Shade of the Tomb 5 (21)

High Noon at Midnight

Though thankfully rare, shades of the tomb (commonly called "tomb shades") may spontaneously manifest beneath the dull light of the Tomb Moon, taking form from gravestone shadows. Other times tomb shades are called into brief existence by a summoning spell. When they resolve, they regard the world with the head of an ink-beaked raven, with half a dozen clutching ebony arms emerging from their tenebrous cloak. If need be, a tomb shade can seep through cracks and around barriers that would stymie most corporeal beings.

Motive: Douse other beings' light, life, and joy

Environment: Almost anywhere

Health: 20

Damage Inflicted: Moderate wound (5 points)

Movement: Short; short when climbing

Modifications: Stealth as level 7

Combat: A tomb shade's touch drains life, inflicting Speed damage (ignores Armor).

In dim light and darkness, a tomb shade only takes 1 point of damage from successful attacks against them.

Individual tomb shades may also have one or more of the following abilities they can use as their action.

• Siphon. On a failed Might defense task, a short range necrotic ray deals 5 points of Speed damage (ignores Armor), which the shade gains as health, up to their maximum.
• Darken. The shade summons magical darkness that blooms from a point within long range (no more than once every ten minutes). The darkness fills an area an immediate distance across and lasts for ten minutes. Even creatures that can normally see in darkness can't see in this magical murk, except for tomb shades and undead.
• Anguish. The shade drains happiness and joy from all creatures within immediate range (no more than once per minute). Targets that fail an Intellect defense roll take 5 points of Intellect damage (ignores Armor) and are disconsolate, losing their next turn. Each turn after that they can attempt another Intellect defense roll to regain their composure and act normally.
• Portal. The tomb shade dissolves, their animus departing (possibly back to the Tomb Moon). The resulting implosive burst of necrotic energy deals 3 points of Speed damage (ignores Armor) to all creatures within immediate range that fail a Speed defense task. Damaged targets must also succeed on a Might defense roll or be pulled partially through the portal, sustaining 5 points of Speed damage (ignores Armor) each round from the necrotic contact until they can pull free with a successful Might roll as their action. When the last target pulls free (or dies and is pulled through), the portal closes.

Interaction: Sinister and conniving, a tomb shade doesn't speak, but uses its many arms for magical signing, usually only to make threats.

Use: An alchemist wants PCs to collect a cursed book for their library, but whenever someone opens the tome, shadows (a tomb shade) swallow the reader.