AC 13
HP 97 (13d10 + 26; bloodied 48)
Speed 10 ft., fly 50 ft.
Proficiency +3; Maneuver DC 15
Saving Throws Wisdom +4
Skills Stealth +6 (+1d4)
Damage Resistances bludgeoning
Condition Immunities charmed , frightened
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages Deep Speech, Undercommon
False Appearance. When motionless, the cloaker is indistinguishable from a black cloak or similar cloth or leather article.
Light Sensitivity. The cloaker has disadvantage on attack rolls and Perception checks while in bright light.
ACTIONS
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 15). If the cloaker has advantage against the target, the cloaker attaches to the target’s head, and the target is blinded and suffocating . Until this grapple ends, the cloaker automatically hits the grappled creature with this attack. When the cloaker is dealt damage while grappling, it takes half the damage (rounded down) and the other half is dealt to the grappled target. The cloaker can have only one creature grappled at once.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) slashing damage plus 3 (1d6) poison damage, and the creature makes a DC 13 Constitution saving throw . On a failure, it is poisoned until the end of the cloaker’s next turn.
Moan. Each non-aberration creature within 60 feet that can hear its moan makes a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw . On a failure, it is frightened until the end of the cloaker’s next turn. When a creature succeeds on this saving throw, it becomes immune to the cloaker’s moan for 24 hours.
Phantasms (1/Day). The cloaker magically creates flickering illusions of itself in its space. Attacks on it have disadvantage . This effect ends after 1 minute, when the cloaker enters an area of bright light , or when it successfully grapples a creature.
REACTIONS
Reactive Tail. When hit or missed with a melee attack, the cloaker makes a tail attack against the attacker.
Angry Moan. When the cloaker takes damage, it uses Moan.
Combat
A cloaker never attacks unless it can do so with surprise. It either masquerades as a cloth item or uses Phantasms and lurks in the darkness or overhead. When it attacks, it bites. The first time it is attacked each turn, it uses Reactive Tail or Angry Moan. The cloaker flees if reduced to 20 hit points or fewer, if a creature escapes its grapple, or when in bright light. While fleeing, it uses its reactions to slow pursuit. A cloaker forced to flee often returns to stalk its foes, waiting for an opportune time to strike again.
Legends and Lore
With an Arcana or Nature check, characters can learn the following:
DC 15 Cloakers are monsters that resemble draped black cloth. They suffocate the unwary.
DC 20 Cloakers are intelligent creatures with mind-twisting powers. They fear light.
Cloakers resemble flying stingrays with long, whip-like tails and sharp teeth. They are stone-gray on their top sides and pallid corpse-like white on their lower. When at rest clinging to a wall, a cloaker bears an uncanny resemblance to a hanging cloak, its two rows of black eyes resembling buttons.
Alien Language. Cloakers are often believed to be instinct-driven predators, but they are in fact highly intelligent creatures that communicate over vast underground distances with their moans, most of which are inaudible to humanoids. A creature that could hear and understand the full range of the cloaker’s haunting language might be forewarned of underground menaces—and might learn secrets best unknown.
1 Hunting in the shadows
2 Flitting about an ancient orrery which presages an eclipse
3 Clinging to the wall like a cloak on a hook
4 In a cobwebbed, furnished area, masquerading as a black curtain, tablecloth, cloak, or similar item; DC 16 Perception check reveals that everything is dusty except the cloaker
1 A distant eerie moan
2 A dead monster such as a minotaur (possibly with treasure); DC 14 Medicine check reveals that the monster was strangled to death
3 An everburning torch inscribed with a warning against the dangers lurking in the dark
4 An altar crudely carved with alien spiral patterns
Alone or in flocks, cloakers swoop and soar through the lightless caverns beneath the earth.
CR 5–10 Cloaker ; cloaker with 1d4 grimlocks ; cloaker with 1d4 darkmantles
Treasure hat of disguise
CR 11–16 2 cloakers ; cloaker with rug of smothering and 1d3 suits of animated armor
Treasure cloak of elvenkind , cloak of the manta ray
Aberrations are unnatural beings that don’t belong to this plane of existence. Many aberrations are telepathic and use a mental power known as psionic power instead of magic. An aboleth is an aberration.