The Dancing Shadow is a mysterious and rare creature, that as far as anyone has been able to determine neither eats nor drinks. It seems to act with no rhyme or reason, though careful observation may reveal patterns in its actions, but such observations are risky, and often only reveal the dancing shadow’s motivations too late.

A dancing shadow looks like a regular shadow at a first glance, however upon contact with a humanoid, it will latch onto the creature, disguising itself as the creature’s shadow almost flawlessly. The only clues that a shadow is hiding a dancing shadow is that it will never flicker, and sometimes it will lay in the incorrect direction based on the available light sources.

Once attached, the dancing shadow will lay dormant for a period of several days before attacking, usually waiting for the most inconvenient moment (when the host is engaged in combat, for example). If the dancing shadow makes a successful attack roll, the victim must make a save vs. Spells. Success on the save will force the shadow to the nearest humanoid, unless it is warded by a circle of salt. If there are no available humanoid victims it will attach itself as a shadow to an inanimate object, ready to ambush another victim later on.

However, if the victim fails the saving roll, the dancing shadow will take control of their body. The victim will still retain their faculties and the ability to speak, but their body will begin to dance uncontrollably. Only now is the shadow vulnerable to attack by magical weapons or spells. It is also at this point the shadow is able to use its claws to attack creatures other than its victim. If the shadow is not defeated, the victim will die of exhaustion after 1d6 (+ Con mod) hours of uncontrollable, exuberant dancing.