View source for Duskwalker (3.5e Monster)

<onlyinclude>
{{Author
|author_name=Zhenra-Khal
|date_created=12/3/2016
|status=Complete; Open to suggestions
}}

== Dusk Walker ==
 
{{Stat Block 2
|summary=Much like Shadows or Shadow Elementals, Duskwalkers are creatures of shadow. They often end up as familiars for the darkest of casters.
|name=Duskwalker
|size=Medium |type=Outsider (Cold, Incorporeal, Native)
|init=+3 |listen=+9 |spot=+9 |sens= Darkvision 120 ft
|al=NE |lang=Common
|ac=15 |acmods=+3 Dex, +2 Deflection |touch=15 |flat=12
|hp=8 |othhp= DR 5/Adamantine, Regeneration 1 |hd=1 |immune= Undead Immunities; Immune to Cold
|spd=— |fly=40ft (Good) (8 Squares)
|bab=+1 |grp=—
|at= [[SRD:Incorporeal|Incorporeal]] touch +4 melee (1d4 cold plus 1d4 Str) 
|full_at= [[SRD:Incorporeal|Incorporeal]] touch +4 melee (1d4 cold + 1d4 Str) 
|space= 5 ft. |reach=10 ft.   
|sa=   Strength Damage, Sneak Attack +1d6, ''Claws of Darkness''
|sq=  Darkvision 120ft, Undead Traits, Regeneration 1, ''Mage Hand'', DR 5/Adamantine
|miss= 50% Incorporeal |weak=Vulnerability to Fire
|fort= +2 |ref= +3 |will= +3   
|str= |dex=16 |con= |int=6 |wis=12 |cha=14  
|skills= Bluff +6, Hide +7, Listen +9, Search +6, Spot +9, Survival +5*  
|feats= Alertness*, Dodge*, Track  
|env= Any; Usually Shadow Plane 
|org= Solitary, gang (2–5), or swarm (6–11)   
|cr= 2 
|treas= None   
|align= Usually Neutral Evil
|adv= 4–9 HD (Medium) 
|la= — (Improved Familiar)
}}
</onlyinclude>

'''Undead Traits:''' Duskwalkers are healed by negative energy, harmed by positive energy, and can be turned or rebuked like undead. They have no Constitution score, instead using their Charisma for their Fortitude saves and bonus HP. They are immune to poison, slep effect, paralysis, stunning, disease and death effects; As well as to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, energy drain, fatigue and exhaustion, as well as to damage to its Dexterity. Duskwalkers are also not subject to death from massive damage, unless that damage is Fire damage, or damage from a source such as a Searing Light spell or Light effect. While not subject to Raise Dead or Reincarnate, despite being an Outsider, Duskwalkers ''can'' be brought back to life via Resurrection and True Resurrection, though doing so merely returns them to their shadowy, quasi-undead natural state. Furthermore, all spells and effects treat Duskwalkers as Undead in addition to their type (Outsider); Thus both a Sword of The Planes and a Mace of Disruption are dangerous to a Duskwalker. Unlike Undead, though, the Duskwalker does not die when reduced to 0 hit points, but instead reverts to its Black Pearl form (See below).

