Shadowshifters

From: Vesperons Enigmatic Sanctum

Lore: Shadowshifters are mysterious beings born from the darkest corners of Vesperon’s Enigmatic Sanctum. Created by the convergence of malevolent shadows and the chaotic energies of the dungeon, these humanoid creatures have the uncanny ability to meld with shadows, becoming almost imperceptible to the naked eye. Their origins lie shrouded in myth and legend, but many believe that they are manifestations of the very darkness that Vesperon’s mind conjures within the dungeon.

Drawn to the chaos and uncertainty that permeates the labyrinth, Shadowshifters thrive in the shadows, using their stealth and cunning to stalk intruders. They are intelligent and predatory creatures, employing their mastery of shadows to manipulate and mislead adventurers, often leading them into deadly traps and perilous situations. Only the most vigilant and perceptive of adventurers can hope to detect and survive encounters with these elusive beings.

Stats (Level One):

• Health Points: 28
• Armor Class: 14
• Speed: 30 feet (Walk)
• Initiative: +3

Skills:

• Shadow Meld: Shadowshifters can meld with shadows and become nearly invisible, granting them a significant advantage in stealth and ambushes.
• Trap Lure: They possess an innate understanding of the dungeon’s traps and dangers, allowing them to lead intruders unwittingly into harm’s way.

Strategy: Shadowshifters prefer to remain hidden until they find the perfect moment to strike. They often stalk adventurers from the shadows, observing their movements and weaknesses. When the time is right, they emerge from their concealed positions to surprise their prey, launching ambushes and seeking to separate the group to pick off isolated targets.

Their natural affinity with darkness allows them to exploit poorly lit areas, catching their opponents off guard and ensuring they can retreat swiftly into the shadows if necessary. Shadowshifters are opportunistic and will retreat if they sense the odds are not in their favor, only to strike again later when conditions are more advantageous.

Attacks:

• Shadowstrike: A swift and precise strike from the shadows, dealing piercing damage to a single target. Shadowshifters often employ this attack when ambushing isolated adventurers.
• Eclipse Step: Shadowshifters can momentarily blend with the shadows and move at an incredible speed to reposition themselves strategically during combat, making it challenging for enemies to anticipate their movements.

Vulnerabilities:

• Vulnerable to Light: Bright light or magical illumination can disrupt a Shadowshifter’s shadow meld ability, forcing them to reveal themselves temporarily.
• Limited Physical Defense: Shadowshifters prioritize stealth and evasion over direct combat, making them relatively fragile in physical confrontations.

Tags: Elusive Hunters, Shadow Manipulators, Ambush Predators, Stealthy Adversaries, Chaotic Beings

Encounters with Shadowshifters present a tense and suspenseful dynamic in the dungeon, where adventurers must rely on their alertness and cooperation to counter the creatures’ stealthy tactics. Only those who can adapt to the darkness and outwit these cunning adversaries have a chance of surviving the relentless pursuit of the Shadowshifters within Vesperon’s Enigmatic Sanctum.

Engagement in Battle: Shadowshifters are skilled hunters and excel in hit-and-run tactics. They favor initiating combat from the shadows, using their Shadow Meld ability to become nearly invisible. They strike with precision, targeting isolated or distracted adventurers. Shadowshifters often employ guerilla tactics, darting in and out of the darkness to avoid retaliation. They aim to sow confusion among the party, leading them into dangerous areas with traps or luring them into ambushes set by other dungeon creatures.

In battle, Shadowshifters use their Eclipse Step ability to move swiftly and strategically, making it difficult for adversaries to predict their actions. They strike quickly and decisively, aiming to weaken the party’s defenses and separate members to isolate and overcome them individually.

Sounds They Might Make: Shadowshifters are masters of silence and stealth. They move with eerie silence, leaving little to no audible traces of their presence. When they do make sounds, it’s often subtle and unsettling. Faint whispers, the soft rustle of cloth, or the gentle shifting of shadows might signal their presence nearby.

Environment Where Found: Shadowshifters are typically found in areas of dim light, shadows, or darkness within Vesperon’s Enigmatic Sanctum. They are drawn to places where illumination is limited, such as candlelit chambers, moonlit corridors, or areas shrouded in fog. They tend to lurk in corners, behind pillars, or along the edges of rooms, making the most of the shadows to remain hidden until they decide to strike.

