Lurker in Darkness

Huge aberration, neutral evil

Armor Class 21 (natural armor)
Hit Points 142 (15d10+60)
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
28 (+9)	16 (+3)	19 (+4)	16 (+3)	19 (+4)	19 (+4)

Saving Throws Con +8, Wis +8, Cha +8
Skills Intimidation +8, Perception +8, Stealth +7
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities cold, electricity, necrotic
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, demoralized, exhaustion, frightened
Senses blindsight 120 ft.; passive Perception 18
Languages Deep Speech, telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 12 (8,400 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Aura of Dark Despair. The lurker in darkness projects an aura that darkens the area around it. Within 30 feet all bright light is lowered to dim light and dim light is lowered to darkness. This darkening effect is thwarted by any light-creating spell of 3rd level or higher. If the darkness is unthwarted, any creature within or entering the supernatural darkness has disadvantage on any spell or effect that imposes the demoralized condition. If an affected creature leaves the aura, the disadvantage remains for 1d4 rounds.
• Innate Spellcasting. The lurker in darkness’s spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 16). The lurker in darkness can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
  • At Will: darkness, crushing despair, unholy blight
  • 3/day: cowardice, dispel magic, invisibility
  • 1/day: cone of cold, haste, hold monster, plane shift
• Magic Resistance. The lurker in darkness has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
• Sense Magic. The lurker in darkness senses magic within 120 feet at will. The trait otherwise works like the detect magic spell but isn’t itself magical.
• Shadowy Form. In any illumination other than bright light, a lurker in darkness blends into the shadows, imposing disadvantage on any attack or spell that requires an attack roll. This disadvantage applies even if the creature has darkvision.
• Supernatural Tendrils. For the purposes of resistances and immunities, the lurker in darkness’s tendrils are considered magical weapons.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The lurker in darkness makes two tendril attacks.
• Tendril. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 27 (4d8+9) bludgeoning damage. The target is grappled (escape DC 21). Until this grapple ends, the lurker in darkness cannot use the used tendril on another target.

REACTIONS

• Feed on Hopes. Anytime the lurker in darkness touches a target, via an attack or if grappling, they may feed off of hopes and revel in inflicting feelings of hopelessness in their prey. The lurker in darkness imposes the demoralized condition unless the target makes a Wisdom saving throw (DC 16). If the target is already affected by the demoralized condition, they instead take 2d8+4 necrotic damage and the lurker in darkness is healed by the same amount as the damage deal.

LEGENDARY ACTIONS

The lurker in darkness can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The lurker in darkness regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

• Detect. The lurker in darkness makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.
• Feed on Hopes. The lurker in darkness may use their feed on hopes reaction on any grappled creature.
• Tendril. The lurker in darkness makes one tendril attack.
• Crush Morale (Costs 2 Actions). The lurker in darkness may cast the crushing despair spell.

ABOUT

This shadowy mass has undulating appendages that reach out from the dark shadows sapping any hopes you may have.

A lurker and darkness is a dark and evil creature that resides in the darkest corners of the worlds. They find those who dare traverse the darkness and drain from them their hopes and dreams, trapping them in the dark for food.

Terrifying Form. A lurker in darkness is nigh impossible to make out. Only the reaching tendrils ever reach out of the darkness. If exposed to bright light, a lurker in the dark is an undulating faceless and eyeless mass with two long tendrilous appendages.

Hope Eater. A lurker in darkness is borne of an emptiness, a dearth of hope. It is an endless void that seeks out hope and happiness to fill itself. A lurker in darkness may be called by very evil or insane spellcasters and may be induced into helping said spellcaster if given an ample sacrifice to fill its void of hope.

Feeds on Hope. A lurker in darkness does not need to sleep. Nor does it eat or drink in the traditional sense but enjoys consuming the hopes and aspirations of living creatures. It does so by trapping its prey in its tendrils and sapping the hopes out of them until all that remains is a desiccated husk.