'''Black Pearl (Ex):''' Duskwalkers, while incorporeal, are actually made up of a sort of frozen vapor of both Elemental Ice and Negative Energy nature, similar to Black Ice; This is what makes them so vulnerable to Fire effects. When the Duskwalker is brought to 0 HP or less, so long as the damage that laid it low was not Fire damage or damage from a Light effect, it reverts to its Black Pearl form instead of dying; When this happens, all the ethereal vapor that composes its form coalesces and compacts itself into a perfectly round sphere of about 3-4 inches in diameter that weights roughly 1 pound. The Black Pearl is a Fine object with AC 18, Hardness 10 and 10 HP; It also has DR 5/Magic or Adamantine, in addition to immunity to cold, vulnerability to fire and the Duskwalker's regeneration ability (See below). While in this state, the Duskwalker is largely helpless, and is destroyed completely if the pearl is destroyed. However, if the pearl is left in an area of darkness or shadowy illumination, it will regain HP each round via its Regeneration ability. However, this does not affect the pearl; Only the Duskwalker's normal form - Once its normal form once again reaches full HP, it can choose to re-form in any square adjacent to the pearl. Re-forming takes an entire round. The regeneration can be halted by casting a Gentle Repose spell on the gem, or by keeping it in a well-lit container, such as a bag in which there is also a stone upon which a Continual Flame spell has ben cast, for example.  The Duskwalker can also assume Black Pearl form willingly; Unlike when it does so to escape death, it retains its ability to move (And thus its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class, in which case its AC rises to 21). When it assumes Black Pearl form willingly, both assuming the form and returning to its normal form are Move actions; Sometimes they use this tactic to feign death, dropping to the ground. When their foe curiously comes over to investigate, if they move within reach, the Duskwalker will usually burst from the gem and attack, denying their foe their Dexterity bonus to Armor Class against that single standard attack.

'''Regeneration {{Ex}}:''' Much like the Ephemeral Hangman, the Duskwalker regenerates health over time, while in areas of darkness or shadowy illumination. Only Fire spells, [Light] effects and ''Searing Light'' deal normal damage to the Duskwalker in this state. If the Duskwalker loses a limb, it grows back in 3d6 minutes; Any body part severed from the Duskwalker immediately turns to vapor and is destroyed, and thus the Duskwalker cannot instantly regrow limbs by holding them to the stump. This regeneration only works in areas of darkness or shadowy illumination; In bright light, its regeneration ceases to function and all attacks deal normal damage.

'''Strength Damage {{Su}}:''' The Duskwalker's touch attack deals 1d4 points of Strength damage on hit, much like the touch attack of an undead Shadow. This is considered a Negative Energy effect. A creature reduced to 0 Strength by a Duskwalker dies; However, unlike Shadows, they cannot create spawn.

'''Sneak Attack {{Ex}}:'' As per the Rogue class feature of the same name, the Duskwalker deals an additional 1d6 cold damage upon striking a creature that is denied its Dexterity bonus against the Duskwaler's attack. In addition, the Strength damage dealt by any attack the Duskwalker makes that is considered a Sneak Attack is increased from 1d4 to 1d6.

'''''Mage Hand'' {{Su}}:''' The Duskwalker can, at will, replicate the effects of the Mage Hand spell as a supernatural ability, with a caster level equal to their HD.

'''''Claws Of Darkness'' {{Ex}}:''' The Duskwalker's arms can extend, granting it a reach of 10ft. However, it can retract (or extend) its arms as a free action, allowing it to attack adjacent creatures with no issue.

'''Skills:''' Duskwalkers have a +2 racial bonus on Spot and Listen checks, and a+4 racial bonus on Search checks. They also have a +4 bonus on Hide checks made in areas of shadowy illumination, but suffer a -4 penalty on Hide checks in areas of bright light. Finally, Duskwalkers have a +8 racial bonus on Survival checks made to track opponents whose Strength they have damaged in the last 48 hours.


Duskwalkers are rather distant cousins to Shadow Elementals, being the shadow of the Elemental Plane of Ice in a twisted manner. However, due to the interaction with the plane of Ice with the Negative Energy Plane (Utilized by those with the Lord of the Uttercold feat), they possess undead traits, making them very similar in many aspects to undead Shadows. In the Shadow plane, these lesser beings are to Shadow Elementals what Imps are to Demons and Quasits are to Devils.
Often, Duskwalkers end up familiars to some arcane casters; [[Umbral Warlock (3.5e Prestige Class) | Umbral Warlocks]] have them almost exclusively as familiars.
While the Duskwalker is an Outsider, it shares many traits with the undead, such as being healed by negative energy and harmed by positive energy; Spells that affect undead differently (Such as Searing Light) treat Duskwalkers as especially-light-vulnerable undead.

