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Shadow Symbiote

Challenge
Terrain
str
8
dex
14
con
12
int
14
wis
12
cha
16

AC 12
HP 36 (8d6 + 8)
Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.


Proficiency +2; Maneuver DC 12
Skills Deception +5, Stealth +4
Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; damage from nonmagical weapons
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, fatigue, frightened, grappled , paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained
Senses blindsight 120 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages understands Common but can’t speak, telepathy 30 ft.

Amorphous. The symbiote can pass through an opening as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.

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


ACTIONS

Multiattack. The symbiote attacks with its shadow tendril and uses Assimilate.

Shadow Tendril. Melee Spell Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) necrotic damage, and the symbiote attaches to the target. A creature can use an action to make a DC 9 Strength check, detaching the symbiote on a success. The symbiote can detach itself as a bonus action.

Assimilate. The symbiote targets a humanoid it’s attached to, a willing humanoid within 5 feet, or a humanoid corpse within 5 feet. The symbiote attempts to assimilate the target. An unwilling creature can make a DC 13 Charisma saving throw to resist. A creature warded by protection from evil and good automatically succeeds on this save. If the target is a corpse, it becomes an undead creature under the symbiote’s control, regaining all its hit points. The undead creature is destroyed when the symbiote leaves it.

While assimilated, the symbiote has full cover from all effects and is immune to all damage, except that it takes any radiant damage taken by its host. It can’t make shadow tendril attacks or use Assimilate or Snuff Light. The target gains the shadow symbiote thrall template and is charmed by the symbiote.

The symbiote can use an action to leave the host. It is forced out if the host is reduced to 0 hit points or if the host is the target of a protection from evil and good spell. When the symbiote leaves, it appears within 5 feet of the host.


BONUS ACTIONS

Snuff Light. The symbiote magically extinguishes nonmagical light sources within 30 feet.

Combat

While the shadow symbiote has a creature assimilated, it encourages the creature to fight in the symbiote’s defense until the creature dies. It then continues to battle, trying to assimilate a new target, until it is bloodied. It then flees using its climb speed


Legends and Lore

With an Arcana or Religion check, characters can learn the following:

DC 10 A shadow symbiote is an intelligence ooze that hates light. Any humanoid can host a shadow symbiote.

DC 15 Shadow symbiotes can assimilate with humanoid corpses, but they prefer living hosts.

DC 20 While a shadow symbiote is inside a host, the only way to harm it is by burning its host body with radiant energy

Description

A shadow symbiote is a translucent, intelligent ooze the color of smoke. Although it can survive alone in darkness, it prefers to lurk within its favorite hiding place: an intelligent humanoid.

Coaxing Charm. A shadow symbiote can’t speak aloud but it can communicate telepathically. It uses this ability to deceive creatures into letting it form a symbiotic bond with them. To do so, it extols the benefits it grants: telepathy, the ability to see in the dark, supernatural control of shadows, and all the information it has gathered in its previous life. Shadow symbiotes frequently lie, claiming to befriendly ghosts or magic items that require attunement. If they are unable to convince a victim toenter a symbiotic relationship, they do so by force.

Strange Symbiosis. A shadow symbiote’s strange, insubstantial form can be absorbed through a creature’s skin. Once inside a creature, the symbiote is virtually immune from harm, although it can still be burned by radiant energy that harms its host. While it doesn’t control its host’s actions, it exerts a constant telepathic pressure, urging the host to do its bidding. A humanoid that has been a host for a significant length of time usually acts as one with the symbiote.

Dead Shell. If it needs to, a shadow symbiote can possess a dead humanoid. It controls the corpse’s body directly instead of telepathically offering advice and instructions. A symbiote controlling a corpse looks for the first opportunity to leave that body in exchange for a living one.

Behavior

1–2 Possessing a humanoid

3 Lurking, planning to attack a creature

4 Telepathically communicates with any humanoids that pass, offering symbiosis

5 Acts friendly; telepathically provides useful information. If adventurers ask it for significant help, it claims it can offer more aid by forming a mutually beneficial symbiosis to impart memories and skills

6 Hiding within a container, ambushing any who open it

Signs

1–2 Torches and other light sources dim

3 A long-dead corpse beside a sarcophagus that has been opened from the inside

4 DC 12 Perception check: gray slime around a small hole or crack

5 Creatures' shadows seem to act independently of their owners, making mocking and threatening gestures

6 Areas of darkness chill the body with life-sapping cold. While in darkness, each creature that isn't resistant or immune to cold damage gains a level of fatigue, which is removed only when the creature enters an area of dim or bright light

Encounters

Shadow symbiotes lurk in tombs. They often bond with corpses and graverobbers, using these bodies to roam the world.

CR 0–2 shadow symbiote

Treasure 2 rare books (100 gp each)

CR 5–10 shadow symbiote with shadow symbiote knight

Treasure 300 gp, +1 greatsword

Monster Type Description

Oozes are ambulatory, predatory amoeboid creatures that infest caverns and other dark places. A gelatinous cube is an ooze.