- Armor Class
- 12
- Hit Points
- 16 (3d8+3)
- Speed
- 40 ft.
- Challenge
- 1/2 (100 XP)
- Proficiency bonus
- +2
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|
| 6 (-2) | 14 (+2) | 13 (+1) | 6 (-2) | 10 (+0) | 8 (-1) |
- Skills
- Stealth +4 (+6 in dim light or darkness)
- Damage vulnerabilities
- radiant
- Damage resistances
- acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
- Damage immunities
- necrotic, poison
- Senses
- darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
- Languages
- —
Traits
Amorphous. The shadow can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.
Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, the shadow can take the Hide action as a bonus action.
Sunlight Weakness. While in sunlight, the shadow has disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws.
Actions
Strength Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) necrotic damage, and the target's Strength score is reduced by 1d4. The target dies if this reduces its Strength to 0. Otherwise, the reduction lasts until the target finishes a short or long rest.
If a non-evil humanoid dies from this attack, a new shadow rises from the corpse 1d4 hours later.
A shadow is worth 100 XP. Using the 2024 encounter budgets (SRD 5.2), this is how many shadows fit each difficulty for a party of four characters of the same level. A dash means even one would be over the budget.
Budgets add up every monster’s XP, so you can swap some for other creatures of the same total. Try other party sizes and mixes in the encounter calculator.
Against the 32 other challenge 1/2 monsters in the SRD 5.1, the shadow has more hit points than 4 of them, which makes it one of the frailest at its CR. See every CR 1/2 monster.
Shadow 2024 stat block
The 2024 Monster Manual revised the shadow, and the SRD 5.2 carries the new stat block. What changed:
- Hit points: 16 → 27.
- New in its stat block: Draining Swipe.
- Gone from it: Strength Drain.
- Armor Class
- 12
- Hit Points
- 27 (5d8 + 5)
- Speed
- 40 ft.
- Challenge
- 1/2 (100 XP)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|
| 6 (-2) | 14 (+2) | 13 (+1) | 6 (-2) | 10 (+0) | 8 (-1) |
- Damage vulnerabilities
- radiant
- Damage resistances
- acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder
- Damage immunities
- necrotic, poison
- Senses
- darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
- Languages
- None
Traits
Amorphous. The shadow can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch without expending extra movement to do so.
Sunlight Weakness. While in sunlight, the shadow has Disadvantage on D20 Tests.
Actions
Draining Swipe. Melee Attack Roll: +4, reach 5 ft. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) Necrotic damage, and the target’s Strength score decreases by 1d4. The target dies if this reduces that score to 0. If a Humanoid is slain by this attack, a Shadow rises from the corpse 1d4 hours later.
Bonus actions
Shadow Stealth. While in Dim Light or Darkness, the shadow takes the Hide action.
