Wispy Shadow Mastiff

Wispy Shadow Mastiff (CR 5)

Pure Evil - Medium - Outsider (Shadow)

Lore:	Know (Planes)
10		25
Basic DC		Full DC

Initiative

8

Perception:
18	+8
Passive	Active

Ambush:

10+

on a d20

Senses:

• Standard Senses
• Darkvision 60 ft.
• Scent 30 ft.

Movement Types:

• Walk 40 ft.

Defense

AC

21

Man Def

20

Monster Health
71	35	7
Hit Points	Bloodied	Hit Dice

Saving Throws
Fort:	+8
Refl:	+3
Will:	+3

Strong Against:

• Hardened (½ damage): vs attacks with tenebrous (energy, rare) or negative (energy, uncommon)

Weak Against:

• Vulnerable (1.5x damage): Attacks with Light (energy, uncommon) or Sunlight (energy, rare)

Offense

Size:	Medium
5 ft.		5 ft.
Space		Reach

To-Hit

+8

Man Off

+8

Action

0

Points

• Maneuver Offense Notes: +2 on Trips

Standard Attack (Melee):

• 1x Shadowy Maw +8 (1d10+6/x2)
  as crushing (physical, common)
  plus Trip

Full Attack (Melee):

• 1x Shadowy Maw +8 (1d10+6/x2)
  as crushing (physical, common)
  plus Trip
• 2x Darkened Claws +8 (1d6+2/x2)
  as slashing (physical, common)
  plus 1d6+2 tenebrous (energy, rare) damage

Standard Attack (Ranged):

Full Attack (Ranged):

Siege Damage: Not siege capable

Statistics

17

STR

13

DEX

17

CON

4

INT

11

WIS

9

CHA

Skills:

• Perception: 8
• Survival: 8
• All other skills: 3 (no ranks)

Languages: can understand, but not speak, Common and Fuligin

Feats:

• Spring Attack (EFFECT: Move before and after melee attack)

Special Abilities

Shadow Blend (Su) Always On

In any condition of illumination other than full daylight, a shadow mastiff can disappear into the shadows, giving it total concealment (automatically miss on a natural result of a 12 or less on the d20, and you must be attacking the square your target actually occupies). Artificial illumination, even a light or continual flame spell, does not negate this ability. Daylight (Sorcerer/Wizard Spell), however, will.

Shadowy Lunge (Su) Immediate 1/Enc

If a shadow mastiff is targeted or damaged by an attack of any sort from beyond their melee reach, and their Shadow Blend ability is working, they may use Greater Teleport, up to 50 feet, once per encounter, as an immediate action, to move adjacent to the enemy who dared to attack them. If they attack the enemy with their Shadowy Maw attack in the same round as they use Shadowy Lunge, the target is made flat-footed prior to Shadowy Lunge's attack roll.

Menace (Su) Swift Action

As a swift action, a Wispy Shadow Mastiff can exude menace, inspiring fear in nearby enemies. All enemies within 80 feet of the Wispy Shadow Mastiff must make a Will save against a DC of 17, or become Startled until the end of the encounter. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. If a creature is already Startled when affected by Menace, they instead become Panicked for one round, after which they are Startled until the end of the counter. Creatures subjected to Menace can only be forced to save against it up to once per round. Once a creature has rolled a save against Menace, succeed or fail, that creature can ignore the subsequent uses of Menace (but not its effects) until the following round.

Trip (Su) Automatic on successful attack

A shadow mastiff that hits with its Shadowy Maw attack can attempt to trip the opponent as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity, rolling their Maneuver Offense (1d20 + 10) against their target's Maneuver Defense. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot attempt to trip the shadow mastiff in return.

Wispy Shadow Mastiff

A Wispy Shadow Mastiff is a creature that looks like a large dog, except that its coat is deep, supernatural black. On a quick glance, a shadow mastiff may pass for an ordinary, if very large, dog; 'man's best friend'. However, on closer examination, the horrendous evil lurking in this creature is obvious.

Wispy Shadow Mastiffs come from some dark place, some place outside this world, a shadowy place where the world is a twisted reflection of our own. This is the Plane of Shadows, where even the best things, like mankind's loyal companions, are twisted and evil.

Wispy Shadow Mastiffs exude terrible menace at the best of times, and when they make even the smallest of threatening gestures, fear grips the heart of even the most hardened souls.

Combat Tactics

Wispy Shadow Mastiffs hunt in packs, and cooperate to efficiently bring down their enemies. Because Menace cannot affect a foe more than once per round, only one Mastiff will use the Menace ability each round.

Wispy Shadow Mastiffs also have Spring Attack, allowing them to use their excellent speed to run into a fight, make a bite attack, and run back out. This forces enemies to move up to the Mastiff, possibly provoking attacks of opportunity from their startled allies.

Once enemies move to engage, the Mastiff is usually pretty happy to take full attacks, but may use spring attack to find a flank or reposition themselves.

Wispy Shadow Mastiffs are not brilliant, but have animal cunning, and a solid understanding of pack tactics.

Wispy Shadow Mastiffs will flee a combat if clearly outmatched by their enemies.

Out of Combat

Shadow Mastiffs look like magical dogs, and on cursory inspection, out of combat they behave like dogs. But on closer inspection, an uncanny instinct seems to motivate these awful creatures. They seem a bit too canny, a bit too aware, a bit too clever. Over time, it can be puzzled out that every pack of Shadow Mastiff's is perpetually on the verge of breaking up, as the monsters seek ways to gain more status in their pack, and ways to blight their surroundings with death and darkness.

Rewards

XP: 1,600

Treasure: Sellable Goods worth 1,625 gp.

Weight: 50 lbs.     Volume: 2 cu. ft.

Optional Treasure Rules: Roll a d20 on Table 1 below once per encounter (NOT per creature). Any items discovered are in addition to the normal treasure for the encounter.

Table 1: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 10	Nothing Found
11 - 14	1 Languid Remnant (tier 1)
15 - 17	1 Pale Remnant (tier 2)
18 - 19	1 Bright Remnant (tier 3)
20	Roll on Table 2
###	Nothing to see here!
###	Or here. Move along.

Table 2: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 5	3 Languid Remnants (tier 1)
6 - 10	3 Pale Remnants (tier 2)
11 - 14	1 Intense Remnant (tier 4)
15 - 17	1 Blazing Remnant (tier 5)
18 - 19	1 Vital Remnant (tier 6)
20	Roll on Table 3
###	Or here. Move along.

Table 3: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 5	3 Bright Remnants (tier 3)
6 - 8	3 Intense Remnants (tier 4)
9 - 11	3 Blazing Remnants (tier 5)
12 - 14	3 Vital Remnants (tier 6)
15 - 17	1 Prime Remnant (tier 7)
18 - 19	1 Mythic Remnant (tier 8)
20	1 Empyrean Remnant (tier 9)