D&D 5E Netherese Ambush

[pukunui]

In the postlude for the Legacy of the Crystal Shard adventure, it mentions that "Netherese or Thayan agents" might come looking for Chosen in Icewind Dale.

I am currently running Scourge of the Sword Coast. One of the PCs in the party is a Chosen of Lathander. I thought it could be fun to have some of these agents come looking for this PC. However, since the Red Wizards of Thay play a big part in the adventure already, I was thinking I'd use the Netherese instead.

The thing is: I don't really know much about the Netherese, as I skipped most of the 4e Realms. I understand they have ties to the Shadowfell and some of them are "shades" and/or "shadovar", but I don't really know what that means. Do they have any special powers? Would these Netherese "agents" be anybody special or just some thugs with a mage backing them up (or vice versa)?

Anyone got any ideas?

I also need help setting up the encounter. I've been informed that the Netherese prefer to operate at night, so it'd be an ambush while the PCs are camped out in the wilderness somewhere. Their goal is to take the Chosen PC alive. I'm sort of envisioning them teleporting in, trying to grab the PC, then teleporting away again. My goal, however, is not to actually have the PC get kidnapped. I just want to create a fun, memorable encounter that maybe also scares the players a little while also making the place feel a bit more alive and such. I want to play up the fact that the Sundering is going on around them and that there are bigger things going on than their own little quests. You know what I mean?


Thanks in advance!

 

[pukunui]

Was just looking through the 4e FR Campaign Guide. It looks like "Shade" is a template you can apply to paragon or epic tier creatures. Here are the basics:

•Darkvision
•Light-dampening aura
•Bonuses to AC, NADs, saves, HPs, and Stealth
•Regeneration
•Shadow Stride
•Coalescing Darkness

One could probably adopt this more or less wholesale as a "template" for a 5e Netherese shade. In keeping with 5e's KISS principle, I'll simplify things a little. How's this sound?

A Netherese Shade is a human with 60 ft darkvision. All non-magical light within 10 ft of the shade is reduced by one step (so bright light becomes dim light, and dim light becomes darkness). A shade has regeneration like a troll, except that radiant damage is required to stop it from functioning. They can also use the ninja's Shadow Step (recharge 5-6) and Cloak of Shadows (maybe 1/rest?).

 

[Beleriphon]

That's not a bad start, the only thing I'll mention is that Shades, or Shadovar, are the elite of Netherese society so one as a middling sort of officer amongst thugs is probably a good way to go. I wouldn't send an entire squad of Shades personally, but that's up to you really.

 

[pukunui]

That's not a bad start, the only thing I'll mention is that Shades, or Shadovar, are the elite of Netherese society so one as a middling sort of officer amongst thugs is probably a good way to go. I wouldn't send an entire squad of Shades personally, but that's up to you really.

Yeah. I was originally thinking of using the mage NPC statblock, but I think I'll go with a warrior type instead plus some hired goons. And maybe I'll skip the teleporting in and out. That way, if the shade succeeds in kidnapping the Chosen, the other PCs can follow him and try to rescue their friend.

EDIT: How's this for a 5e Netherese Shade Knight?

SHADE KNIGHT
Medium humanoid (shade), neutral evil
AC 18 (plate)
HP 65 (10d8 + 20)
Init +2; Prof Bonus +3
Spd 30 ft
---
STR 16 DEX 12 CON 14 INT 11 WIS 11 CHA 15
---
Saves Con +5, Wis +3
Skills Stealth +7, Perception +3
Senses darkvision, passive Perception 13
Languages Common, Netherese
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
---
Benighted Presence. Any nonmagical bright light within 10 feet of the knight is reduced to dim light.
Brave. The knight has advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
Regeneration. The knight regains 10 hit points at the start of its turn. If the knight takes radiant damage, this trait doesn't function at the start of the knight's next turn. The knight is destroyed only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn't regenerate.
Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, the knight can take the Hide action as a bonus action.
Shadow Stride (Recharge 5-6). When the knight is in dim light or darkness, as a bonus action it can teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space it can see that is also in dim light or darkness.

ACTIONS
Multiattack. The knight makes two melee attacks.
Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) slashing dmg.
Leadership (1/Rest). For 1 minute, the knight can utter a special command or warning whenever a nonhostile creature that it can see within 30 feet of it makes an attack roll or a saving throw. The creature can add a d4 to its roll provided it can hear and understand the knight. A creature can benefit from only one Leadership die at a time. This effect ends if the knight is incapacitated.

REACTIONS
Parry. The knight adds 2 to its AC against one melee attack that would hit it. To do so, the knight must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon.

I ran it through the custom monster guidelines in the DMG and got a defensive CR of 7 and an offensive CR of 3. Hope that's right.