Dark Stalker

Medium humanoid, chaotic neutral

Armor Class 15
Hit Points 52 (7d8 + 21)
Speed 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
14 (+2)	18 (+4)	16 (+3)	9 (?1)	11 (+0)	13 (+1)

Saving Throws Dex +6, Cha +3
Skills Perception +4, Stealth +8
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Undercommon (dark folk dialect)
Challenge 3 (700 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Innate Spellcasting. The dark stalker’s spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 10). The dark stalker can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
  • At will: deeper darkness, detect magic, fog cloud
• Death Throes. When a dark stalker dies, it combusts in a flash of white-hot flame, and each creature within 20 feet of it must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, taking 14 (4d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much on a success. A dark stalker’s gear and treasure are unaffected by this explosion.
• Envenomed Attacks. The dark stalker coats its weapons with black smear, a foul-smelling black paste distilled from fungi that live deep underground.
• Exceptional Darkvision. Dark stalkers can see perfectly in darkness of any kind, including magical darkness.
• Light Sensitivity. While in bright light, the dark stalker has disadvantage on attack rolls as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
• Sneak Attack. Once per turn, the dark stalker deals an extra 14 (4d6) damage when it hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within five feet of an ally of the dark stalker that isn’t incapacitated, and the dark stalker doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The dark stalker makes two Shortsword attacks.
• Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw, taking 14 (4d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.

ABOUT

Dark creepers are diminutive dwellers found in the depths of the earth. The wear layers of filthy rags to hide their pale, wan bodies. Unwilling to show their true forms even to each other, they do not remove their clothing, and merely add a new layer as the outermost grows too ragged or stained. Some say entire cities of these folk exist in the dark depths, and that they raid the surface for loot, kidnapped servants, and the love of mayhem. While they are the leaders of dark creeper communities ranging from small village outpost to the mighty cities of the dark folk said to exist deep within the earth, the dark stalkers are a people apart. Although of the same race as the dark creepers, dark stalkers are taller, more courageous, and possibly more intelligent. They share many of the same cultural attitudes, an unwillingness to be nude, an acceptance of murder and cannibalism, and general unhygienic ways of their diminutive brethren. A group of dark creepers led by a dark stalker is a deadly force of assassins, marauders, and raiders made bolder by the presence of their taller kin.