Sorrowshade (3.5e Monster)

1: Stats reflect the changes from Berserk.

''The barely visible shadowed figure of a weeping woman can be seen, her hands over her face sobbing over some terrible tragedy. As you step closer to comfort her, her head snaps up with empty eyes and she lets out a terrible scream of frustration and rage!''

Born from those who died of grief and powerless to stop their fate, these ghostly phantoms remain and spread their misery to others. Locations where a sorrowshade haunts become legendary ghost stories, where everyone kills themselves in the end, driven to suicide by some unknown miasma. The wails of the dead can still he heard crying at night.

Sorrowshades look like shadowy humanoids vaguely resembling their former life, but with long sharp nails on their hands and empty hollow eyes and mouth. In truth they have little substance and are incorporeal, though most continue to walk or run along surfaces, breaking the illusion only to pass through walls in pursuit of their enemies. They spend their time weeping over their losses, and become disturbed when the living walk too close by. Its murderous impulse isn't triggered when the sorrowshade approaches willingly, as it might when it is subjecting others to its aura of depression.

Sorrowshades presumably understand language (typically Common) but are too busy crying or screaming to speak.

Combat
Those that approach within 40 feet of the sorrowshade who are noticed cause the sorrowshade to become violent and attack. Otherwise it is content to weep on its own and not bother others, save for the noise and the risk of suicide via Aura of Depression. When driven berserk it attacks mercilessly, usually focusing solely on the one who triggered her ire. When it has successfully killed the offender it may run away, or continue to murder if it feels able.

Aura of Depression :  All creatures within 60 feet who can see or hear the sorrowshade must make a DC 21 Will save or fall into a depression. Each affected creature takes a -2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks, skill checks, and weapon damage rolls. Those effected continue to be exposed to the aura, and must continue to make saving throws. If a second saving throw is failed, the creature loses all interest in doing anything, and are effectively fascinated. Creatures fascinated stop moving and simply reflect on their own sorrow. Creatures attempting to shake the creature out of its stupor may do so as a standard action, which grants the afflicted creature another attempt to make the saving throw. Otherwise, they gain a saving throw once an hour. A successful save puts them back up to depression (-2 penalty), while a successful save against depression negates the effect for that round.

The penalty is lifted after 1 minute if the creature leaves the aura, but the fascination lasts for 1 hour, after which it becomes the depression penalty.

This is a mind-effecting compulsion effect. The save is Charisma based.

Berserk : If attacked or a creature comes too close, the sorrowshade goes berserk, screaming and going into a murderous rage. They gain the benefits of haste as an extraordinary effect (and gaining +30 to both its speeds regardless of its initial base speed). The changes are already applied in the stat block above. Creatures who are fascinated by the aura of depression do not react to the sorrowshade's aggressiveness, though an attack against them lets them make the saving throw again with a +4 bonus. Berserk lasts for 3+Charisma modifier rounds (9 rounds) after which the sorrowshade cannot go berserk again for 1 minute. It typically flees if such a thing occurs.

Rejuvenation : Sorrowshades are difficult to put down. They have the rejuvenation ability of a ghost.

Semicorporeal Claws : The claws of the sorrowshade are semicorporeal, allowing it to make incorporeal touch attacks with its claws, and at the same time pick up objects, wield items, and grapple as if it were corporeal. It uses its Dexterity in place of Strength. Its claws do 1d6 damage plus its Charisma modifier.

Throat Rip : A sorrowshade who attacks a flatfooted or grappled creature with its claws can attempt to tear out the subject's throat as part of the attack. The creature must make a DC 21 Fortitude save or have their throat slashed horribly. They cannot speak with a slashed throat and bleed out 10 hp each round until healed. The bleeding can be stopped with a DC 15 Heal check as a standard action, and DC 25 to restore their voice. A heal spell stops the bleeding, but a second heal is needed to restore the voice, while regenerate can stop bleeding and restore voice in one cast.

Weeping :  As a standard action the sorrowshade may weep, projecting its baleful misery onto another who can hear her in 60 feet. The person must make a DC 21 Will save or have ectoplasmic tears well up from their body, blinding them as runny black ooze streams from their face. They can wipe the ooze away and only suffer a 20% miss chance as a move action, or clear their face entirely with a full round action. A successful save negates.

On those fascinated by her aura of depression, weeping has the effect of death urge instead, and they will seek to kill themselves. They can act to perform this suicidal action, and get an additional Will save against the aura of depression after successfully injuring themselves. Otherwise, the use of weeping does not break the fascination effect. This is a mind-affecting effect and the DC is Charisma based.