Greater Shadow
Greater Shadow (CR 18)
| Chaotic Evil - Medium - Undead (Incorporeal) |
|---|
| Lore: | Know (Religion) | ||
| 36 | 51 | ||
| Basic DC | Full DC | ||
| Initiative |
32 |
| Perception: | |
| 42 | +32 |
| Passive | Active |
| Ambush: |
| 9+ |
| on a d20 |
Senses:
Movement Types:
Defense
| AC |
42 |
| Man Def |
|
42 |
| Monster Health | ||
| 747 | 373 | 34 |
| Hit Points | Bloodied | Hit Dice |
| Saving Throws | |
| Fort: | +20 |
| Refl: | +15 |
| Will: | +15 |
Strong Against:
- (Undead 1) Immune (no effect): diseases (infected, diseased, blighted), poisons (tainted, poisoned, blighted), ability damage (dilution, damage, drain), and essence damage (suppression, omission, destruction)
- (Undead 2) Immune (no effect): bleeds (bruised, bleed, ruptured), fatigued, exhausted
- (Undead 3) Immune (no effect): magical sleep (drowsy, sluggish, asleep), paralyzed, stunned
- (Undead 4) Immune (no effect): any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless)
- (Incorporeal) Immune (no effect): all damage from non-magic weapons.
- (Incorporeal) Hardened (½ damage): magic weapons, spells, spell-like effects, and supernatural effects.
- (Incorporeal) Incorporeal creatures take full damage from other incorporeal creatures and effects, as well as all force effects.
- (Incorporeal) May enter and move through solid objects, but must remain within one square of the surface. May attack adjacent living creatures from within solid objects with a 50% miss chance. While doing so, they can also be attacked, with a 50% miss chance.
- Immune (no effect): Negative (common energy) damage
Weak Against:
- Vulnerable (1.5x damage): Light (exotic energy) damage
Offense
| Size: | Medium | ||
| 5 ft. | 10 ft. | ||
| Space | Reach | ||
| To-Hit |
+27 
|
| Man Off |
+30
|
| Action |
| 0 |
| Points |
Standard Attack (Melee):
- 1x Warping Gloom +27 (4d8+19/19-20 x2)
as undefined damage type
as Negative (common energy) damage, plus 1d4+1 points of STR damage.
Full Attack (Melee):
- 3x Warping Gloom +27 (4d8+19/19-20 x2)
as undefined damage type
as Negative (common energy) damage, plus 1d4+1 points of STR damage.
Standard Attack (Ranged):
Full Attack (Ranged):
Siege Damage: Not siege capable
Statistics
| 17 |
| STR |
| 23 |
| DEX |
| Expression error: Unrecognized punctuation character "&". |
| CON |
| 25 |
| INT |
| 14 |
| WIS |
| 16 |
| CHA |
Skills:
- Knowledge (Arcana): 30
- Perception: 32
- Stealth: 30
- All other skills: 25 (no ranks)
Languages: Common, Stilth
Feats:
- Combat Reflexes (EFFECT: Monsters with this feat make up to 4 attacks of opportunity per round instead of one.)
Special Abilities
| Enfolding Shadows (Su) |
|
Once per round as a swift action, the greater shadow may make a ranged touch attack against an enemy within 120 feet of it, as long as that target is not carrying an active source of bright light. This attack only provokes attacks of opportunity from the target of the attack (assuming that target is threatening the shadow when the attack is made). It does not provoke from other creatures threatening the shadow.
|
| Uncertain Location (Su) |
|
The greater shadow shifts and twists, its shape constantly in flux. Greater shadows always have a reach of 10 feet, as well as Combat Reflexes (Feat). In addition, once per encounter as a standard action, the greater shadow may splinter and expand into a roiling mass of shadowy ropes and spiky chains, forcing a Reflex save, DC 28 on all enemy creatures within 30 feet of its space. Those who fail the save suffer 4d8+19 points of negative (common energy) damage, and become Blind to sight until they leave the affected area, or the start of the greater shadow's next turn, whichever comes first. Those who succeed on the saving throw take only half damage and are not blind. Regardless of whether the saving throw succeeds or fails, any active sources of bright light in the area are extinguished for the duration of the ability.
|
| Manifestation (Su) |
|
Once per encounter as a full attack action, the greater shadow can briefly manifest itself into the Prime Material plane, temporarily becoming completely corporeal. During this time, emits a single, massive, burst of elemental shadow into all squares adjacent to its space, inflicting 4d10+30 points of negative (common energy) damage. Enemy creatures in the affected area may make a Fortitude save versus a DC of 28 to reduce this damage by half.
|
| Dissevered Shadow (Su) |
|
Once per encounter as a move action, the greater shadow may select a bloodied enemy creature within 120 feet of its space and rip its shadow out of its body. Dissevered Shadow may only be used on an enemy creature which is at or below its bloodied hit point value, and who has not already had Dissevered Shadow performed upon it.
|
| Eat the Dark (Su) |
|
As a swift action, a greater shadow can consume an adjacent shadow (but not a greater shadow), instantly restoring 187 hit points to itself. By doing so, the shadow is destroyed. As with any healing, the greater shadow can only restore hit points it is actually missing. Any hit points of healing above its maximum hit points are wasted. |
Greater Shadow
The exact origins of malevolent undead Shadows is the source of considerable controversy. Some say they arise from especially evil souls that cling to darkstuff to avoid their eternal fate. Others say they are malign spirits that suffuse the shades of the recently dead to act out their evil will upon the world of the living. Still others say that Shadows are a curse upon the world, the shadow of Undeath laid by some long-lost God or pantheon.
