Shade

Medium undead, chaotic evil

Physical Description

A shade appears as a humanoid silhouette composed of deep, impenetrable darkness. Its form is indistinct and fluid, with edges that constantly shift and ripple like smoke caught in a gentle breeze. Where a face should be, only deeper darkness exists, occasionally revealing the suggestion of hollow eyes that gleam with a faint purple or deep blue luminescence. The shade's limbs can elongate and thin to impossibly stretched proportions or widen into broad, threatening shadows. It moves with unnatural grace, sometimes gliding just above the ground without making contact with the surface below. Shadows in the vicinity of the shade seem to deepen and shift toward it, as if drawn by some unnatural attraction.

A patch of darkness detaches itself from the natural shadows, taking on a vaguely humanoid shape that defies clear definition. Its edges ripple and flow like ink in water, never quite settling into a fixed form. No features are visible within the silhouette save for two points of cold, distant light where eyes should be. The ambient shadows in the room seem to bend toward it, as if paying homage to a darker master.

Lore

Echoes of Loss. Shades are formed when a humanoid dies in moments of extreme emotional trauma, particularly profound despair or betrayal. The emotional imprint is so strong that it separates from the soul, creating an entity composed of the darkest aspects of the departed's emotional state.

Shadow Dwellers. Shades are bound to shadows and darkness, gaining strength in areas of deep gloom. They often lair in abandoned places that hold emotional significance to their former selves—the bedroom where they were murdered, the dungeon where they were forgotten, or the temple where they were betrayed.

Emotional Vampires. While shades can harm the physical body, they truly feed on emotional states, particularly fear and despair. They can sense these emotions in living beings and are drawn to those experiencing strong negative feelings, which they can enhance through their mere presence.

Fragmented Memory. Most shades retain only fragments of their former identities—usually memories connected to the traumatic events that created them. Some seek out those who wronged them in life, while others are drawn to those who resemble loved ones they lost, creating complex and often dangerous situations for the living.

Exorcist's Notes

"The shade differs from the shadow in subtle but crucial ways. A shadow seeks to drain life force, while a shade hungers for emotional essence. Both are dangerous, but the shade is more insidious. It can influence dreams and emotional states from a distance, wearing down its victim's will long before making its presence known. The most dangerous aspect? A part of the shade remembers being human—and it hates that memory." — Father Morhaven, Clerical Exorcist

Stats

• Armor Class: 13
• Hit Points: 22 (5d8 + 0)
• Speed: 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
6 (-2)	16 (+3)	10 (+0)	12 (+1)	10 (+0)	14 (+2)

• Damage Resistances: necrotic, radiant
• Damage Immunities: poison
• Condition Immunities: exhaustion, frightened, grappled, poisoned, prone
• Senses: darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
• Languages: understands Common and Sylvan but can't speak
• Challenge: 1 (200 XP)

Amorphous. The shade can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.

Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, the shade can take the Hide action as a bonus action.

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

Actions

Shadow Touch. Melee Spell Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) necrotic damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom save or be frightened for 1 minute. A frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Emotional Drain (1/Day). The shade targets one frightened creature it can see within 30 feet. The target must make a DC 13 Charisma saving throw. On a failure, the target takes 10 (3d6) psychic damage and the shade regains hit points equal to the damage dealt. On a success, the target takes half damage and the shade gains no hit points.

Tactics

Shades are cunning combatants that prefer to strike from darkness. They begin encounters by using Shadow Stealth to approach undetected, then attack isolated targets with Shadow Touch to inflict the frightened condition. Once a creature is frightened, the shade uses Emotional Drain to heal itself while further weakening its victim. Shades instinctively avoid bright light and will retreat to darkness if exposed to sunlight. They are patient hunters, willing to withdraw temporarily to reposition for a more advantageous attack, potentially stalking a wounded or frightened target for days before striking again.

The shade glides forward with fluid grace, the darkness around it seeming to deepen with each silent movement. The temperature doesn't drop as with some undead, but something more subtle changes—emotions feel heavier, memories of loss and failure rise unbidden to the mind. As it reaches toward you with elongated fingers of pure shadow, you realize with horror that the face briefly forming within its darkness is disturbingly familiar—a twisted reflection of your own features in a moment of absolute despair.