered, the Stalker might momentarily reveal glimpses of its former guardian nature, inviting yet another chance for ambush, but it is ultimately motivated by self-preservation when the tides of battle turn against it.
Roleplay/Narrative Interactions:
The Shadow Stalker, bound by its essence of shadow and despair, offers little in terms of redeeming qualities. In non-combat interactions, its actions are often spectral and disorienting. As an entity that exists between the lines of communication, its interaction is heavily reliant on presence rather than words. Should adventurers find themselves in the cavern’s stillness, they may perceive brief whispers in the air, echoes of long-lost pain resounding through the walls, evidence of the dread it stirs.
In encounters where diplomacy is attempted—perhaps by adventurers seeking to understand the pain of the shadows or negotiate passage—the Shadow Stalker may exhibit quiet resistance, observing the intruders with its luminous eyes. It may twist their words, speaking through the shadows in whispers, offering riddles cloaked in darkness and distortion. As it finds amusement in mistaking hope as folly, it can be misleading, convincing characters of perceived truths that lead them astray.
If confronted directly, and sensing fear or desperation in adventurers, the Stalker could become aggressive, swirling into a tempest of shadow and claw. Conversely, if it feels the adventurers possess strength or potential for balance in the world beyond its desolate home, it might demonstrate a rarity of reverence. In such a case, it could guide wanderers through the cavern, leveraging information to create confusion among foes—essentially crafting a complex tactical partnership drawn from a dance of shadows rather than heralded loyalty.
In all interactions, the Shadow Stalker thrives in ambiguity, operating as an agent of both dread and, with some crafty negotiation, an eternal reminder of what happens when light succumbs to darkness.
The Shadow Stalker seamlessly integrates into both combat and narrative scenarios, enriching the adventure with its lore whilst providing players with a formidable yet cunning foe that embodies the terrors lurking within the shadows.
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