Malevolent and Benign

Since the Fungal Render was fun yesterday, lets drop in an undead baddie that could be the BBEG for an undead heavy adventure. Art by John Bingham.

SHADOW LORD

SIZE: Medium
MOVE: 150 ft., flying 240 ft. (AA: level VI)
ARMOR CLASS: 4
HIT DICE: 9+3
ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE: 2-5, 2-5
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Aura, strength drain
SPECIAL DEFENSES: +1 or better weapon to hit
MAGIC RESISTANCE: None
RARITY: Very rare
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1
LAIR PROBABILITY: 50%
TREASURE: In Lair: 2-12k gp (70%), 1-4 gems (x4) (50%), 1 misc. magic item + 1 potion (60%)
INTELLIGENCE: High
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
LEVEL/X.P.: 7 / 2,440 + 13/hp

General information: Lords of the negative material plane, shadow lords are usually surrounded with a unit of lesser undead. Typically this is a troop of 2-5 shadows, but zombies, skeletons, and ghouls are not uncommon either. In combat, the shadow lord relies upon his draining aura, spells, and minions rather than melee, but can deal 2-5 points of cold damage and drain 1 point of strength per hit when reduced to physical combat. Strength lost at the touch of a shadow lord returns in 2-8 turns. Any creature brought to 0 strength by a shadow lord dies and becomes a shadow in 2-8 turns.

Shadow lords can command undead like 12th level clerics. Undead with greater than average intelligence are immune to this effect.  Shadow lords turn as vampires and can cast the following spells once per day at the 16th level of ability: augury, cause critical wounds, detect magic, dispel magic, locate object, stone tell, symbol of pain.

Shadow lords carry within them the heart of the negative material plane and radiate an evil aura 20 feet in all directions. The aura has three effects upon those within it. This aura reduces any turning attempts by 2, it allows all undead to regenerate 1 hit point per round, and it deals 1 point of strength damage per round to any living creature that fails a save against paralysis. The shadow lord is affected by his own aura, meaning that turning him is done at -2 and that he regenerates 1 point per round as long as the aura is in effect. Dispel evil destroys this aura for a full 24 hours.

Languages: Shadow lords speak common and at least two other languages.

Physical description: A shadow lord appears nothing more than its name suggests: an inky, vaguely man-like patch of darkness.