Dungeons & Dragons 2024 (D&D) Monster/NPC: Cervus Tenebris
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SGttEH 353
The cervus tenebris, spectral beings adorned with massive sets of ghostly wings, prowl the shadows in search of their next unsuspecting victim. Once humanoid, they were driven by an insatiable hunger so monstrous that they succumbed to the unthinkable act of cannibalism. In the throes of their grisly feast, they consumed their own bodies, an abomination that should have led to their demise. But the cosmos had other plans. Instead of meeting their end, they underwent a heinous transformation, becoming monstrous beings shrouded in shadows and damned to a never-ending existence of torment.
Only while it hunts does the gnawing pain that crucifies its body dulls—it lives in a constant state of agony. This torment it externalizes unto its victims, summoning shadows from the fallen to stalk and drain the life from its quarries, weakening them for an inevitable, gruesome death. The cervus tenebris hunts by consuming the flesh and shadows of the living, growing more formidable as it feasts upon the essence of its prey, its spectral wings expanding as it gorges itself upon the life of its victims.
| MOD | SAVE | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| STR | 6 | -2 | -2 |
| DEX | 21 | +5 | +9 |
| CON | 17 | +3 | +3 |
| MOD | SAVE | ||
| INT | 3 | -4 | -4 |
| WIS | 16 | +3 | +7 |
| CHA | 19 | +4 | +4 |
Traits
Incorporeal Movement. The tenebris can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 ( 1d10 ) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.
Intangible Body. The tenebris's body is made of moving shadows; ranged weapon attacks against it are made with disadvantage.
Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the tenebris has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Perception checks that rely on sight.
Vile Aura. Beasts refuse to approach closer than 30 feet of the tenebris. If a beast ends its turn in that area, it must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute.
Actions
Multiattack. The tenebris makes two attacks.
Cannibalize. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 27 (5d8 + 5) piercing damage. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken and the tenebris regains half as many hit points and one use of its Shadow Jump. This reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.
Bonus Actions
Shadow Jump (2/ Day). The tenebris teleports to a space in darkness that it can see within 60 feet of it. Alternatively, it teleports inside of the space of a Medium or larger creature within 60 feet of it, emerging from the creature’s entrails.
Create Shadows. The tenebris targets the corpse of a humanoid within 10 feet of it that died violently in the last hour. The target's spirit rises as a shadow in its space and the corpse can’t be targeted in this way again. This shadow is under the tenebris's control. The tenebris can have no more than two shadows under its control at a time.
Reactions
Feast on Shadow. When the tenebris reduces a creature to 0 hit points, it devours the creature's shadow. The tenebris's wings grow longer, its flying speed increases by 20 feet, and it gains a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls for 1 minute or until it falls unconscious. It can gain this bonus multiple times, each time it devours a creature's shadow. A creature whose shadow has been devoured can’t be targeted by this reaction again. A remove curse spell cast on a creature that lost its shadow allows it to regrow it.
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