- Regardless of their origin, Shadows are terrible foes. They are incorporeal, and can move through and attack from inside solid objects, are resistant to or immune to almost everything, and inflict terrible draining attacks. Shadows are Lost undead, spirits who have no place, and as such they are endlessly restless and deadly. They are also Eaters, driven by The Hunger to consume life and spawn ever more undeath.
- Where shadows appear to be incorporeal humanoids, driven by an insatiable desire to snuff out all life, greater shadows no longer comport themselves in any semblance of humanoid shape. They appear to be nearly the same size as normal humanoids (if a bit bulkier), though their shape morphs and shifts constantly, along with their size, making it difficult to know exactly where they are or how big they are at any given moment.
Combat Tactics
Greater Shadows seem to have a trick for all occasions. They teleport, have reach and combat reflexes, and have several attacks which affect all creatures around them. Furthermore, they are smart, can summon minions out of their injured foes, and can make a ranged attack once per round a swift action. These guys are truly nasty.
- Their ranged attack, Enfolding Shadows, should only be used against enemies which are not close to them. It is great for targeting those foes who don't want to close, such as the mage or ranger. That said, if the shadow gets too annoyed by these wallflowers, it can use teleport to get right up next to them, and unleash either Uncertain Location or Manifestation, to give that player a little special attention.
- As soon as any enemy gets reduced to its bloodied value, it is nearly always worthwhile for the greater shadow to spend the move action to summon a shadow. Despite their lower CR, shadows are useful to provide flanks, possibly suck up some of the enemy's attacks, and also as a source of healing, should the greater shadow need it.
- Because they are incorporeal, greater shadows are not at all shy about getting into the thick of things and mixing it up in melee. However, if an enemy has force attacks, or a ghost touch weapon, they will focus their attacks on these foes. They will try to blind them with Uncertain Location, set up flanks on them, and use any other trick they can think of to make them suffer for being so effective.
- While greater shadows are healed by negative energy, all of their attacks can only be used to target enemies. As a result, they must find other means of healing themselves. This is principally done by using Eat the Dark on a summoned shadow, or finding a humanoid of questionable moral character willing to throw some negative energy their way.
Out of Combat
Greater shadows are a terrible menace to the civilized races. They propagate quickly, spawning shadows from injured foes, each of which is capable of growing into a greater shadow if a corpse is made available to it. In encounters with foes they can easily overwhelm, greater shadows will avoid using their Eat the Dark power, in order to allow their newly called Shadows to grow up into their much more powerful forms. It is only when challenged by dangerous foes that they will make use of Eat the Dark.
- Entire villages and even cities have been known to fall to a single small group of greater shadows, assuming they are able to hide in a nice dark place during the daytime. Villagers will mysteriously disappear, with no hints about their fate, until the shadows build their numbers to a critical mass. At that point, they will emerge and overwhelm the remaining villagers, completely conquering the town.
Rewards
XP: 153,600
Treasure: Sellable Goods worth 67,889 gp.
- Weight: 180 lbs. Volume: 7.2 cu. ft.
Optional Treasure Rules: Roll a d20 on Table 1 below once per encounter (NOT per creature). Any items discovered are in addition to the normal treasure for the encounter.
| Table 1: Remnant(s) Found | |
|---|---|
| 1 - 10 | Nothing Found |
| 11 - 14 | 1 Languid Remnant (tier 1) |
| 15 - 17 | 1 Pale Remnant (tier 2) |
| 18 - 19 | 1 Bright Remnant (tier 3) |
| 20 | Roll on Table 2 |
| ### | Nothing to see here! |
| ### | Or here. Move along. |
| Table 2: Remnant(s) Found | |
|---|---|
| 1 - 5 | 3 Languid Remnants (tier 1) |
| 6 - 10 | 3 Pale Remnants (tier 2) |
| 11 - 14 | 1 Intense Remnant (tier 4) |
| 15 - 17 | 1 Blazing Remnant (tier 5) |
| 18 - 19 | 1 Vital Remnant (tier 6) |
| 20 | Roll on Table 3 |
| ### | Or here. Move along. |
| Table 3: Remnant(s) Found | |
|---|---|
| 1 - 5 | 3 Bright Remnants (tier 3) |
| 6 - 8 | 3 Intense Remnants (tier 4) |
| 9 - 11 | 3 Blazing Remnants (tier 5) |
| 12 - 14 | 3 Vital Remnants (tier 6) |
| 15 - 17 | 1 Prime Remnant (tier 7) |
| 18 - 19 | 1 Mythic Remnant (tier 8) |
| 20 | 1 Empyrean Remnant (tier 9) |