Dark template for a roper?

[Voadam]

I used an advanced roper with the dark template from Tome of Magic as a wandering encounter. The template basically gives hide in plain sight (ex), some hide bonuses, speed increase, cold resistance 10 as well as a connection to the shadow plane.

Any suggestions on how it would gain this template? A magic item that should be its loot? Inherent? Infused magically by some force? Native shadow plane resident?

The party ended the last session defeating it. I expect them to check it out before moving on, and want to come up with a relatively cool story for it.

Any suggestions?

 

[Raven Crowking]

Energy from the plane of shadows being emitted like radiation from some weird rocks. Anything that spends too much time near there.....changes.

 

[Kurashu]

There is an item in Tome of Magic that allows the Dark Template to be applied for a short amount of time. There could be that. However, that is if you don't mind your players being able to gain the template for a short period of time too.

 

[Slife]

Off the top of my head

It isn't that this roper was especially powerful. It's that "normal" ropers are weak and pathetic versions of their stronger kin. Ropers aren't of this world. They're from a much darker one, a frigid and barren wasteland of stone and shadow. The very few arcanists among them are sending their people over, before their world dies completely. Ropers born here, in this new plane are less powerful than their kin.