Shadowstrider
Medium Undead, Chaotic Neutral
Armor Class: 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points: 68 (10d8 + 20)
Speed: 30 ft., Shadow Leap (Teleportation)
Challenge Rating: 4 (1,100 XP)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 20 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 16 |
Saving Throws: Dexterity +7, Wisdom +5
Skills: Stealth +9, Perception +5, Deception +7
Damage Vulnerabilities: Radiant Damage
Damage Resistances: Necrotic Damage
Damage Immunities: Poison Damage, Psychic Damage
Condition Immunities: Charmed, Frightened, Poisoned
Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Truesight 30 ft., Passive Perception 15
Languages: Common, Dark Speech
Spellcasting
Spellcasting. The Shadowstrider is a 5th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). The Shadowstrider has the following spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): *Eldritch Blast*, *Minor Illusion*
1st level (4 slots): *Hex*, *Disguise Self*
2nd level (3 slots): *Misty Step*, *Mirror Image*
3rd level (2 slots): *Fear*, *Darkness*
The Shadowstrider uses its spells to enhance its stealth and evasiveness. It often begins combat by casting *Darkness* to create an area of obscured vision, then employs *Misty Step* to relocate quickly out of sight after launching an attack. It may also use *Hex* on a target to weaken them before engaging with its physical attacks.
In situations where stealth is necessary, the Shadowstrider can use *Disguise Self* to blend into shadows or mimic party members, sowing confusion before revealing its true form. *Eldritch Blast* serves as its primary ranged attack when attempting to maintain a distance while still dealing damage.
The Shadowstrider is keen on using *Mirror Image* to create illusions of itself for confusion and misdirection, allowing it to remain elusive and difficult to target throughout the encounter.
Actions & Abilities
Spectral Dagger Attack: *Melee Weapon Attack:* +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. *Hit:* 1d8 + 3 necrotic damage. *Description:* The Shadowstrider lunges out from the gloom, its dagger-like fingers striking with unnatural speed and precision, piercing through the air like a dart from the dark.
Cloak of Shadows (Recharge 5-6): *Action:* The Shadowstrider momentarily merges with the surrounding shadows, becoming invisible until the start of its next turn or until it attacks or casts a spell. *Description:* A faint whisper of despair surrounds the Shadowstrider as it blends into the darkness, utilizing its stealth to avoid detection.
Soul Siphon: *Action:* The Shadowstrider targets one creature it can see within 20 feet of it. The target must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw. *On a failed save:* The target takes 2d8 necrotic damage, and the Shadowstrider regains hit points equal to half the damage dealt. *On a successful save:* The target takes half damage, and the Shadowstrider does not regain hit points. *Description:* The Shadowstrider extends a shadowy tendril toward its target, pulling life force away like a dark wraith drawing sustenance from fear and despair.
Shadowy Tendril: *Attack:* The Shadowstrider reaches through the glowing iron bars, making an attack against a character within 10 feet. Roll a d6; on a 5-6, the attack hits. *Hit:* 1d6 necrotic damage. *Description:* A shadowy appendage lashes out from between the iron bars, attempting to wrap around an unsuspecting target, leaving a chill of dread in its wake.
Defensive Retreat (Reaction): When the Shadowstrider takes damage, it can use its reaction to teleport up to 15 feet to an unoccupied space it can see within dim light or darkness. *Description:* As a blow lands, the Shadowstrider blurs and vanishes, slipping into the shadows with ease, allowing it to evade further retaliation.
Appearance
Emerging from the shadows of the Temple, the Shadowstrider stands at an imposing height of 6 feet, its slender and elongated form exuding both otherworldly grace and predatory elegance. Its silhouette appears to ripple in the dim light, emphasizing the fluidity of its structure, which allows it to glide effortlessly through the darkness. There is an enigmatic quality about its posture, regal yet serpentine, as if it is both part of the shadows and distinctly separate from the world around it.
The creature’s coloration is a stunning interplay of deep blacks and midnight blues, akin to the night sky just before dawn. Hints of iridescent dark purple and indigo swirl across its body, as if it were draped in a cloak of shifting darkness. The deep hues create a visual impact that draws the eye, while also merging the creature seamlessly with its shadowy surroundings.
Its surface possesses an almost liquid quality, smooth and mist-like, devoid of discernible texture. This unique trait allows it to blend effortlessly with its environment, giving the impression that it is less a solid being and more an extension of the obscurity surrounding it. The high cheekbones and narrow jaw of its ghostly face create a striking effect, drawing attention to its central feature—its mesmerizing azure eyes. These glowing orbs radiate a cold light, piercing through the darkness and reflecting an unsettling mix of intelligence and menace. The absence of a mouth enhances the ethereal quality; instead, the lower half of its face fades into the surrounding shadows, adding to its aura of mystery.
Each of the Shadowstrider’s limbs is long and spindly, ending in sharp, claw-like fingers that signify both danger and precision. These claws, honed to a deadly point, are designed for both gripping and striking, embodying its role as a skilled predator. Its legs are equally elongated and appear to hover slightly above the ground, contributing to its ghostly movement—silent and fluid, reminiscent of smoke wafting in the air.