A Duskwalker that is not a caster's familiar and is encountered away from the Shadow Plane or Elemental Plane of Ice has the Extraplanar subtype rather than the Native subtype; Bonding to a caster ties them to the Material firmly enough that they cannot be so easily Banished.

Duskwalkers can speak and understand Common, and some know Auran, Aquan and/or either Infernal or Abyssal. Duskwalkers that are familiars to casters that are high-enough level to have the Speak With Master ability can speak, in addition to Common, any languages their master knows.


===Strategies and Tactics===
Duskwalkers are very sneaky and often attack from ambush, using their Sneak Attack to their advantage. When attacking in a group, they using flanking tactics to utilize their Sneak Attack and Strength drain to the fullest.

===Sample Encounters===
A swarm of 3d6 Duskwalkers has been seen wandering the local graveyard at night by the town drunkard. The townsfolk are concerned the creatures may be a sign of necromantic activity within the graveyard, and send the adventurers to check it out.

===Ecology===

'''Physical Characteristics:''' Duskwalkers are usually man-sized and humanoid-shaped, though exceptions exist. Duskwalkers are pitch-black in appearance, with glowing eyes of some contrasting color (Usually violet, icy blue, a bright white or some combination thereof). The air near a Duskwalker feels cooler, like the air inside a crypt, but not cold enough to cause discomfort to anyone.

'''Environment:''' Usually the Duskwalker is found on the Plane of Shadow, but can be found wandering many of the other places undead Shadows do, and are often mistaken for those creatures.

'''Lifespan:''' Duskwalkers are as immortal as elementals and undead Shadows alike.

'''Diet:''' Duskwalkers don't eat or drink (Or sleep, for that matter), but do have to feed once each month by draining strength from a living creature (Or multiple creatures) with their touch attack; When they do so, the total Strength damage dealt to the target(s) must be at least equal to the Duskwalker's Charisma score, plus its Hit Dice.

'''Alignment:''' Duskwalkers are usually Neutral Evil, but those belonging to an Umbral Warlock (And only an Umbral Warlock) as a familiar are the same alignment as their master.

===Lore===
Very little is known about Duskwalkers beyond their ties to the Uttercold; The only ones that know more are the Umbral Warlocks, who refuse to share their secrets with outsiders.

===Advanced Creatures===
At every 4th HD beyond the first (5th, 9th, 13th and so on), the Duskwalker gains +1d6 Sneak Attack, its Charisma and Dexterity scores both improve by 1, and its Regeneration increases by 1 point. Every 8 HD after 1st (9th, 17th, etc.), the Duskwalker's DR X/Adamantine improves by 5 points, its Intelligence and Wisdom improve by 2 points each, and the Cold damage inflicted by its incorporeal touch attack increases by one die size. These changes - Except the Regeneration improvements - Do not apply to HD the creature has gained by means of being a caster's familiar; Only to HD gained by advancing as normal for a creature of its type. The Duskwalker's class skills are Bluff, Hide, Listen, Search, Spot, and Survival.

===As Familiars===
Umbral Warlocks automatically gain a Duskwalker as a familiar upon gaining their first level in the prestige class; Other casters can obtain them other ways. Shadowcasters with the Shadow Familiar and Improved Familiar feats of at least Caster Level 7th can choose a Duskwalker as their familiar. Other casters can gain the Duskwalker as a familiar via Improved Familiar only if their Caster Level is 9th or higher, and they must qualify to take a familiar of Neutral Evil alignment, possess the Cold or Incorporeal subtypes, or have the Dark or Shade templates. As a familiar, Duskwalkers grant a +1 bonus to the Hide skill, +1 bonus on the Move Silently skill and Cold Resistance 1.



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Author	Zhenra-Khal +
Challenge Rating	2 +
Identifier	3.5e Monster +
Name	Duskwalker +
Rating	Unrated +
Size	Medium +
Summary	Much like Shadows or Shadow Elementals, Duskwalkers are creatures of shadow. They often end up as familiars for the darkest of casters. +
Title	Duskwalker +
Type	Outsider (Cold, Incorporeal, Native) +