Shadow Symbiotes

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 be friendly ghosts or magic items that require attunement. If they are unable to convince a victim to enter 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