Shadow Demon

Medium fiend, chaotic evil

Shadow demons are fiends that have existed in the Void long enough to become almost entirely incorporeal --- their physical form has dissolved into living shadow, retaining only a vague humanoid outline with burning eyes and a mouth that opens wider than any anatomy would allow. They are assassins and corrupters, preferring to work through manipulation rather than direct combat. A shadow demon will lurk for days, whispering to its target in dreams, stoking fears and resentments, before finally possessing a vulnerable host and using the stolen body to carry out its agenda. When forced to fight in its true form, it is a flickering, screaming blur of darkness that strikes and vanishes.

Armor Class:13

Hit Points:66 (12d8 + 12)

Speed:30 ft, fly 30 ft (hover)

Challenge:CR 6

STR

1 (-5)

DEX

17 (+3)

CON

12 (+1)

INT

14 (+2)

WIS

13 (+1)

CHA

14 (+2)

Saving Throws:DEX +6, CHA +5

Skills:Stealth +9, Deception +5

Damage Resistances:Acid, fire, necrotic, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, slashing from nonmagical attacks

Damage Immunities:Cold, lightning, poison

Condition Immunities:Exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained

Senses:Darkvision 120 ft, passive Perception 11

Traits

Incorporeal Movement. The demon can move through other creatures and objects as difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.

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

Light Sensitivity. While in bright light, the demon has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.

Actions

Claws. Melee: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) psychic damage plus 5 (2d4) cold damage.

Shadow Possession (Recharge 6). One humanoid that the demon can see within 5 feet must succeed on a DC 13 CHA save or be possessed. The demon disappears and the target is incapacitated and loses control of its body. The demon now controls the body but doesn't deprive the target of awareness. The demon can't be targeted by any attack, spell, or other effect while possessing, and it retains its INT, WIS, and CHA scores and its telepathy. It otherwise uses the possessed target's statistics. The possession lasts until the body drops to 0 HP, the demon ends it as a bonus action, or the demon is forced out by *Dispel Evil and Good*, *Remove Curse*, or similar magic. When the possession ends, the demon appears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet.