Shadowling
Tiny • Fiend • Neutral Evil
Armor Class 11
Hit Points 7 (3d4)
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
Initiative +1 (11)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 (-3) | 13 (+1) | 10 (+0) | 7 (-2) | 11 (+0) | 8 (-1) |
Skills Perception +4, Stealth +5
Damage Resistances cold, fire, poison
Senses darkvision 120 ft. (unimpeded by magical darkness), passive Perception 14
Languages understands Abyssal and Infernal but can't speak them
CR 1/8 (XP 25; PB +2)
Familiar. The shadowling can serve another creature as a familiar.
Magic Resistance. The shadowling has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Spider Climb. The shadowling can climb difficult surfaces, including along ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
ACTIONS
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +3, reach 5 ft. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) slashing damage.
Darkness (1/Day). The shadowling casts darkness (5-foot radius sphere), requiring no material components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability.
BONUS ACTIONS
Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, the shadowling takes the Hide action.
Shadowling
Tiny • Fiend • Neutral Evil
Armor Class 10
Hit Points 3 (1d4)
Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
Initiative +0 (10)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 (-3) | 11 (+0) | 10 (+0) | 7 (-2) | 10 (+0) | 8 (-1) |
Skills Perception +2, Stealth +2
Damage Resistances cold, fire, poison
Senses darkvision 120 ft. (unimpeded by magical darkness), passive Perception 12
Languages understands Abyssal and Infernal but can't speak them
CR 0 (XP 10; PB +2)
Familiar. The shadowling can serve another creature as a familiar.
Magic Resistance. The shadowling has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Spider Climb. The shadowling can climb difficult surfaces, including along ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
ACTIONS
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +2, reach 5 ft. Hit: 1 slashing damage.
Darkness (1/Day). The shadowling casts darkness (5-foot radius sphere), requiring no material components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability.
BONUS ACTIONS
Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, the shadowling takes the Hide action.
Shadowling
Tiny • Fiend • Neutral Evil
Armor Class 12
Hit Points 24 (7d4 + 7)
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
Initiative +2 (12)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 (-3) | 15 (+2) | 12 (+1) | 7 (-2) | 13 (+1) | 8 (-1) |
Skills Perception +5, Stealth +6
Damage Resistances cold, fire, poison
Senses darkvision 120 ft. (unimpeded by magical darkness), passive Perception 15
Languages understands Abyssal and Infernal but can't speak them
CR 1 (XP 200; PB +2)
Familiar. The shadowling can serve another creature as a familiar.
Magic Resistance. The shadowling has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Spider Climb. The shadowling can climb difficult surfaces, including along ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The shadowling makes two Claw attacks.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +4, reach 5 ft. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage.
Darkness (2/Day). The shadowling casts darkness (10-foot radius sphere), requiring no material components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability.
BONUS ACTIONS
Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, the shadowling takes the Hide action.
QUICK REFERENCE
USING MONSTER VARIANTS
Monster variants allow the GM to adjust encounters to better match the party’s strength, narrative needs, or world-building logic. A weaker variant may represent a juvenile, wounded, or lesser specimen, while a stronger variant can serve as a leader, champion, ancient creature, or apex predator.
Variants can be used to fine-tune difficulty without changing the core identity of the monster, making them ideal for scaling encounters, reinforcing hierarchy within a faction, or creating memorable boss-style enemies. You can even use the same stat block but different variants in the same encounter if you want.
Design Note. Each monster is primarily balanced around its normal version. Weaker and stronger variants are derived adjustments and may not always preserve every tactical nuance or “feel” of the original creature. GMs are encouraged to review variants carefully and adjust abilities or tactics as needed to best suit their table.