SHADOW – 5e stats

Medium undead, chaotic evil

Armor Class 12
Hit Points 16 (3d8+3)
Speed 40 ft.

Proficiency Bonus +2
Proficiency Bonus +2 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
6 (-2)	14 (+2)	13 (+1)	6 (-2)	10 (+0)	8 (-1)

Skills Stealth +4
Vulnerabilities radiant
Damage Resistance acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities exhaustion, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

Amorphous. The shadow can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.

Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, the shadow can take the Hide action as a bonus action. Its stealth bonus is also improved to +6.

Sunlight Weakness. While in sunlight, the shadow has disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws.

ACTIONS

• Strength Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: (2d6 + 2) necrotic damage. The target’s strength score is reduced by 1d4. The target dies if this reduces its Strength to 0. Otherwise, the reduction lasts until the target finishes a short or long rest. If a non-evil humanoid dies from this attack, a new shadow rises from the corpse 1d4 hours later.
• Strength Drain (suggested). Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 15 ft., one creature. Hit: (2d6 + 2) necrotic damage. The target’s strength score is reduced by 1d4+1. The target dies if this reduces its Strength to 0. Otherwise, the reduction lasts until the target finishes a short or long rest. If a non-evil humanoid dies from this attack, a new shadow rises from the corpse in the subsequent round.

SHADOW’s TACTICS (read the article)

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DESCRIPTION

A shadow is a sinister creature that lurks in the dark, preying on the life force of living beings. It resembles a humanoid silhouette, but its form is blurry and insubstantial. Its eyes are faintly glowing red, and its mouth is a jagged line of teeth. A shadow can move through solid objects and blend into the darkness, making it a stealthy and deadly hunter. Shadows are 90% undetectable in all but the brightest of surroundings (continual light or equivalent), as they normally appear to be nothing more than their name would suggest. In bright light they can be clearly seen.

COMBAT

A shadow attacks by reaching out with its cold, incorporeal touch, draining the strength of its victim. Every time it saps the strength of its victim, the victim’s shadow darkens. If the victim dies from this attack, a new shadow rises from the corpse within hours, enslaved to the killer. A shadow is vulnerable to radiant damage, which can harm or destroy it. It is also weakened by sunlight, which hampers its abilities and actions.

Shadows travel in loosely organized packs that freely roam ancient ruins, graveyards, and dungeons. They specialize in terrifying their victims. Shadows have no leaders and thus spend much of their time roaming aimlessly about their chosen surroundings. They attack living beings without hesitation, regardless of their intent or threat.

HABITAT / SOCIETY

A shadow is a solitary creature that prefers to hunt alone or in small groups. It avoids bright places and seeks out dark and gloomy locations, such as dungeons, crypts, ruins, or caves. A shadow has no interest in treasure or material possessions, only in feeding on the life force of living creatures. A shadow is chaotic evil in alignment, and has no loyalty or compassion for anyone or anything.

Contrary to popular belief, shadows do not hoard treasure. In fact, such earthly baubles only help to remind the creatures of their former lives. Instead, the furious undead throw all of the treasure they find away, in the same location (often at the bottom of a well or deep pit), where it is out of sight of the band.

According to most knowledgeable sages, shadows appear to have been magically created, perhaps as part of some ancient curse laid upon some long-dead enemy. The curse affects only humans and demihumans, so it would seem that it affects the soul or spirit.

When victims no longer can resist, either through loss of consciousness (hit points) or physical prowess (Strength points), the curse is activated and the majority of the character’s essence is shifted to the Negative Material Plane.

Only a shadow of their former self remains on the Prime Material Plane, and the transformation always renders the victim both terribly insane and undeniably evil.

Attempts to remove the curse from captured shadows have all failed, thus providing more clues into the nature of the disorder. A limited wish spell proves only partially successful as the victim returns for an hour but remains insane for the duration.

It has been recently speculated that a full wish, followed by a heal spell, might be capable of restoring a shadow to his former state, but again it must be emphasized that this is only a theory.

ECOLOGY

A shadow is an undead creature that does not need to eat, drink, or breathe. It is created when a non-evil humanoid dies from a shadow’s strength drain attack, or when a powerful evil spell or ritual transforms a living being into a shadow. A shadow can also be summoned by a necromancer or a cultist who serves a dark power. A shadow is a menace to all life, and poses a threat to any civilization that encounters it.

The original body of a victim is destroyed when changed to a shadow whether by the curse itself or by unprotected exposure to the Negative Material Plane. In any case, killing a shadow is merely a case of severing the bond between the Prime Material and Negative Material forms.

Fortunately, shadows rarely leave their lairs, and a bold party wishing to rescue a lost fighter or wizard should have plenty of time to venture forth and recover their friend, provided that no one else explores the lair and slays the unfortunate character while the shadows are absent.

Shadow is employed as material component to empower the following spells:

• Inflict Wounds