Remains and Uses: The remains of a defeated Shadowshifter carry unique properties related to their shadowy nature. Although handling their remains requires caution, skilled individuals can extract valuable resources and use them for specific purposes:

• Shadow Essence: Extracting a portion of a Shadowshifter’s essence from their remains can yield Shadow Essence, a substance that enhances stealth and invisibility. Shadow Essence can be used to temporarily obscure a person or object in shadows, granting a limited form of invisibility.
• Shadowy Ward: By carefully processing and enchanting the remains, one can create a Shadowy Ward. When activated, the ward briefly envelops the user in an illusory shadow cloak, granting them enhanced stealth and evasion for a short period.
• Cunning Elixir: A skilled alchemist can distill a concoction from the Shadowshifter’s remains, creating the Cunning Elixir. Drinking this elixir temporarily enhances a person’s tactical acumen and strategic thinking, providing a tactical advantage in battle.

Note: The use of Shadowshifter remains requires great care, as their shadowy essence can be unpredictable and potentially dangerous. As such, their remains are typically sought after by experienced adventurers, illusionists, and alchemists who can harness their power for various useful purposes.

When a Shadowshifter is noticed, it engages the five senses and multiple extra-sensory perceptions, creating a complex and unsettling experience. Here’s a detailed description of what is perceived:

• Sight
  • Description: The Shadowshifter appears as a dark, semi-transparent humanoid figure. Its form is constantly shifting, blending seamlessly with the surrounding shadows. It wears tattered, dark robes that obscure its features, with faint, glowing eyes that seem to pierce through the darkness.
  • Positives: Its form can be mesmerizing, drawing the observer’s attention and creating a sense of mystery.
  • Negatives: The constantly shifting form can be disorienting and unsettling, making it difficult to track or predict its movements.
• Sound
  • Description: The Shadowshifter moves with eerie silence, producing almost no audible sound. Occasionally, faint whispers or the soft rustle of cloth can be heard, adding to the creature’s ghostly presence.
  • Positives: The silence can provide a brief sense of calm before an attack.
  • Negatives: The lack of sound makes it challenging to detect and anticipate the creature’s actions, heightening the sense of danger.
• Smell
  • Description: The air around a Shadowshifter carries a faint, acrid smell, reminiscent of burnt ozone or scorched earth, indicating its malevolent and otherworldly nature.
  • Positives: The unique scent can serve as an early warning of the creature’s presence.
  • Negatives: The smell can be nauseating and distracting, making it harder to focus on the environment.
• Taste
  • Description: If one were to taste the air near a Shadowshifter, it would have a metallic, bitter tang, as if charged with dark energy.
  • Positives: The taste can alert adventurers to the creature’s proximity.
  • Negatives: The unpleasant taste can leave an adventurer feeling uneasy and off-balance.
• Touch
  • Description: The air around a Shadowshifter feels unnaturally cold, with an almost tangible sense of dread. If touched, its form would feel like a dense, chilling fog, with an unsettling lack of substance.
  • Positives: The cold can act as a physical indicator of the creature’s presence.
  • Negatives: The chilling sensation can induce fear and hesitation, affecting an adventurer’s ability to react swiftly.
• Extra-Sensory Perceptions
  • Description: Adventurers with heightened senses or magical abilities might perceive the Shadowshifter’s presence as a disturbance in the ambient magic, a dark, pulsing energy that disrupts the natural flow.
  • Positives: These perceptions can provide advanced warning and a better understanding of the creature’s nature.
  • Negatives: The dark energy can be overwhelming, causing confusion, fear, or even magical interference for those sensitive to such disturbances.
• Summary of Positives and Negatives
  • Positives: Advanced warning through unique sensory cues (sight, smell, taste, touch, and extra-sensory perceptions). These cues can help prepare and alert adventurers to the Shadowshifter’s presence.
  • Negatives: The unsettling nature of these perceptions can induce fear, confusion, and hesitation. The creature’s ability to blend into shadows and move silently makes it challenging to detect and track, increasing the danger of an encounter.

Encounters with a Shadowshifter are marked by a blend of eerie silence, disorienting visuals, and a chilling atmosphere that tests the vigilance and resilience of even the most seasoned adventurers.

Tale of the Shadowshifter

In the annals of Vesperon’s Enigmatic Sanctum, a tale most ancient and cryptic speaks of beings born from shadow and chaos. Long ago, when the dungeon was still young and the echoes of the gods’ whispers still lingered in the air, there arose the Shadowshifter.

From the deepest, darkest corners of the sanctum, where light dared not tread, a confluence of malevolent shadows and chaotic energies gave birth to the first of these elusive beings. It is said that these creatures are the very embodiment of Vesperon’s darkest thoughts, his nightmares made flesh and shadow.

