## Taking a CR 1 creature up to CR 18 This is the result of an experiment to see what could be made when you take the following stats suggested by the DMG for a CR 1 creature: | Challenge Rating | Prof. Bonus | Armor Class | Hit Points | Attack Bonus | Damage/ Round | Save DC | :-: | :-: | :-: | :-: | :-: | :-: | :-: | 1 | +2 | 13 | 71–85 | +3 | 9–14 | 13 ...and apply every single CR-affecting trait to it (for a list of these traits and their affect on CR, check out [my javascript CR calculator](https://iadndmn.neocities.org/CRcalc.html)), trying to keep the monster thematic and believable—not to mention usable. ### Shadow Horror A shadow horror is an undead creature of pure hunger and rage, given semi-corporeality. Sometimes when a powerful being dies in a state of extreme hunger and rage, its pure anger and instinctual drive to satisfy its hunger and desire for vengeance allow its spirit to escape the bonds that pull all deceased souls to the outer planes. The result is a half-floating, half slithering spirit of malice, given a shadowy almost snake-like form. A shadow horror posseses a head and two arms attached to a long, snake-like body, much akin to a Yuan-ti abomination. The whole of its body however, is made entirely of shadow stuff, giving the creature the ability to quickly jaunt short distances through solid material, and giving it an otherworldly stealthiness. ***Undead Nature.*** A shadow horror doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep. ___ ___ > ## Shadow Horror >*Medium undead, neutral evil* >___ >**Armor Class** 13 >**Hit Points** 75 (10d8 + 30) >**Speed** 40 ft., climb 40 ft., fly 20 ft. >___ >|STR|DEX|CON|INT|WIS|CHA| >|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:| >|13 (+1)|17 (+3)|16 (+3)|6 (-2)|14 (+2)|13 (+1)| >___ >**Saving Throws** Str +7, Dex +9, Wis +8, Cha +7 >**Skills** Acrobatics +9, Perception +8, Stealth +15 >**Damage Vulnerabilities** radiant >**Damage Resistances** acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks >**Damage Immunities** necrotic, poison >**Condition Immunities** charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, restrained, unconscious >**Senses** darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 18 >**Languages** understands any languages it knew in life but can't speak >**Challenge** 18 (20,000 XP) >___ > >***Aggressive.*** As a bonus action, the shadow horror can move up to its speed toward a hostile creature that it can see. > >***Ambusher.*** The shadow horror has advantage on attack rolls against any creature it has surprised. > >***Avoidance.*** If the shadow horror is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a saving throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails. > >***Blood Frenzy.*** The shadow horror has advantage on melee attack rolls against any creature that doesn't have all its hit points. > >***Damage Transfer.*** While it is grappling a creature, the shadow horror takes only half the damage dealt to it, and the creature grappled by the shadow slitherer takes the other half. > >***Incorporeal Movement.*** The shadow horror can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object. > >***Invisibility (1/Day).*** At the start of its turn, the shadow horror can choose to become invisible. This invisibility lasts up to 1 hour, until the shadow horror chooses to end it (no action), or until the shadow horror is in direct sunlight. > >***Legendary Resistance (1/Day).*** If the shadow horror fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. > >***Magic Resistance.*** The shadow horror has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. > >***Magic Weapons.*** The shadow horror's weapon attacks are magical. > >***Nimble Escape.*** The shadow horror can take the Dash or Disengage action as a bonus action on each of its turns. > >***Pack Tactics.*** The shadow horror has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the shadow horror's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated. > >***Rampage.*** When the shadow horror reduces a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack on its turn, the shadow horror can take a bonus action to move up to half its speed and make an attack with its shadow talons. > >***Regeneration.*** The shadow horror regains 10 hit points at the start of its turn. If the shadow horror takes radiant damage, this trait doesn't function at the start of the shadow horror's next turn. The shadow horror dies only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn't regenerate. > >***Relentless (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest).*** If the shadow horror takes 21 damage or less that would reduce it to 0 hit points, it is reduced to 1 hit point instead. > >***Shadow Stealth.*** While in dim light or darkness, the shadow horror can take the Hide action as a bonus action. \pagebreak ___ ___ > ## Shadow Horror Cont'd >___ > ***Stench.*** Any creature that starts its turn within 10 feet of the shadow horror must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the start of its next turn. On a successful saving throw, the creature is immune to the shadow horror's stench for 24 hours. As a bonus action, the shadow horror can suppress this ability, causing the stench to disappear until the shadow horror chooses to reactivate it on its turn (no action). > >***Sunlight Weakness.*** While in sunlight, the shadow horror has disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws. > >### Actions > >***Multiattack.*** The shadow horror can use its frightful presence. It then makes a single weapon attack. > >***Shadow Talons.*** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. *Hit:* 7 (1d8 + 3) slashing damage plus 7 (2d6) necrotic damage. > >***Constrict.*** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. *Hit:* 14 (2d12 + 1) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 15). Until this grapple ends, the creature is restrained and can't breathe, and the shadow horror can't constrict another target. > >***Shadow Bolt.*** *Ranged Weapon Attack:* +9 to hit, range 60 ft., one creature. *Hit:* 7 (1d8 + 3) necrotic damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or become afflicted with a shadow curse for 1 minute. A shadow cursed creature takes 7 (2d6) necrotic damage at the start of each of its turns, and can take an action or a bonus action on its turns, not both. A cursed creature can repeat its save at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success. > >***Shadow Web (Recharge 5–6).*** *Ranged Weapon Attack:* +9 to hit, range 30/60 ft., one creature. *Hit:* The target is restrained by magical strands of shadowy webbing. As an action, the restrained target can make a DC 15 > >Strength check, bursting the webbing on a success. The webbing can also be attacked and destroyed (AC 14; hp 5; immunity to bludgeoning, cold, poison, psychic, and necrotic damage, as well as all nonmagical damage). > >***Frightful Presence.*** Each creature of the shadow horror's choice that is within 120 feet of the shadow horror and aware of it must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the shadow horror's Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours. > >***Possession (Recharge 6).*** One humanoid that the shadow horror can see within 5 feet of it must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma saving throw or be possessed by the shadow horror; the shadow horror then disappears, and the target is incapacitated and loses control of its body. The shadow horror now controls the body but doesn't deprive the target of awareness. The shadow horror can't be targeted by any attack, spell, or other effect, except ones that turn undead, and it retains its alignment, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, and immunity to being charmed and frightened. It otherwise uses the possessed target's statistics, but doesn't gain access to the target's knowledge, class features, or proficiencies. >    The possession lasts until the body drops to 0 hit points, the shadow horror ends it as a bonus action, or the shadow horror is turned or forced out by an effect like the *dispel evil and good* spell. When the possession ends, the shadow horror reappears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the body. The target is immune to this shadow horror's Possession for 24 hours after succeeding on the saving throw or after the possession ends. > >### Reactions > >***Parry.*** The shadow horror adds 5 to its AC against one melee attack that would hit it. To do so, the shadow horror must see the attacker. <div class="wide"> *You can find a more complete write-up for this monster on [the ItsADnDMonsterNow Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/posts/23248319).* </div>