Happy New Year - Shadow Drow

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!

In keeping with winding down my efforts toward home-style rules, here is a new baddie that is playable with Advanced Labyrinth Lord™ and Other OSR Rule Sets.

The Shadow Drow is a regular elven drow integrated with the Plane of Shadow, from which the shadow drow may plot and launch attacks. Compared to normal drow, the shadow drow are faster, more difficult to detect, have additional resistances to cold, and once per day can shift to or from the Plane of Shadow.

Shadow Drow
No. Enc.: 2d4 (6d6)
Alignment: Chaotic (evil)
Movement: 180'
Armor Class: 2
Hit Dice: 2 + 2
Attacks: 1 or 2 (weapon)
Damage: As weapon
Save: F2
Morale: 11
Hoard Class: V x 5, XI x 2
XP: 67

Shadow drow are depraved and evil demon-worshipping subterranean creatures merged with non-corporeal darkness. Shadow drow hate the life energy of living things from above-ground.

Like regular drow, they tend to be 5’ tall and slight of build, but their skin, hair, and eyes are of dark, swirling shadow. Although shadow drow seem somewhat ghost-like, they are not truly undead creatures. As a consequence, shadow drow are not susceptible to the cleric ability to turn undead. However, like undead, shadow drow are unaffected by charm or sleep spells.

Shadow drow also have cold resistance and are impervious to all forms of ordinary cold. Further, damage from other kinds of cold is reduced by –2 per die of damage. These kinds of cold include cone of cold, wall of ice, and the intense cold of frozen sea. If exposure to such cold requires a saving throw, it is made at +2 to the dice roll.

Shadow drow have 120’ infravision and are completely silent and difficult to observe in any conditions other than full daylight granting them a +2 to armor class. When in bright light including sunlight they suffer -2 to hit and -2 to DEX, and if abruptly exposed to light are blinded for 1 round. They will surprise on a surprise check roll of 1-5 on 1d6 and are themselves surprised only on 1 on 1d8. Shadow drow can also Plane shift self to or from the Plane of Shadow once per day.

Shadow drow typically attack with short swords or darts which are coated with poison. Victims must save versus poison at -4 or fall unconscious for 1d4 turns. Shadow drow can use the following spell-like abilities once per day: dancing lights, darkness, and faerie fire. All shadow drow save versus magical effects with a +2. In addition, shadow drow of 4th level or higher have the following spelllike abilities once per day: detect magic, know alignment, levitate, and fear. Finally, female shadow drow are more powerful than males, and once per day have the abilities of clairvoyance, detect lie, dispel magic, suggestion, mirror image, and regenerate 2 hit points per round (slain if brought to 0 hit points).

In a group of 10 or more, a male 3rd level fighter will be present. In a group of 20 or more, a female cleric/fighter of 6th level will be present. If more than 30 are encountered, a female cleric/fighter of 7th or 8th level will be present, and a male fighter/magic-user of 4th or 5th level will be present.

There is a 5% chance per level that a shadow drow has a magic item.

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