The first Shadowshifter, known as Zathar the Silent, emerged from the abyss one moonless night. Zathar could meld with the darkness, becoming one with the shadows that cloaked the labyrinthine halls of the sanctum. To the eyes of men, he was but a whisper in the night, a fleeting glimpse of movement at the edge of vision.

Zathar thrived in the chaos and uncertainty of the dungeon, his presence a harbinger of doom for those who dared to enter Vesperon’s domain. With cunning and stealth, he would stalk intruders, leading them astray with false whispers and illusions, guiding them into deadly traps and perilous mazes from which there was no escape.

The legend speaks of a group of brave adventurers, led by the valiant knight Aric. They ventured into the sanctum, seeking the treasures and secrets hidden within its depths. For days they wandered the dark corridors, their torches casting feeble light in the oppressive gloom. Unbeknownst to them, Zathar watched and waited, his malevolent eyes gleaming with anticipation.

One by one, the adventurers fell prey to Zathar’s deceptions. The mage was lured into a pit of spikes, the rogue ensnared in a web of shadows, and the cleric misled into a deadly trap. Only Aric remained, his resolve unbroken but his spirit weary.

In the final confrontation, Aric faced Zathar in a cavernous chamber shrouded in darkness. The knight’s sword gleamed with the light of his determination, but Zathar was a master of the shadows. They clashed, steel against shadow, light against dark. Though Aric’s blade struck true, it was Zathar’s cunning that prevailed. With a final, deceptive feint, Zathar vanished into the shadows, leaving Aric to wander the labyrinth alone, forever haunted by the specter of his foe.

Moral of the Story: Beware the shadows that lie within the darkest corners of the world, for they are born of chaos and deception. Only the vigilant and wise can hope to navigate their treacherous embrace.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

Name: Shadowshifter

• Characteristics:
  • STR: 50
  • CON: 60
  • SIZ: 50
  • DEX: 80
  • INT: 70
  • POW: 65
  • HP: 11
  • Move: 9
• Skills:
  • Stealth: 90%
  • Listen: 70%
  • Spot Hidden: 60%
  • Dodge: 75%
  • Track: 65%
• Attacks:
  • Shadowstrike: 40%, 1d6 damage
• Special Abilities:
  • Shadow Meld: The Shadowshifter can meld with shadows, becoming nearly invisible. This grants +30% to Stealth and makes it almost imperceptible.
  • Trap Lure: The Shadowshifter can use its knowledge of traps to mislead investigators. Roll INT x5 to lead an investigator into a trap, causing 1d8 damage if successful.
  • Vulnerable to Light: Exposure to bright light or magical illumination disrupts the Shadow Meld ability, reducing Stealth by 50%.
• Sanity Loss: 1/1d6

Blades in the Dark

Name: Shadowshifter

• Type: Supernatural Entity
• Tier: III
• Quality: 3
• Harm:
  • Standard: Shadowstrike (3-harm, intimate, piercing)
  • Special: Eclipse Step (2-harm, close, swift, shadow)
• Abilities:
  • Shadow Meld: When in shadows or darkness, the Shadowshifter is invisible unless a source of light is brought close. Gain potency on all actions involving stealth or ambush.
  • Trap Lure: The Shadowshifter can lead characters into traps. Roll a fortune die (equal to Tier) to determine the effectiveness of the trap.
  • Vulnerable to Light: Bright light reduces the effectiveness of the Shadow Meld ability, making the creature easier to detect (lose 1 quality when exposed to bright light).
• Stress: 0

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Name: Shadowshifter

• Medium humanoid, chaotic neutral
• Armor Class: 14
• Hit Points: 28 (5d8+5)
• Speed: 30 ft.
• STR: 10 (+0)
• DEX: 18 (+4)
• CON: 12 (+1)
• INT: 14 (+2)
• WIS: 10 (+0)
• CHA: 8 (-1)
• Skills: Stealth +8, Perception +4
• Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
• Languages: Common
• Challenge: 2 (450 XP)
• Abilities:
  • Shadow Meld: While in dim light or darkness, the Shadowshifter can use a bonus action to become invisible. This effect ends if the Shadowshifter attacks, casts a spell, or enters bright light.
  • Trap Lure: The Shadowshifter has advantage on checks to detect or disarm traps and can use an action to set a trap that deals 2d6 damage to a creature that triggers it (DC 14 Dexterity saving throw for half damage).
  • Vulnerable to Light: The Shadowshifter has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks while in bright light.
• Actions:
  • Multiattack: The Shadowshifter makes two Shadowstrike attacks.
  • Shadowstrike: Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) piercing damage.
  • Eclipse Step: The Shadowshifter can teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space it can see that is in dim light or darkness.

