Ceiling Skulker
Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 67 (9d8+27)
Speed 40 ft. climb 30 ft.
Saving Throws Dex +5, Wis +3
Skills Stealth +7, Acrobatics +5, Perception +3
Damage Resistances cold; fire; lightning
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages Abyssal, Common, telepathy 60 ft.
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2
Actions
Bonus Actions
Reactions
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We searched every shadow beneath us. We never thought to look above the dark. — last words of Sergeant Pell
Lore & Description
Appearance
A ceiling skulker is a gaunt, long-limbed demon with an emaciated torso and four crooked, jointed arms. Its skin is charcoal black and textured like cracked slate, while thin violet veins pulse beneath its surface. Its hands end in hooked fingers that grip stone, wood, and plaster with insectile ease. A wide, lipless mouth splits its face from ear to ear, and clusters of tiny silver eyes glimmer across its brow and shoulders. When it presses itself against a ceiling, its body flattens and its colors bleed into the surrounding shadows.
Behavior & Origins
Ceiling skulkers slip through the Abyssal fissures beneath abandoned buildings, forgotten mines, and ruined temples, where they hunt from above and feed on the panic of creatures who never see the first blow. They prefer narrow halls, low chambers, and places cluttered with hanging beams or stalactites. The skulker called Vesh-Karra has recently nested beneath the old bell tower of Saint Orun, and it wants the tower's cracked silver bell destroyed so that no sound can reveal its movements.
Running Ceiling Skulker
Tactics
The ceiling skulker begins combat hidden on a ceiling, using Shadow Drop against an isolated target before skittering into darkness. It keeps to walls and ceilings, using Clinging Escape to avoid being surrounded and striking creatures that cannot see it. When reduced below half its hit points, it targets wounded characters and retreats through narrow passages; it fights to the death only if cornered or defending its nest.
DM Tips
- Telegraph its presence with upside-down footprints, dust falling from the ceiling, scratched plaster, and victims whose wounds begin above their shoulders.
- Give the demon a rapid, insectlike voice and have it pause unnaturally whenever someone looks upward, rewarding players who inspect ceilings and rafters.
- In a room with little cover, reduce its hit points to 52 and remove Sudden Descent's extra damage; in a dense ruin, mine, or cathedral, let it begin hidden and provide several ceiling routes.
- Bright light does not harm the demon, but it prevents Shadow-Hugger from functioning and makes its escape routes much easier to track.
Loot
- Vesh-Karra's Silver Bell Shard — A jagged piece of the stolen bell that vibrates faintly when a creature moves overhead; it can serve as proof that the bell tower nest has been found.
- Shadow-Slick Claw — A shed demon talon that remains cold and faintly reflective. A smith or occultist might fashion it into a tool that grants advantage on one check made to climb or hide in darkness before crumbling.
