Monster Monday: Shadow Cat, Predator in the Darkness

Today's Monster Monday is the shadow cat, a magical black panther infused with shadow magic, allowing it to blend into areas of darkness, teleport between shady spots, and even generate its own supernatural darkness. This predatory cat, from whose sleek black fur constantly seeps wisps of smokey darkness, is a formidable hunter in warm forested regions with lots of undergrowth.

Panther illustration from Brehm's Life of Animals (1895), via the Biodiversity Heritage Library and Wikimedia

(This is not to be confused with the Marvel superheroes Shadow Cat and Black Panther, which coincidentally are also the names of my laptop and my gaming PC.)

Encounters with shadowcats should be dynamic, with lots of movement as the creature strikes and repositions, taking full advantage of the environment to maneuver itself to strike at the party's weakest and least defended members.

The following text in gold is available as Open Game Content under the OGL. Open Game Content is ©2018 Jonah Bomgaars.

This sleek and powerful black cat seems to ripple and fade into the shadows

Shadow Cat           CR 4

XP 1,200

N Medium magical beast

Init +8; Senses low-light vision, darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +6

DEFENSE

AC 15, touch 14, flat-footed 11 (+4 Dex, +1 natural)

hp 37 (5d10+10)

Fort +6, Ref +8, Will +3

Defensive Abilities shadow blend

OFFENSE

Speed 40 ft., climb 20 ft.

Melee bite +9 (1d6+3 plus grab), 2 claws +9 (1d3+3)

Special Attacks pounce, rake (2 claws +9, 1d3+3)

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 5^th)

   1/day – darkness

STATISTICS

Str 16, Dex 19, Con 15, Int 6, Wis 14, Cha 11

Base Atk +5; CMB +8 (+12 grapple); CMD 22 (26 vs trip)

Feats Blind Fight, Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse

Skills Acrobatics +8, Climb +15, Perception +6, Stealth +8 (+16 in dim or dark lighting), Swim +7; Racial Modifiers +8 Stealth in dim or dark lighting

SQ shadow step

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Shadow Blend (Su)

While in areas of dim light or darkness, the shadow cat gains a +8 racial bonus to Stealth checks. Attacks against a shadow cat in these conditions have a 50% miss chance; if the attacker has darkvision, the attack has only a 20% miss chance. Spells and abilities such as true sight and glitterdust negate this effect, but because this is not true invisibility, spells and abilities like see invisibility and invisibility purge have no effect.

Shadow Step (Su)

A shadow cat can enter an area of dim light or darkness and reappear in another area of dim light or darkness within 40 feet. This is a move action, and can be incorporated into a double-move action, a withdraw action, or a charge, with the distance shadow-stepped counting toward the total distance the shadow cat can move.

ECOLOGY

Environment warm forest

Organization solitary

Treasure none

Shadow cats are large predatory cats with sleek black fur and piercing yellow eyes. They look almost like black panthers, except wisps of shadowy black smoke constantly seep from their fur. They have a supernatural ability not only to blend into shadowy areas, but to make short leaps through the Plane of Shadow. While hunting in their preferred territory – dark forests with plenty of undergrowth – these cats use their shadow abilities to strike at their prey from all directions. Few who have seen the golden eyes of a shadow cat peering at them from the darkness have lived to tell the tale.

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Plot Hooks and Encounter Ideas

• The PCs go up against a master thief who has been plaguing the city - a shadowdancer with a pet shadow cat.
• To reach the fabled ruins, the party must pass through a patch of jungle that the locals warn is haunted by vicious shadow cats.
• A wizard hopes to craft a stealthy magic cloak from the pelt of a shadowcat, and hires the PCs to obtain one.

-your umbral d20 despot