Shadow in the Vox

Saves: Willpower +7

Proficiencies: Guile +7, Deception through mimicry +7

Senses: Hears everything spoken on or near any system it inhabits

Lives in the Signal. The shadow cannot be attacked physically. Its Vitality measures its hold on the network: severing, blessing, or warding an inhabited system deals 2d6 + 2 damage to it (double if it is currently manifesting through that system). At 0 Vitality it is cut from the net and banished.

Knows Your Names. The shadow speaks with private knowledge of anyone who has used the network. Creatures targeted by its whispers make saves against its actions at Disadvantage if it has overheard them for at least one scene.

Static Bleed. Vox equipment within 30 feet of a system it is manifesting through misbehaves: hisses, echoes, wrong time-stamps. A creature that listens to the shadow for a prolonged scene suffers Corruption exposure.

False Orders. The shadow issues a convincing command in an ally's or officer's voice over any channel it inhabits. Each recipient makes an Intellect check DC 13 (Disadvantage if under fire or in crisis) or believes and acts on the order for one round.

The Personal Broadcast. The shadow tells one listener something true and terrible. The target makes a Willpower Save DC 13 or is Frightened for the rest of the scene whenever it hears the shadow's voice.

Scream Down the Line. Every creature listening on an open channel it inhabits makes a Willpower Save DC 13 or takes 2d6 psychic damage and drops or disables its vox link in reflexive panic.

Morale: Does not make Morale checks. When countered it retreats deeper into the network and goes silent for exactly as long as it takes the party to relax.

Tactics: Never give it a body until the finale, if ever. It escalates from wrong time-stamps to familiar voices to orders that get NPCs killed. Run the encounter as an investigation with a clock: trace it, corner it in a relay, and sever it — while it tells the party what it knows about each of them.

Loot / Evidence / Hooks: The relay it died in retains a corrupted recording of everything it ever heard on the net — an intelligence windfall and a Corruption risk in one box.

A Shadow in the Vox is a warp entity living in the comm-net — a voice on the party's own channel that knows names it should not and uses them at the worst possible moments. It kills through misinformation first and fear second.

Use this enemy to poison the party's communications during another crisis, or as an investigation threat that escalates every time they key the handset.

No conventional body, comms infiltration, fear and morale pressure, misinformation as a weapon, Corruption exposure through prolonged listening, must be found and severed rather than shot.

Lives in the Signal. Cannot be attacked physically; it is harmed by severing, blessing, or warding the systems it inhabits.

Knows Your Names. Speaks with private knowledge of anyone who has used the network; targets of its whispers save against fear at Disadvantage.

Static Bleed. Vox equipment near a manifestation misbehaves; prolonged listening risks Corruption exposure.

False Orders. Issues a convincing command in an ally's or officer's voice; recipients must test to disbelieve under pressure.

The Personal Broadcast. Tells one listener something true and terrible; the target makes a Willpower Save or is Shaken for the scene.

Scream Down the Line. Everyone listening on an open channel saves or takes psychic backlash and drops the link.

Morale: Retreats deeper into the network when countered, going silent for exactly as long as it takes the party to relax.

Tactics: Never give it a body until the finale, if ever. It escalates from wrong time-stamps to familiar voices to orders that get NPCs killed. The encounter is an investigation with a clock: trace it, corner it in a relay, and sever it — while it tells the party what it knows about each of them.

Full Stat Block Priority: Medium