As it moves, the Shadowstrider performs an elegant dance, gliding rather than walking, its posture both poised and unsettling. It can shift positions in an instant, appearing and disappearing as if it commands the very shadows themselves. Accompanying its motion is a soft, whispering sound, like the rustling of leaves, heightening the sense of unease in those nearby.
Surrounding the Shadowstrider are tendrils of dark mist that ripple from its form, adding to its already intangible edges. Along its limbs pulse faint sigils that glow softly, remnants of ancient energies binding it to the temple. These glowing patterns enhance the creature’s dynamic presence, while also hinting at untold magical power.
Overall, the Shadowstrider is a vivid embodiment of stealth, otherness, and arcane mystique, making it a haunting figure against a backdrop of pure white, its essence captured in a moment of fluid motion.
Tactical Information
Behavior of the Shadowstrider: The Spectral Assassin
Behavior in Day-to-Day Life
In the haunting depths of the Temple of Shadows, the Shadowstrider glides gracefully through the ever-present haze. It is a creature of shadows, driven by its dual purpose of guardianship and vengeance. As time drifts on in the temple, the Shadowstrider’s defining motivation centers on preserving the forgotten secrets intertwined with the ethereal remnants of ancient deities.
The Shadowstrider seldom engages in social interactions; it exists as a solitary wraith, bound to the temple and its dismal corridors. Its presence is felt more than seen—a chill that dances along the edges of one’s consciousness, like a whisper in the dark. At times, it listens in on adventurers who unknowingly recount tales of their exploits, gauging their intents. Should their ambitions harbor ill will or taint the sanctity of the temple, the Shadowstrider resolves to act. It hones its cunning by observing potential interlopers, learning their weaknesses before they even cross its threshold.
Feeding is a ritual steeped in malevolence; the Shadowstrider siphons the essence of those it deems fit for punishment, relishing the despair it creates in its prey. It doesn’t need to consume physical sustenance but thrives on the fear and agony of adventurers who intrude upon the sacred space. This act nourishes its spectral essence while adding to the temple’s pervasive aura of dread.
Combat Behavior
When confronted with intruders, the Shadowstrider becomes an orchestrator of chaos. It typically prefers to initiate combat from the shadows, merging seamlessly with the swirling mists of the temple. Starting with its Cloak of Shadows, the creature first observes potential victims, assessing their strengths and weaknesses, before selecting the most susceptible target.
Upon combat initiation, the Shadowstrider employs its Shadow Step to reposition itself behind unwitting foes, often targeting spellcasters or those whose defenses are lowered. It launches a barrage of spectral dagger attacks with fluidity, retreating instantly should danger arise. Preferring to strike and vanish rather than engage in prolonged battles, the Shadowstrider darts between the shadows, creating disarray and confusion amongst the party.
If confronted with overwhelming odds, the Shadowstrider is not without its mercurial nature; it will deftly teleport away from close-combat encounters, crafting surprising assaults that leave its foes disoriented. Utilizing Soul Siphon, it extracts vitality from the weakest warrior in its range, replenishing its own essence while inflicting suffering. Should it find its footing slipping, its Shadowy Tendril provides a desperate strike through solid objects, allowing it to retaliate from a distance without exposing itself.
In scenarios that turn unfavorable, the Shadowstrider will use every tactical advantage at its disposal: manipulating the terrain, evading attacks, and embracing the shadows to secure an escape. It relies on the temple’s architecture, manipulating the environment to isolate or mislead adventurers.
Roleplay/Narrative Interactions
When faced with non-combat encounters, the Shadowstrider manifests a chilling and enigmatic presence, often responding to threats with a foreboding silence, punctuated by the sound of whispers echoing in the chamber. It communicates not through words but via the ethereal language of the dark, raising an inexplicable sense of dread in those who wish to converse.
Its motivations can sway from predatory to protective based on the approach of the adventurers. Should they approach with caution—perhaps displaying humility towards the temple—the Shadowstrider may entertain the notion of allowing passage or granting cryptic knowledge. However, when faced with bravado or hostility, its demeanor severely shifts. The spectral assassin feeds off arrogance and unchecked ambition, viewing such interactions as justifiable reasons for retribution.
Attempts at diplomacy may see the Shadowstrider suggesting a gruesome trial: the adventurers must prove themselves worthy by retrieving a lost artifact or revealing long-buried secrets of the temple. It might spin tales designed to invite trepidation, conveying hidden knowledge in riddles that hint at moral dilemmas.
When cornered or approached, the Shadowstrider may feign an air of compliance, luring its foes into a false sense of security before striking. Its past nature as a guardian can surface momentarily, revealing a flicker of conflicted intent that hints at a tragic history intertwining justice and vengeance.
Ultimately, the Shadowstrider lingers like a specter woven into the fabric of the Temple of Shadows—a daunting guardian swaying between muse and executioner, instilling fear while protecting the slumbering enigmas entwined with its cursed existence.
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