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Gloomwreath Stalker

People tell stories of shadows that step off walls and pry at armor straps. Farmers lost in twilight speak of pale eyes at the edge of their fields. Old hunters call them gloomwreaths and leave offerings of iron to keep them away.

Monsters
Medium aberration · Moderate · Uncommon

Gloomwreath Stalker

A shadow-twined ambush predator that manipulates dim light and chills armor, making lightly protected opponents vulnerable.
AC15
HP52/52
CRModerate
Init
STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA
ConditionsNone

Combat

AC 15 · HP 52 · Moderate

Gloomwreath Stalker

Medium aberration (aberration), neutral evil
Armor Class15 (natural leather and agility)
Hit Points52 (7d8 + 21)
Speed
Speed 40 ft,
Shadowstep: Teleport 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see that is in dim light or darkness. Recharge on a short or long rest? No. Recharge condition: After using Shadowstep, the stalker must end its turn in dim light or darkness before it can use Shadowstep again.
STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA
Saving ThrowsDexCon
SkillsStealthPerception
Damage Resistances
Necrotic resistance
Immunities
Poisoned condition
Weaknesses
Bright light: spells or constant sources of bright light impose disadvantage on its attacks and prevent use of Shadowstep.
Radiant vulnerability: creatures exposed to radiant damage take an extra 2 damage from radiant sources.
Senses
Darkvision 60 ft,
Passive Perception 13
Languages
Understands Common and Sylvan but cannot speak
ChallengeModerate
Proficiency Bonus+2
Shadow Affinity. The stalker can see normally in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, to a range of 60 feet. While in dim light or darkness it deals extra necrotic damage with Shadow Claw and can use Shadowstep to teleport 30 feet to another dim or dark space.
Evasive Shade. The stalker is composed partly of shadow. It has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in dim light or darkness and cannot be grappled by creatures that cannot see it. Spells and attacks that create bright light impose disadvantage on the stalker's attack rolls while they persist.
Snuffing Touch. The stalker can attempt to snuff nonmagical light as part of casting Umbral Veil. Magical light with an effect level of light of day or sunlight plane cannot be snuffed by Umbral Veil.

Spells

Innate Shadowcasting (cantrip, illusion / conjuration). Innate casting. The stalker can cast the following without material components. Spell save . At will: minor illusion. 1/day each: darkness, misty step. All casts of darkness cast a nonmagical snuff on simple light sources in the area as well.

Actions

Multiattack. The stalker makes two attacks, only one of which can be a Shadow Lash.
Shadow Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: slashing damage. If the target is in dim light or darkness, the claw deals an extra necrotic damage and the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or have its speed halved until the end of its next turn.
Shadow Lash. Ranged Shadow Attack: to hit, range 10/30 ft., one target. Hit: necrotic damage. On a hit against a creature wearing medium or light armor, the target's armor seems to chill and grow faintly shadowed; the target takes a -1 penalty to its AC until the end of the stalker's next turn (stacking with other sources of AC penalty).
Umbral Veil. The stalker points at a 15-foot-radius area within 60 feet that is in dim light or darkness. Light sources in the area are snuffed out (nonmagical torches, lanterns, and campfires). The area becomes heavily obscured for 1 minute. A creature can end the effect for itself by succeeding on a Wisdom saving throw at the end of its turns. Once the stalker uses Umbral Veil, it cannot use it again until it finishes a short or long rest.

Reactions

Slip Through the Shade. When a creature misses the stalker with a melee attack while the stalker is in dim light or darkness, the stalker can immediately move up to half its speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
Role
Skirmisher / Ambusher
Built for
3

Notes for the game master

Challenge Rating 3. XP 700.
Shadowstep usable once per short or long rest unless the stalker ends its turn in dim light or darkness; description above explains usage.

Tactics

  1. Opening

    The stalker waits in dim light or darkness and attempts to ambush: it uses Surprise and Shadowstep to position to strike a high-priority target with Shadow Claw for extra necrotic damage.

  2. Mid-fight

    It stalks the edges of the field, striking at isolated or flanked targets with Shadow Lash, forcing saves to weaken armor and mobility. It uses Umbral Veil to create heavy obscurity and then closes to use Shadow Claw for higher damage.

