Nightshade (Mystara), Nightwalker [1310]

Climat/Terrain	Any
Organisation	Solitary
Fréquence	Très rare
Diète	Rien
Cycle d'activité	Night
Intelligence	19-20 - Super génie
Trésor	U
Alignement	Chaotic Mauvais
Nombres	1
Classe d'armure	-6
Mouvement	Au sol : 15" Vol : 6'' - Classe de vol : C Nage : Enfouissement : Web :
Dés de vie	21
Thac0	5
Nbre d'attaques	2
Dommage / attaques	3-30 (fist)/3-30 (fist)
Attaques spéciales	Surprise; see below
Défenses spéciales	See below
Résistance à la magie	Nil
Taille	H - huge ( 12+' to 25' ) (20’ tall)
Morale	19-20 - Sans peur
Valeur en XP	18000 xp

Commentaires : Nightshades are powerful beings from the Negative Energy who seek to spread death and destruction everywhere. Similar to undead, they are found on the Prime Material Plane only if summoned by powerful sorcerers for dark purposes. All nightshades are jet black. The air around them is cold and smells like an open grave in winter. These creatures have no visible eyes and apparently sense their surroundings magically. They see invisible objects and detect magic at will. Nightshades can read all magical writings and languages, although they cannot speak. They communicate with each other and their summoners telepathically. Nightshades never speak to their victims. Any creature that is not a nightshade or a summoner is considered a victim.

Combat : These aggressive monsters attack all strangers. They are usually encountered at night or in darkness. Natural daylight inflicts a -4 penalty on a nightshade’s attack rolls, but light causes no other ill effects. Because of their coloration and stealth abilities, nightshades have an increased chance to surprise opponents, as detailed in the paragraphs on each type below. This ability can, however, be negated by the chilling aura of a nightshade’s presence; a nightshade noticeably chills the air within a 60-foot radius regardless of weather or temperature conditions. The chill of a nightshade is something no adventurer forgets, and an individual who has encountered a nightshade has the normal chance of being surprised by one in the future (thus, surprise penalties usually associated with the creatures are negated). The chill aura permeates solid substances, so that the aura will be felt by victims on the other side of a stone wall or above ground over a burrowing nightcrawler. The nightshade’s chilling presence spoils all consumable items within 60’. This affects rations, food, water, holy water, and magical potions, oils, and ointments. No saving throws are allowed for these items. Such materials do not become poisonous, but become so desiccated as to be useless. The touch of a nightshade is poisonous. A victim successfully hit by a nightshade’s natural attack (bite, sting, or fist) must roll a saving throw vs. poison with a -2 penalty. Failure results in instant death. All nightshades can use the following spells at will, one per round: charm person, invisibility, haste, confusion, cloudkill, darkness, hold person, cause disease, and dispel magic. Once per day, nightshades can cast finger of death. The nightshade’s spellcasting level is equal to its Hit Dice. If a nightshade uses a spell ability, it cannot make a melee attack that round. Nightshades can summon undead once every four hours, with a 75% chance of success. The undead creatures arrive in 1d10 rounds. To learn the type of undead that responds, roll 1d8 and consult the following table: 1d8 Roll Undead 1-3 1d4+1 shadows 4-5 1d2 wraiths 6 1 spectre 7 1 ghost 8 1 spirit (hand druj) Nightshades can be harmed only by weapons of +3 or greater enchantment, or by spells of 6th level or greater. They are immune to all forms of poison, petrification, illusion, charm, hold, and cold spell effects. Nightshades are partially vulnerable dragon breath and suffer only half damage from such attacks. If nightshades roll successful saving throws, they suffer only only one-quarter damage, rounded up. Nightshades are turned as “special” creatures. A nightwalker is a 20-foot-tal1, jet black, giant humanoid. It lurks in dark areas: opponents suffer a -2 penalty to surprise rolls. The nightwalker never carries weapons or other items; it attacks with its two massive fists each round, causing 3d10 points of damage with each successful hit. In addition, a victim must roll a saving throw vs. poison or die. A nightwalker’s attack can crush an opponent’s shield or armor. Such damage is applied first to a victim’s shield (if any); once it is destroyed, damage is then applied to armor. The item in question avoids the crushing effect if a successful saving throw vs. crushing blow is made; magical armors and shields add their magical bonuses to the saving throws (the bonus equals the item’s bonus to Armor Class). A nightwalker can automatically destroy any weapon or magical item simply by picking it up and smashing it flat between its hands. It cannot harm artifacts in this manner. If the item is held by an opponent, the nightshade must make a successful attack roll to grab it. No saving throw applies against this crushing effect. The nightshade cannot use its hands for anythmg else in the same round. Once per round, a nightwalker can gaze at one opponent up to 60’ away. The victim must make a successful saving throw vs. spell to avoid the gaze. If the saving throw fails, the victim is cursed, suffering a -4 penalty to all attack rolls and saving throws until a dispel evil or remove curse spell is cast on the victim; remove curse is ineffective if performed by a caster of less than 15th level. The nightwalker can use this gaze as often as it wishes, although it cannot attack while attempting the gaze. A victim can be affected by the gaze only once (until the curse is removed; after that, a victim could fall prey to the gaze again).