Waterdeep - Dungeon of the Mad Mage

SHADOW AsSASSIN

A shadow assassin looks like an undead shadow (as de-
scribed in the Monster Manual) that wields shortswords
also made of shadow. It exists only to slay the Jiving.
Undead Nature. A shadow assassin doesn't require
air, food, drink, or sleep.

ULITHARID

Very rarely, an illithid tadpole transforms an individual
into an ulitharid rather than an ordinary mind flayer.
Ulitharids are larger than mind flayers and have six
tentacles instead of four. lllithids innately recognize that
an ulitharid's survival is more important than their own.
In most colonies, an ulitharid becomes an elder brain's
most favored servant, invested with power and authority.
In others, the elder brain perceives the ulitharid as a
potential rival, manipulating or quashing the ulitharid's
ambitions accordingly.

SHADOW ASSASSIN

Medium undead, chaotic evil

Armor Class 14

Hit Points 78 (12d8 + 24)

Speed 40 ft.

STR

6 (-2)

DEX

19 (+4)

CON

14 (+2)

Saving Throws Dex +8, Int +5

Skills Perception +9, Stealth +12

Damage Vulnerabilities radiant

INT

13 (+ l)

WIS

12 (+l)

CHA

14 (+2)

Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder;

bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks

Damage Immunities necrotic, poison

Condition Immunities exhaustion, frightened, grappled,

paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained

Senses darkvision^60 ft., passive Perception^19

Languages understands the languages it knew in life but can't

speak

Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)

Amorphous. The assassin can move through a space as narrow

as 1 inch wide without squeezing.

Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, the assassin

can take the Hide action as a bonus action.

Sunlight Weakness. While in sunlight, the assassin has disad-

vantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws.

ACTIONS

Multiattack. The assassin makes two Shadow Blade attacks.

Shadow Blade. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one

target. Hit: 7 (ld6 + 4} piercing damage plus^10 (3d6} necrotic

damage. Unless the target is immune to necrotic damage, the

target's Strength score is reduced by ld4 each time it is hit by

this attack. The target dies if its Strength is reduced to 0. The

reduction lasts until the target finishes a short or long rest.

If a non-evil humanoid dies from this attack, a shadow (see

the Monster Manual) rises from the corpse ld4 hours later.

APPENDIX A J DUNCEON Df.NTZENS

ULITHARID

Large aberration, lawful evil

Armor Class 15 (breastplate)

Hit Points 127 (17dl0 + 34)

Speed 30 ft.

STR

15 (+2}

DEX

12 (+ l}

CON

15 (+2)

INT

21 (+5)

Saving Throws Int +9, Wis +8, Cha +9

WIS

19 (+4)

Skills Arcana +9, Insight +8, Perception +8, Stealth +5

Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception^18

CHA

21 (+5}

Languages Deep Speech, Undercommon, telepathy^2 miles

Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)

Creature Sense .. The ulitharid is aware of the presence of crea-

tures within 2 miles of it that have an Intelligence score of 4 or

higher. It knows the distance and direction to each creature,

as well as each creature's Intelligence score, but can't sense

anything else about it. A creature protected by a mind blank

spell, a nondetection spell, or similar magic can't be perceived

in this manner.

Magic Resistance. The ulitharid has advantage on saving

throws against spells and other magical effects.

Psionic Hub. If an elder brain establishes a psychic link with the

ulitharid, the elder brain can form a psychic link with any other

creature the ulitharid can detect using its Creature Sense. Any

such link ends if the creature falls outside the telepathy ranges

of both the ulitharid and the elder brain. The ulitharid can

maintain its psychic link with the elder brain regardless of the

distance between them, as long as they are both on the same

plane of existence. If the ulitharid is more than 5 miles away

from the elder brain, it can end the psychic link at any time (no

action required).

Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). The ulitharid's innate spellcast·

ing ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 17). It can innately cast

the following spells, requiring no components:

At will: detect thoughts, levitate

1/day each: confusion, dominate monster, eyebite.feeblemind,

mass suggestion, plane shift (self only), project image, scrying,

telekinesis

ACTIONS

Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach^10 ft., one

creature. Hit:^27 (4dl0 + S) psychic damage. If the target is

Large or smaller, it is grappled (escape DC 14) and must suc-

ceed on a DC 17 Intelligence saving throw or be stunned until

this grapple ends.

Extract Brain. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one

incapacitated humanoid grappled by the ulitharid. Hit: SS

(lOdlO) piercing damage. If this damage reduces the target to

0 hit points, the ulitharid kills the target by extracting and de·

vouring its brain.

Mind Blast (Recharge 5-6). The ulitharid magically emits psy·

chic energy in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in that area must

succeed on a DC 17 Intelligence saving throw or take^31 (4dl2

+ S) psychic damage and be stunned for l minute. A target can

repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending

the effect on itself on a success.