  3. End of the fight

    If reduced below half hit points, it focuses on escape by creating cover with Umbral Veil and using Shadowstep to vanish into dense shadow and flee to a prepared hiding point.

  4. Retreat

    Uses Shadowstep to teleport to a nearby dark area. If escape is impossible, it will attempt to grapple and pin a single target to slow pursuers while the rest slip away.

How it fights

Begin combat by forcing the party into darkness or snuffing light sources.
Target spellcasters and lightly armored characters with Shadow Lash to weaken defenses.
Use Slip Through the Shade to evade retaliation and reposition for a better assassination strike.

Who it attacks first

Isolate and strike single targets
Disable or slow armored foes
Avoid bright light and direct confrontation with radiantly-empowered enemies

Works well with

Works well with creatures that create darkness or that can flank and force opponents into dim light, such as shadow mastiffs or cult assassins.

How to beat it

Bright light and constant sources of daylight-like illumination deprive it of its greatest advantages.
Area-of-effect radiant damage hurts it more than usual due to its shadow nature.
Spells or effects that dispel magical darkness or reveal invisible creatures make ambush tactics ineffective.

Ways to avoid a fight

Stalkers can be observed as omens. Giving up a valuable light source or performing a ritual to bless an area might appease it.
A captured stalker might be used as a guardian against creatures that fear darkness.

Ecology

A lithe, catlike figure woven from deep shadow and matte black fur. Its pair of pale, reflective eyes glow faintly lavender. Long, whiplike tendrils of darkness trail from its shoulders and wrists. In bright light it appears as a smudge; in dim light it becomes almost fully solid.

Behavior

Predatory, patient, and cunning. The stalker prefers isolation and ambush; it studies travel routes and light sources to strike when prey is most vulnerable. It rarely attacks groups head-on and will use darkness to level the playing field.

How it lives

Gloomwreath Stalkers are born in places where light and shadow fight over a threshold. They feed on fear and the warmth of living flesh to weave their darkness. They carve out territories in ruins, dense forests, or the underside of cliff overhangs where sunlight rarely penetrates.

Lair

A lair is typically a deep, shadowed hollow beneath ruined walls or a cave mouth where light rarely reaches. The area is littered with items stolen from victims and faintly blackened bones. The stalker marks the entrance with a subtle inklike residue that absorbs light.

Habitat
Temperate forests, ruins, catacombs, abandoned keeps, deep caverns

Signs that it is near

Patches of dimmed or snuffed-out campfires
Small, oily black stains on stone or wood
Pairs of pale lavender eyes seen at the edge of vision

Tags

shadow,
ambusher,
skirmisher,
nocturnal

Lore

People tell stories of shadows that step off walls and pry at armor straps. Farmers lost in twilight speak of pale eyes at the edge of their fields. Old hunters call them gloomwreaths and leave offerings of iron to keep them away.

What drives it

Hunger for warmth and fear-scent. It prefers to weaken prey before finishing it, conserving its strength for long hunts.

After the fight

Areas a Gloomwreath Stalker haunts remain stained with faint, oily shadow that dims light and chills the air for days. Those who sleep where a stalker fed report restless nightmares about being watched. Corpses drained by a stalker rot with black veins and are unusually difficult to resurrect without a remove curse or similar magic.

“Farmers lost in twilight speak of pale eyes at the edge of their fields.”
From its lore

Variants

Young Gloomwreath: CR 1/2. Smaller, less damaging claws, but still effective in dim light.
Elder Gloomwreath: CR 7. Gains more powerful spell-like darkness and stronger Shadowstep with longer range.

Hooks

Plot hooks

A village is being preyed upon at dusk; the lanterns are being extinguished and travelers disappear.
A tomb's guardian is not a spirit but a Gloomwreath Stalker feeding in the dark corridors.
A witch bargains to catch a stalker for its shadow for use in a protection spell.

How to use it

Ambush predator: hides in dim light near a traveler's path and strikes an isolated party member.
Guard: used to defend a secretive cult or as a hunter by fey-twisted woodland creatures.
Puzzle hazard: party must navigate a moonlit glade where stalkers control the light.

Treasure

Small items taken from victims: tarnished rings, extinguished lanterns, scraps of cloth. Occasionally a single item retains faint shadow essence and is valued by certain cults.

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