Shadow Hunter

Huge monstrosity, neutral

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 105 (10d12 + 40)
Speed 30 ft., climb 50 ft., swim 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
23 (+6)	15 (+2)	19 (+4)	5 (–3)	14 (+2)	3 (–4)

Skills Perception +6, Stealth +6
Condition Immunities prone
Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft., passive Perception 16
Languages —
Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)

Special Traits

• Keen Smell. The shadow hunter has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
• Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, the shadow can take the Hide action as a bonus action.

Actions

• Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) piercing damage and 27 (6d8) poison damage. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 hour.
• Constrict. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d10 + 6) bludgeoning damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 16). Until this grapple ends, the creature is restrained, and the shadow hunter can’t constrict another target.

About

The shadow hunter is a great, dark serpent that hunts in deep caverns beneath the earth. An adult specimen is over 40 feet long and nearly 5 feet thick in its midsection. In bright light, it can be seen to be covered with nonreflective black scales, and its underbelly is the dark red of clotted blood. Shadow hunters have the supernatural ability to blend in with shadows, both to protect themselves and to stalk and ambush prey. Unlike normal snakes, shadow hunters often work in groups of two or three to corner prey in passages.

Shadow hunters generally prefer to hunt in networks of twisting passages that allow them to move around their intended prey, or even approach it from multiple directions. They are particularly fond of elf flesh but eats any Small to Large creature as long as it is living, organic, and animal-based (i.e., not a plant or fungus). When they attack, they prefer to strike and envenom their prey, holding on and chewing the poison into their opponent until it stops struggling. If there is more than one foe present, they do not try to grab their prey, preferring to strike at those that threaten it, retreating if need be to return later to consume their hopefully dead prey.

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