General Rules: Monsters - Demon, Shadow

Demon, Shadow (from the Book of Vile Darkness)
Medium Outsider (Chaotic, Evil, Incorporeal)

Hit Dice: 10d8 (45 hit points)
Initiative: +11
Speed: fly 40 feet (perfect)
Armor Class: 22 (+7 Dexterity, +5 deflection); touch 22, flat-footed 15
BAB/Grapple: +10/+17

Attack: Claw +17 melee touch (1d6 vile, slashing, 20 x2)

Full Attack: 2 claws +17 melee (1d6 vile, slashing, 20 x2)

Space/Reach: 5 feet by 5 feet/5 feet
Special Attacks: Improved grab, pounce, rake, spell-like abilities

Special Qualities: Darkness enhancement, flesh-ripping claws, immunities, incorporeal, light powerlessness, outsider traits

Saves: Fortitude +7, Reflex +16, Will +10
Abilities: Str -, Int 17, Wis 17, Dex 24, Con 10, Cha 20

Skills: Bluff +15, Concentration +10, Diplomacy +12, Hide +30, Intimidate +7, Knowledge: Arcana +16, Knowledge: the Planes +11, Listen +16, Move Silently +20, Search +16, Spot +15

Feats: Combat Expertise, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes
Environment: Any land and underground

Organization: Solitary

Challenge Rating: 8
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 11 - 15 Hit Dice (Medium); 16 - 20 Hit Dice (Large)

Shadow demons are denizens of the Hells without corporeal forms, formed from the very essence of evil on that plane. They skitter and flit about with great speed and a supernatural nimbleness, often mistaken for undead shadows. They resemble gaunt, angular shadowy humanoids with batlike wings.

Shadow demons, like night hags and a few other creatures that inhabit the Lower Realm, trade in souls. They use their magic jar ability to trap souls and sell or trade them to more powerful fiends. On the Three worlds, shadow demons sometimes work as advisors or assistants to evil creatures of great power: A dragon, an evil king, a powerful demonologist, or similar villain. Shadow demons generally serve their chosen master well, especially if they are able to gain a great many souls while doing so. If the souls are evil, all the better. Shadow demons are also interested in tempting and corrupting mortals. If, when its master dies, the shadow demon is able to snatch its soul too, all the better.

Shadow demons sometimes serve demon lords directly, but they rarely interact with other demons.

Combat
Shadow demons employ a straightforward strategy in combat: Immerse the battlefield in darkness, then tear foes to shreds with their inky claws.

Improved Grab (Ex): If a shadow demon hits a Medium or smaller opponent with both claw attacks, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it hits with both claws, it can also rake in the same round. The shadow demon has the option to conduct the grapple normally or simply use its claws to hold the opponent (-20 penalty on the grapple check, but the shadow demon is not considered grappled). In either case, each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals damage from both claws.

Pounce (Ex): If a shadow demon dives or leaps upon a foe during the first round of combat, it can make a full attack (including a rake attempt) even though it has moved.

Rake (Ex): On any round that a shadow demon has a hold of an opponent, it can make two rake attacks (+17 melee touch) with its hind legs for 1d6 points of vile damage each. The shadow demon can also attempt to rake when it pounces on an opponent.

Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): At will - darkness; Once per day - deeper darkness, damming darkness; Once per week - magic jar. Caster level 10^th; Save DC 15 + spell level.

Darkness Enhancement (Ex): Shadow demons gain power from being within total darkness. They gain a +4 enhancement to Armor Class, attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks in such conditions.

Flesh-Ripping Claws (Su): When a shadow demon's claws touch flesh, they become corporeal, allowing the creature to claw, rake, and even grapple with opponents, yet still ignore their armor. The shadow demon's claw and rake attacks are thus made as touch attacks. Fleshless creatures, such as certain constructs, are immune to the attacks of a shadow demon. Corporeal foes attempting to grapple the shadow demon can only attempt to escape; they cannot deal damage or pin in a grapple. All damage a shadow demon's claws deal is vile damage.

Immunities (Su): A shadow demon is immune to fire, cold, and electricity as well as mind-affecting effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and disease. It is not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage, energy drain, or death from massive damage.

Light Powerlessness (Ex): A shadow demon is drained in bright light (such as sunlight) and flees from it. Within such light it takes a -4 penalty to Armor Class, attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.

Incorporeal: A shadow demon can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, +1 or better magic weapons, spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities. The creature has a 50% change to ignore any damage from a corporeal source except for force effects or attacks made with ghost touch weapons. A shadow demon can pass through solid objects, but not force effects, at will. Its attacks ignore armor, natural armor, and shields, but deflection bonuses and force effects work normally against them. A shadow demon always moves silently and cannot be heard with Listen checks if it does not wish to be.

Outsider Traits: A shadow demon has darkvision with a range of 60 feet. It cannot be raised or resurrected.

Skills: Shadow demons receive a +10 racial bonus on Hide checks.

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