Knave

Name: Shadowshifter

• Defense: 14
• Hit Points: 5d8 (28)
• Armor: 2 (light robes)
• Movement: 30 ft.
• Abilities:
  • Stealth +8: The Shadowshifter has a high stealth skill, making it difficult to detect.
  • Shadow Meld: In shadows or darkness, the Shadowshifter can become invisible.
  • Trap Lure: The Shadowshifter can set traps or lead characters into them, causing damage or other effects.
  • Vulnerable to Light: Bright light reduces its effectiveness, making it easier to hit and detect.
• Attack:
  • Shadowstrike: +4 to hit, 1d6 damage (melee, piercing)
  • Eclipse Step: The Shadowshifter can move quickly and stealthily in dim light or darkness, effectively repositioning itself in combat.

Fate Core System

Name: Shadowshifter

• High Concept: Mysterious Shadow Being
• Trouble: Vulnerable to Light
• Aspect: Master of Stealth
• Aspect: Trap Specialist
• Aspect: Elusive Predator
• Skills:
  • Stealth: Great (+4)
  • Notice: Good (+3)
  • Athletics: Good (+3)
  • Fight: Fair (+2)
  • Deceive: Fair (+2)
• Stunts:
  • Shadow Meld: Gain +2 to Stealth when in dim light or darkness.
  • Trap Lure: Once per session, can declare a trap in the environment, creating an aspect with a free invoke.
  • Eclipse Step: Once per scene, can move two zones without provoking opportunity attacks, provided there are shadows to move through.
• Stress:
  • Physical: OOO
  • Mental: OOO
• Consequences:
  • Mild: (2)
  • Moderate: (4)
  • Severe: (6)

Numenera & Cypher System

Name: Shadowshifter

• Level: 3
• Motive: To protect its territory and thrive in chaos
• Health: 15
• Damage Inflicted: 4 points
• Armor: 2
• Movement: Short
• Modifications:
  • Stealth as level 6
  • Perception as level 4
• Combat:
  • Shadowstrike: Inflicts 4 points of damage.
  • Eclipse Step: Can move a short distance and become nearly invisible (requires an action).
• Special Abilities:
  • Shadow Meld: In dim light or darkness, the Shadowshifter is treated as level 6 for stealth tasks.
  • Trap Lure: Can set or identify traps as a level 5 task.
  • Vulnerable to Light: Light-based attacks are treated as level 4 against the Shadowshifter.
• GM Intrusion: The Shadowshifter melts into the shadows, repositioning itself for a surprise attack.

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

Name: Shadowshifter

• Creature Level: 3
• Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
• AC: 18
• HP: 35
• Fort: +6
• Ref: +10
• Will: +7
• Perception: +8; darkvision
• Speed: 30 ft.
• Skills:
  • Stealth +12
  • Acrobatics +8
  • Deception +7
  • Thievery +9
• Attacks:
  • Shadowstrike: Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6+4 piercing damage.
  • Eclipse Step (2 actions): The Shadowshifter can teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space it can see that is in dim light or darkness.
• Special Abilities:
  • Shadow Meld (1 action): The Shadowshifter becomes invisible in dim light or darkness until it attacks or moves into bright light.
  • Trap Lure: The Shadowshifter gains a +2 bonus on checks to detect, disable, or avoid traps.
  • Vulnerable to Light: Bright light disrupts the Shadow Meld ability and reduces the Shadowshifter’s AC by 2.
• Weaknesses:
  • Bright Light Weakness 5: Takes 5 additional damage from bright light or light-based attacks.

Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)

Name: Shadowshifter

• Attributes:
  • Agility: d10
  • Smarts: d8
  • Spirit: d8
  • Strength: d6
  • Vigor: d6
• Skills:
  • Fighting: d8
  • Stealth: d12
  • Notice: d8
  • Athletics: d8
  • Thievery: d8
  • Pace: 6
  • Parry: 6
  • Toughness: 5 (1)
• Edges:
  • Invisibility: The Shadowshifter can become invisible in dim light or darkness, gaining +4 to Stealth rolls.
  • Quickness: Can perform two actions per turn without penalty.
• Hindrances:
  • Vulnerable to Light: Suffer -2 to all rolls when exposed to bright light.
  • Cautious: Will retreat if outmatched or at a disadvantage.
• Special Abilities:
  • Shadowstrike: Str+d6 damage.
  • Eclipse Step: Can move up to 12” in a single bound if moving through shadows, ignoring obstacles.
  • Trap Lure: Gains +2 on rolls to set or avoid traps.

