The Shadow Creeper
Crime Week wraps up with a brand new monster, devoted to breaking the law. Some crimes are legendary, seemingly impossible in their daring and execution, so much so as to cause those who have heard of them to call the criminal inhuman. But what if, indeed, the criminal wasn’t human at all? Rather, it’s a shadow creeper, a dangerous monstrosity representing all the most dreaded traits of criminals and completely without respect for the law.
The Shadow Creeper
While the creature seems in some ways to be humanoid, its body is entirely black, like an impossibly deep shadow, and its limbs are extremely limber and dexterous. It speaks with a sweet voice as its form melds into that of beautiful woman; it’s almost enough to make you ignore the venom dripping dagger that appears like magic in its delicate fingers.
SHADOW CREEPER CR 13
XP 25,600
N Medium fey
Init +13; Senses low-light vision; Perception +18
DEFENSE
AC 28, touch 24, flat-footed 14 (+1 dodge, +13 Dex, +4 natural)
hp 112 (15d6+60)
Fort +9, Ref +22, Will +9
Defensive Abilities immune to traps, just a blur
DR 15/cold iron
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
Melee MW dagger +21/16 (1d4 17-20 x2)
Special Attacks critical sneak, sneak attack +8d6
STATISTICS
Str 10, Dex 36, Con 18, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 18
Base Atk +7; CMB +7; CMD 30
Feats Dodge, Combat Expertise, Greater Steal, Improved Critical (dagger), Improved Feint, Improved Steal, Skill Focus (Sleight of Hand), Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics +31, Bluff +22, Climb +8, Diplomacy +22, Disable Device +28, Perception +18, Sleight of Hand +34, Stealth +31, Swim +8; Racial Modifiers +8 Climb, +8 Swim
Languages Aklo, Common
SQ change shape (polymorph, any humanoid or monstrous humanoid of Medium size or smaller), master thief, superhuman agility
ECOLOGY
Environment urban
Organization solitary
Treasure standard
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Critical Sneak (Ex): A shadow creeper multiplies sneak attack damage when it confirms a critical hit.
Immune to Traps (Su): A shadow creeper does not set off traps and is immune to any effect of a non-magical trap, including damage from the trap, but not poison or other secondary conditions of the trap.
Just a Blur (Su): Any round in which a shadow creeper moves at least 60 feet, it gains total concealment until the beginning of its next turn as it becomes nothing more than a blur.
Master Thief (Ex): A shadow creeper is a perfect thief and treats all rogue class skills as class skills.
Supernatural Agility (Su): A shadow creeper’s extremely limber limbs allow it to take 10 on Acrobatics checks and contort itself into extremely thin shapes. As such, it can squeeze into any space that a Fine creature could fit in.
Ecology
Perfect thief, the shadow creeper is an otherworldly entity obsessed with stealing, killing, and corrupting others into stealing and killing on their behalf. Though fey creatures, the shadow creeper has little to do with wilderness, instead drawing its connection to the wild from the natural impulse to act in accordance with one’s desires and complete disregard for the laws of others. While many fey are chaotic and disdain laws as silly notions, the shadow creeper actively opposes the laws of civilizations, undermining them whenever they can, usually by performing impossible crimes which highlight the failings of the law and the people’s ability to enforce them.
Shadow creepers favor crimes which are thought to be impossible, out of a twisted combination of love of challenge and joy of causing people to lose faith that their rules, laws, and law enforcement can keep them safe. Shadow creepers favor high profile targets such as crown jewels or well-protected political figures. They employ a wide variety of techniques to accomplish their goals, including con artistry, violence, and simply skillful thieving. Whatever the methods taken, shadow creepers never take credit for their crimes and leave unsolved mysteries in their wake, further flummoxing law enforcement.