The encounter table for the Netherese is packed with shadow-themed opponents. There are a few humans here and there, but also a lot of shadar-kai, and Dark Ones, and a few new options to turn any of these into Shades. Since they’re a magic-heavy faction the table also includes a few constructs and bound incorporeal undead.

Shades

Shades are creatures that absorbed so much of the Shadowfell’s ambient magic that they mutated. They can also be born from otherwise “mundane” creatures who absorbed that energy. As you might expect a lot of the Shadovar fit this description.

There are two ways to turn a monster stat block into a Shade. The Forgotten Realms’ campaign setting has a monster template that turns a regular monster into an elite shade. And this book presents a theme that adds appropriate powers to an existing creature without upgrading its “quality”.

The theme changes the base creature’s origin to Shadow, adds Darkvision and Vulnerable 5 radiant and also these three abilities:

  • Regeneration 5, which shuts down for a turn when the creature takes radiant damage.

  • Coalescing Darkness, a trait that gives the shade total concealment for a turn whenever it moves 3 or more squares by any means.

  • Shadow Stride, an encounter power that takes a move action and lets the shade teleport up to 20 squares, but requires that the destination space be in dim light or darkness.

Thaalud Constructor

One of the most fearsome security measures in Netherese tombs and ruins are the constructs known as Thaalud Tomb Trappers. The Constructor is a modern design based on those, weaker but easier to make.

That’s all the lore we get for this monsters. Since I don’t know anything about tomb trappers I’m forced to speculate based on their stats. I’m thinking they’re huge eyeless humanoid statues, and quite a bit smarter than your typical mindless construct.

A constructor is a Huge Natural Animate with the Blind and Construct keywords, and a Level 5 Elite Brute with 154 HP. It’s immune to poison, blindness, and gaze attacks, and has Resist 5 to cold, fire, and lightning. It perceives the world with Blindsight 20.

It attacks with Mauling Fists that damage and grab on a hit (escape DC 15), and can make double attacks with them. If the constructor has a Large or smaller creature grabbed, it can throw it at someone else with Hurl Foe, a ranged attack that damages both the target and the “ammunition”. On a hit, the target is pushed 1 square and knocked prone, and the hurled PC falls prone on the target’s former space. On a miss both take half damage and the thrown character falls prone adjacent to the target. I gotta say “grab and yeet” sounds like a very fun combat style.

When a constructor is destroyed it Collapses into rubble, attacking a Close Burst 1 around itself and turning that area into a zone of difficult terrain that lasts until the end of the encounter. Note that the creature is Huge, so this zone is 4 squares on a side.

Clariburnus Tanthul, Prince of Shade

The Shadovar are ruled by the Twelve Princes of Shade, Netherese mages who were witnesses to the fall of their empire and managed to stay alive(-ish) to the present day. Clariburnus Tanthul is one of these Twelve.

Contrary to all expectations, he’s not undead! Tanthul is an ancient living shade, and is described as retaining more of his original humanity than the other Princes. Still, he’s a merciless manipulator with no concept of honor, breaking his promises as casually as he breathes.

Clariburnus Tanthul is a Medium Shadow Humanoid and a Level 10 Elite Skirmisher with 158 HP. He has a Speed of 7 and both Blindsight 10 and Darkvision. His traits resemble those of the Shade theme above but they’re custom and more powerful.

His Benighted Presence acts as an aura (5) that turns bright light dim, and his Regeneration heals 15 HP per turn, though it’s still shut down for a turn by radiant damage.

He wields a scimitar named Gloom Crescent, which can make basic attacks and is also used for the Severing Shadows technique. This lets him make 2 basic attacks (3 if bloodied), teleporting 5 squares before each one. If he hits the same target twice that target also takes 5 ongoing force damage (save ends). This worsens to 10 ongoing force damage and blindness after the first failed save (save ends both).

Once per encounter he can use a ranged spell named By Night Consumed, which deals necrotic damage and removes the target from play (save ends). A miss deals half damage and dazes (save ends). Nasty!

His Shadow Stride lets him teleport 5 squares regardless of light conditions, which increases to 10 if the destination is in darkness. It’s also a (Recharge 4+) ability instead of an encounter power, so he can use it more than once in a fight.

Impressions

This has less custom stat blocks than some of the other factions, so you’ll be mostly relying on the encounter table and shade versions of natural critters. Still, the custom stat blocks we do get are fun, and it looks like Clariburnus is a genuine Forgotten Realms big shot who would probably get an epic-level stat block in a more traditional FR setting book. I love it that he’s “within reach” of a heroic-tier party here. His stats make for a very interesting fight, though you should also give him an honor guard.