Shadowrun (6th Edition)

Name: Shadowshifter

• Metatype: Spirit
• Attributes:
  • Body: 4
  • Agility: 8
  • Reaction: 7
  • Strength: 3
  • Willpower: 5
  • Logic: 4
  • Intuition: 6
  • Charisma: 3
  • Edge: 3
  • Essence: 6
• Condition Monitor:
  • Physical: 10
  • Stun: 11
  • Initiative: 13 + 3d6
  • Movement: 10 m/turn
• Skills:
  • Sneaking: 12
  • Perception: 8
  • Unarmed Combat: 10
  • Con: 7
• Powers:
  • Concealment: The Shadowshifter can make itself nearly invisible in shadows, adding +4 dice to Sneaking tests.
  • Movement: The Shadowshifter can increase its Movement Rate to 20 m/turn.
  • Materialization: The Shadowshifter can materialize and dematerialize at will.
  • Shadow Meld: When in dim light or darkness, the Shadowshifter is nearly invisible, gaining a +4 dice pool modifier to Sneaking tests.
  • Vulnerable to Light: Bright light or magical illumination reduces its Sneaking skill by half.
• Weaknesses:
  • Sunlight Allergy: Severe (Damage: 1 box per minute of exposure).

Starfinder

Name: Shadowshifter

• CR: 3
• XP: 800
• Race: Humanoid (outsider, shadow)
• Initiative: +7
• Senses: Darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +8
• Defense:
  • EAC: 14
  • KAC: 16
  • Fort: +4
  • Ref: +7
  • Will: +5
• HP: 35
• Speed: 30 ft.
• Melee:
  • Shadowstrike: +8 (1d6+4 P)
• Abilities:
  • Shadow Meld (Ex): In dim light or darkness, the Shadowshifter can become invisible as a move action. This invisibility lasts until it moves into bright light, attacks, or casts a spell.
  • Trap Lure (Ex): The Shadowshifter gains a +4 bonus to Perception and Engineering checks to detect and disable traps.
  • Eclipse Step (Su): The Shadowshifter can teleport up to 30 feet to an area of dim light or darkness as a move action.
  • Vulnerable to Light (Ex): Bright light imposes a -2 penalty to attack rolls and AC.
• Skills: Acrobatics +12, Stealth +15, Engineering +8, Perception +8

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Name: Shadowshifter

• UPP: B888A8
• Attributes:
  • Strength: 11
  • Dexterity: 12
  • Endurance: 8
  • Intellect: 8
  • Education: 8
  • Social Standing: 10
• Skills:
  • Athletics (dexterity): 3
  • Recon: 2
  • Melee (unarmed): 2
  • Stealth: 4
  • Survival: 2
  • Deception: 1
  • Armor: Cloth (AC 6)
• Weapons:
  • Shadowstrike: 2d6+2 melee damage
• Special Abilities:
  • Shadow Meld: In areas of low light or darkness, the Shadowshifter can become nearly invisible, providing a +4 DM to Stealth checks.
  • Trap Lure: The Shadowshifter has a +2 DM on checks involving traps, either setting or detecting.
  • Eclipse Step: The Shadowshifter can move up to 10 meters as an instant reaction, provided it remains in shadow or darkness.
  • Vulnerable to Light: Any light-based attacks deal double damage, and bright light reduces all skill checks by 2 DM.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)

Name: Shadowshifter

M	WS	BS	S	T	I	Agi	Dex	Int	WP	Fel	W
4	45	30	35	30	45	50	40	40	40	30	15

• Traits:
  • Armor: None
  • Skills: Stealth +20, Perception +10, Melee (Basic) +10, Dodge +10
  • Talents: Night Vision, Strike to Stun, Combat Reflexes, Step Aside
• Special Rules:
  • Shadow Meld: In areas of dim light or darkness, the Shadowshifter gains the Invisible Condition (as per the rules on page 293).
  • Trap Lure: The Shadowshifter has an innate ability to sense and utilize traps, gaining a +20 bonus to Perception and Stealth checks related to traps.
  • Eclipse Step: The Shadowshifter can move up to its Agility Bonus (5) in yards as a free action if it begins and ends its move in an area of shadow or darkness.
  • Vulnerable to Light: Exposure to bright light causes the Shadowshifter to lose the Invisible Condition and suffer a -10 penalty to all tests.