The Ensnared Shadow (3.5e Monster)

Author: Eiji-kun (talk) Date Created: 8-15-16 Status: Complete Editing: Clarity edits only please

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	The Ensnared Shadow
Size/Type:	Large Outsider (Angel, Chaotic, Evil, Extraplanar)
Hit Dice:	20d8+100 (260 hp)
Initiative:	+8
Speed:	40 ft, burrow 20 ft, fly 120 ft (good)
Armor Class:	33 (+4 dex, +20 natural, -1 size), touch 13, flat-footed 29
Base Attack/Grapple:	+20/+32
Attack:	+5 Anarchic Soulbinding Chain +33 melee (2d6+13 plus grab, 20/x2) or Slam +27 melee (2d6+8, 20/x2)
Full Attack:	Two +5 Anarchic Soulbinding Chains +33 melee (2d6+13 plus grab, 20/x2) and Slam +27 melee (2d6+8, 20/x2)
Space/Reach:	10 ft/10 ft
Special Attacks:	Absorb Sin, Breath Weapon, Burrowing Chains, Extended Chains, Improved Grab, Spell-Like Abilities, Spells, Soulbinding Chains
Special Qualities:	Arid Wasting, Corrupt Protective Aura, Darkvision 60 ft, DR 15/lawful and good, Extraordinary Health, Half-Dead, Immunities, Low-Light Vision, Regeneration 15, Resist Acid/Elec 10, Spell Resistance 30, Tongues
Saves:	Fort +17 (+21 vs poison), Ref +16, Will +19
Abilities:	Str 26, Dex 19, Con 20, Int 21, Wis 25, Cha 25
Skills:	Balance +27, Concentration +28, Diplomacy +30, Escape Artist +27, Intimidation +34, Knowledge Religion +28, Knowledge The Planes +28, Listen +30, Sense Motive +30, Spellcraft +28, Spot +30, Survival +30, Tumble +27
Feats:	Two-Weapon Whirlwind B, Ambidextrous B, Improved Combat Trick B, Weapon Focus (soulbinding chains)B, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Greater Two-Weapon Fighting, Two-Weapon Wall
Environment:	Abyss
Organization:	Unique
Challenge Rating:	20
Treasure:	No coins; double goods; standard items
Alignment:	Always Chaotic Evil
Advancement:	By character class
Level Adjustment:	—

The shadowy miasma rose in a vaguely humanoid figure, its body seemingly draped with a black smoky which revealed itself to be its wings wrapped about its frame. Its head was an empty sun bleached goat skull, a dull red light pulsing from the center of its bare forehead. Thick silver chains wrap its body and arms, ending in hooks which seem to have been ripped from the ground where they were once anchored.

The Ensnared Shadow is a unique demon from the abyss on a quest to rise in power for reasons which still remain obscure. The Ensnared Shadow has taken abnormal interest in gathering certain magical items, artifacts, and rituals relating to the concepts of revival and vestiges, as it slowly manipulates mortal spellcasters trading information in exchange for absolution and services. Perhaps it has found success in its goals, because this demon was in fact a fallen angel at one point.

The Ensnared Shadow appears as a tall and imposing humanoid figure completely composed of oily black smoke, with a goat skull for a head and a set of black feathered wings which seem to melt into its oily form. Some have suspected that The Ensnared Shadow is actually the demon lord and once fallen angel Azael, former owner of 422nd layer of the abyss now known as Yeenoghu's Realm. Azael was slain by the godkiller Ma Yuan ages ago, but an element of its power still remains. It is believed that the Shadow rose from the blood stain left on the abyss in his passing. The theory makes sense, for the Shadow has no tolerance for gnolls or Yeenoghu, actively seeking their undoing.

The shadow stands at 12 feet tall (though its height seems to vary, and it may be slouched to appear shorter), and weights 900 lbs.

Combat

The Ensnared Shadow tries to never engage in a battle that it hasn't planned for, and has no qualms escaping a one-sided fight. Asymmetrical warfare, dirty tricks, and every advantage environmental and tactical is something it will try to employ. If placed in a difficult situation, it may try to retreat, scry from afar, and burrow its chains to attack and soften up a target before going in for the kill at an inopportune time.

Absorb Sin (Su): Perhaps a trait left over from its time as an angel, The Ensnared Shadow can absorb the sins of others and carry them within themselves. This acts as atonement. Quests are not required, but the target must be sincere. The sin is not actually absolved, and the evil energy empowers The Ensnared Shadow, giving them a cumulative +1 bonus on attack rolls, skill checks, ability checks, and saving throws, and +5 bonus hp for 24 hours. Over a long period of time, The Ensnared Shadow can actually level up through absorbing additional sin. Due to his corrupt nature he has been using this ability to absolve the sins of his minions, both to empower itself and allowing its followers to retain their kinder alignments in spite of atrocities they are encouraged to make in the name of the greater good.

Arid Wasting (Su): The area within 1000 ft of The Ensnared Shadow is always parched desert, with extreme heat (141 F to 180 F), clear skies, and bright sunlight. Any water in the area immediate evaporates, leaving the area bone dry. [Water] spells and effects are impeded, and the duration of any [Water] spells are cut in half. Effects which change the weather such as control weather must first beat spell resistance. On a successful check arid wasting is suppressed in the area.

