Shadow Skeleton Mage

Family: Shadow

Medium undead, lawful evil

Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points 18 (4d8)
Speed 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
10 (+0)	14 (+2)	11 (+0)	14 (+2)	9 (-1)	6 (-2)

Skills Stealth +4
Damage Vulnerabilities radiant; bludgeoning
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned
Senses blindsight 60 ft., passive Perception 9
Languages understands all languages it knew in life but can’t speak
Challenge 2 (450 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Gesticulating Caster. The skeleton ignores the verbal component requirement when casting spells.
• Innate Spellcasting. The skeleton’s innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with spell attacks). It can cast the following spells innately, requiring no material components:
  • At will: chill touch, resistance, rot
  • 1/day each: bane, darkness, misty step
• Shadow Form. As a bonus action, the skeleton can turn itself into pure shadow. While in this form, the shadows gains a fly speed of 60 feet (hover) and can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing. The skeleton can’t attack or cast spells while in this form. Its equipment melds into its new form. The skeleton reverts to its true form if it dies or falls unconscious. The skeleton can revert to its true form using a bonus action on its turn.
• Shadowy Presence. Magical darkness emanates in a 30-foot-radius sphere around the skeleton. Undead creatures are able to see normally in this darkness.

ACTIONS

• Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage plus 2 (1d4) necrotic damage.

ABOUT

These skeletons have been bound to dark spirits from a Plane of Shadow, which wraps it in darkness. Nearby light sources are dimmed in their presence and weak flickering nonmagical sources may be snuffed out. The sounds of their movement are muffled as well, making shadow skeletons more stealthy than other reanimated remains.

Undead Nature. Shadow skeletons do not require air, food, water, or sleep.

Shadow Magic. The necromancy that gives these undead their mimicry of foul life has been known to grant additional gifts. Shadow skeleton mages are capable of not only emanating darkness from within themselves, but also of manipulating it and bending shadows to their will. These constructs sow terror and confusion in their wake as the darkness around their victims closes in upon them.