Shadow Eft

CONSTRUCTS AND CREATURES

30 and 50 pounds. Larger specimens exist, as those few that survive grow toward their apotheosis: neothelids.

Typical Treasure

Larval flayers do not have or seek treasure they might do so after they become neothelids.

An awful shape oozes from the night. It is formed half of bone and half of a black so absolute that it possesses actual substance. In silhouette it is like a faceless, wingless demon, its bony claws long and tipped with inky blackness.

SHADOW EFT CR 5

NE Large outsider (evil, extraplanar, psionic) Init +1; Senses blindsight 60 ft; Listen +11, Spot +11 Languages (understand but never speak) Abyssal, Common,

Celestial AC 20, touch 14, flatfooted 23; Dodge, Mobility hp 45 (6 HD); venom of the mind PR 15 Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +7 Weakness aversion to daylight Speed 50 ft. (10 squares); Spring Attack Melee 2 claws +9 (2d6+4) and bite +4 (4d6+2) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Base Atk +6; Grp +14 Psi-Like Abilities (ML 6th): 3/day duodimensional claw, psionic lion's charge, truevenom (ML 7th) 1/day shadow body (ML 15th) Abilities Str 19, Dex 13, Con 17, Int 11, Wis 14, Cha 16 SQ hide in shadow Feats Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack Skills Balance +10, Climb +13, Hide +9 (Hide +17 in dark areas), Jump +13, Listen +11, Move Silently +10, Sense Motive +11, Spot +11 Venom of the Mind (Ex) Whenever a shadow eft uses its truevenom psilike ability, it heals 5 hit points by psychic transference for each 1 point of

Constitution damage dealt to its victim, no matter the shadow eft's spatial or planar separation from the victim. Aversion to Daylight (Ex) Shadow efts are creatures of the night and loathe light. If exposed to natural daylight (not merely a daylight spell), they take a 4 penalty on all attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks. Hide in Shadow (Su) A shadow eft can use the Hide skill even while being observed. As long as it is within 10 feet of some sort of shadow, a shadow eft can hide itself in the open without having anything to actually hide behind. It cannot, however, hide in its own shadow.

A shadow eft appears as a large demonic humanoid, without features except for fused bone and solidified shadow.

Shadow efts cannot speak, though they understand a variety of languages, including Common.

Strategies and Tactics

A shadow eft prefers to strike from hiding, readying itself with offensive psionic powers, then charging forward using its psionic lion's charge.

Sample Encounter

Shadow efts are most often encountered as solitary agents bent on attacking that which it first encounters as a result of the shadow eft power (page 98).

Ecology

Shadow efts are a race of psionic monsters that normally dwell between worlds (on the Plane of Shadow), subsisting on psychic residue. Sometimes, traumatic events cause emotions so intense that shadow efts are drawn through conduits of darkness, where they are able to prey directly upon sentient minds. Their population on material worlds swells on the darkest night of the year,

Shadow efts are drawn through conduits of darkness to prey upon sentient minds

SHADOW EFT LORE

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (psionics) or Knowledge (the planes) can learn more about shadow efts. When a charac ter makes a skill check, the following lore is revealed, including information from lower DCs.

DC Result

16 Shadow efts are a race of psionic monsters that dwell between worlds. 21 Shadow efts heal their own flesh as they poison the minds of their enemies.