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Umbral Shepherd

Umbral shepherds are often brought to Golarion by shadowcallers, where they serve as spies, puppeteers, and manipulators for the glory of Zon-Kuthon. Unwavering in their obedience to their lord, these entities ruthlessly possess mortal hosts to carry out their master's will.

The bond created by a shepherd's parasitic possession is antithetical to life. As the shepherd sustains themself with a mortal form, they drag the host's body toward its doom. This degeneration also risks the shepherd's existence, which depends on the host's continued life, so they must find a new host before the last fully succumbs. Those tracking an umbral shepherd often do so by following the trail of desperate and broken hosts this process leaves behind. The trail is rarely random. The shepherd is drawn toward the goal set by their divine master; it is often possible to identify a shepherd's next target if their ultimate goal is understood.

Despite this determination, a cornered shepherd is not above choosing targets of opportunity. If one of these parasites identifies its pursuers, its favorite tactic is to isolate the most vulnerable of the group and possess them, providing false leads or alerting allies to delay and even kill the rest of the hunting party.

In the Netherworld, umbral shepherds naturally resemble humanoid figures with an ashen torso and a twisted demonic face. No two shepherds are truly alike except for their lack of visible limbs; some bear marks of torture and open wounds, while others possess features that are more diabolic than demonic. They can also manipulate their own essence to manifest shadowy tendrils, burrowing bloodlessly through flesh with gruesome ease as their vile rot infects surrounding tissue.

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Print Stat Block

Weak Umbral ShepherdCreature 4

Medium Incorporeal Shadow 
Source Cheliax, Infernal Inheritence pg. 215
Weak Changes are marked. The -2 damage penalty to non-strike offensive abilities (-4 if the ability is limited, such as spells) is NOT factored in.
Recall Knowledge DC 19
Perception +13; darkvision
Languages Common, Diabolic, Shadowtongue
Skills Deception +11, Intimidation +10, Netherworld Lore +10, Stealth +10
Str -5, Dex +4, Con +1, Int +5, Wis +2, Cha +4
AC 17; Fort +7, Ref +13, Will +10
HP 45; Immunities bleed, disease, paralyzed, poison, precision; Resistances all damage 5 (except force, ghost touch, spirit; double resistance vs. non-magical); Weaknesses holy 5, hostbound
Hostbound An umbral shepherd in the Universe without a host takes 1d6 spirit damage at the end of each of its turns.
Speed fly 40 feet
Melee [one-action] shadow touch +11 [+7/+3] (agile, magical, spirit, unholy), Damage 2d6-2+3 spirit plus shadowy sublimationMelee [one-action] burrowing tentacle +11 [+6/+1] (fatal d12, magical, reach 15 feet), Damage 2d8-2+3 piercingParasitic Possession [two-actions] (incapacitation, mental, occult, possession) The umbral shepherd attempts to possess an adjacent corporeal creature. This has the same effect as the possession spell (DC 20) with an unlimited duration, except they aren’t unconscious and aren’t paralyzed when the effect ends, though they are killed if host dies. A creature possessed by an umbral shepherd applies shadowy sublimation to all its Strikes and is doomed 1. This doomed condition doesn’t reduce naturally unless the umbral shepherd spends an entire day without possessing the creature. For each consecutive month the shepherd possesses the creature, the doomed value increases by 1, to a maximum of 4.Shadowy Sublimation (curse, disease, occult) Saving Throw DC 20 Fortitude; Stage 1 enfeebled 1 (1 hour); Stage 2 enfeebled 1 and drained 1 (1 day); Stage 3 enfeebled 1, drained 1 and blinded (1 day)

Sidebar - Additional Lore Desperate For Purpose

Some former hosts feel devoid of purpose and clarity as they are freed of the umbral shepherd’s parasitic influence. Soon, they become restless and listless, obsessively seeking a new purpose and meaning. This pursuit often pushes them toward fringe organizations or cults, where they quickly become among the most dedicated and fervent followers.
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