At will as a free action, The Ensnared Shadow can create a duststorm in the area as if using control weather. The transition time from clear to duststorm is 10 minutes.

Breath Weapon (Su): The Ensnared Shadow can breath a 60 ft cone of scouring black sand and wind, dealing the effect of gust of wind and 20d6 points of magic slashing damage in the area, with a DC 25 Reflex save for half. The breath weapon affects incorporeal creatures as if it were ghost touch. The save DC is Constitution based.

The breath weapon leaves behind black sand^Sa and difficult terrain. Black sand deals 1d4 negative energy a round with no save for any creature standing upon it.

Burrowing Chains (Ex): As a move action The Ensnared Shadow can burrow its chains through an unlimited distance of burrowable material to another destination. Effectively its soulbound chains reach appears from whatever square The Ensnared Shadow wishes. It needs to be able to see the location in order to make any attacks. For example, it can scry on a target and send its chains there as long as it has line of effect through burrowable material. While it is burrowing its chains The Ensnared Shadow is rendered immobile and cannot make attacks of opportunity until it retracts its chains as a move action.

Corrupt Protective Aura (Su): Against attacks made or effects created by good creatures, this ability provides a +4 deflection bonus to AC and a +4 resistance bonus on saving throws to anyone within 20 feet of The Ensnared Shadow. Otherwise, it functions as a magic circle against good effect and a lesser globe of invulnerability, both with a radius of 20 feet (caster level equals HD). (The defensive benefits from the circle are not included in the statistics block.)

Extended Chains (Ex): As a standard action, The Ensnared Shadow can extend its chains to insane lengths. It may make a single melee attack (or two-melee attacks as a full attack action with two weapons) out to line of sight.

Extraordinary Health (Ex): The Ensnared Shadow always receives maximum hit points per HD.

Half-Dead (Ex): The Ensnared Shadow has traits of undeath, though it is not undead. It is able to heal from both positive and negative energy, and is treated as undead for the purposes of spells and effects when beneficial. It cannot be turned or rebuked, but a successful turn or rebuke check renders it shaken, while a successful destroy or command renders it staggered.

Immunities (Ex): Immune to Cold, Fire, Death Effects, Disease, Paralysis, Petrification, Poison, Polymorphing, and Sleep.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, The Ensnared Shadow must hit with its soulbinding chains attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity.

The Ensnared Shadow can grapple one person in each chain, but if it does so it takes a -10 penalty to grapple checks.

Regeneration (Ex): The Ensnared Shadow takes damage from lawful good-aligned weapons and from spells and effects with the lawful or good descriptors. It's regeneration is also suppressed if ever fully submerged in water, or constant rainfall.

Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): At will-animate dead, control sand^Sa, dispel magic, speak with dead; 3/day-freedom of movement, sandform^Sa, transmute sand to stone^Sa, transmute stone to sand^Sa, wall of sand^Sa (DC 21), waves of fatigue; 1/day-awaken sand^Sa, Create Undead, earthquake (DC 25), flesh to salt^Sa (DC 22), freedom, sandstorm^Sa (DC 23), summon desert ally IX^Sa, waves of exhaustion. Caster level 20th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

The following abilities are always active on The Ensnared Shadow, as the spells (caster level 20th): detect law, discern lies (DC 21), see invisibility, and true seeing. They can be dispelled, but The Ensnared Shadow can reactivate them as a free action.

Spells: The Ensnared Shadow can cast divine spells as a 15th-level clerics. It has access to the Chaos and War domains. The save DCs are Wisdom-based.

Typical Cleric Spells Prepared (6/7/7/7/5/5/4/3/1; save DC 17 + spell level): 0—detect magic, detect poison, guidance, light, repel liquid, virtue; 1st—devilish spew, incite^SpC, protection from law*, resurgence^SpC, retort, sanctuary, sign^SpC, updraft^SpC; 2nd—desecrate, divine interdiction^SpC, infernal wound^SpC, punish the kind, safety bubble, spiritual weapon*, vile strike, wave of grief^SpC; 3rd—bestow curse, downdraft^SpC, haboob^Sa, magic vestment*, mental mirror, solar flare, stone shape, wind wall; 4th—chaos hammer*, curse of misfortune, deific light, delay death^SpC, desert diversion^Sa, giant vermin; 5th—break enchantment, choking sands^Sa, flame strike*, mass contagion^SpC, parboil^Sa, plane shift; 6th—animate objects*, harm, heal, lesser crown of vermin, sunlight slash; 7th—degenerate, radiant assault^SpC, repulsion, word of chaos*; 8th—hijacking dispel, power word stun*.

*Domain spell.

Soulbinding Chains (Ex): The Ensnared Shadow has a pair of large +5 anarchic spiked chains which are constantly under the effect of soulbinding sword. They are attached to its body and cannot be disarmed. They can be sundered which deals 2 points of Constitution damage to The Ensnared Shadow. When the ability damage is cured the weapon is repaired. If The Ensnared Shadow is slain the chains become normal masterwork spiked chains.

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