Reaper

The Reaper (IS-0059, designation Solutus) is a hostile spectral predator that appears in Security Sector areas and associated encounters. It usually manifests through large orange, gothic-arched portals and patrols an area in a passive "regular" state until it detects or is disturbed by a player. In its regular state the Reaper appears as a figure in a black cloak with scythe-like implements; when it enters its hunting state the cloak reels back to reveal an insectile form with two scythe-like arms and a face that glows white. When the Reaper grabs a player it teleports them to The Night Realm and applies the Disorientated debuff for a short duration.

The Reaper is effectively immune to most conventional damage and cannot be reliably contained. Specific energy types and X-rays interact with it uniquely: weapons and devices that deal Laser Emitter damage or "holy" damage will injure the Reaper and force it to drop Night Essence, and shining an X-Ray Lamp or exposing it to X-Ray Tower fire will also cause it to drop Night Essence. Dropping Night Essence triggers a roughly 2.5 minute cooldown for further Night Essence drops; this cooldown is reset when the player exits the Night Realm and returns. Laser Emitter, "holy" damage, and prolonged x-ray exposure will enrage the Reaper — in that state it pursues to kill using fast slash attacks that frequently cause Bleeding, rather than teleporting victims to the Night Realm. Laser Emitter or "holy" hits can also banish the Reaper, causing it to reappear elsewhere; prolonged X-Ray exposure can banish it but typically requires remaining exposed without being damaged.

Practical interaction and combat notes:

• Stealth is the safest approach. The Reaper cannot perceive players who are invisible via the Crystalline Armor Set; remaining undetected prevents it from switching to the hunting state and allows safe use of X-Ray Lamps against it.
• If the Reaper is in its regular/unaware state it will vanish after a single ranged hit from any damage type; melee attacks will instead alert it and transition it into the hunting state. In the hunting state the Reaper requires three hits to banish, and after each successful strike it gains a 5 second immunity to further hits.
• Do not rapidly fire while the Reaper is hunting; only the first one or two hits during each window will stagger it and further shots are wasted while immunity is active. Use hit–retreat–hit rhythm to conserve resources.
• Night Essence farming: when exploiting the Night Essence cooldown reset mechanic, quickly entering and exiting The Night Realm via portals to reload the Security Sector can bypass the 2.5 minute cooldown. With efficient routing and mobility, one Night Essence can be gathered roughly every 30 seconds by repeating this loop.
• X-Ray Lamp and environmental x-ray sources cause Night Essence drops but may not count as hits toward banishing; they also provoke the Reaper into a lethal hunting mode.
• The Reaper can be stunned and temporarily controlled by thrown weapons when the player has the Throwing 15 perk Terminal Velocity. Thrown hits cause the same stagger and Night Essence drop behavior, and while they apply the 5 second immunity they still allow repeated stuns because the stun effect ignores that immunity for staggering purposes. This enables a stun-lock tactic but also prevents other players from banishing it while stun-locked.
• The Reaper is vulnerable to massed Electro-Plague tames; large numbers of tamed Electro-Plague can force it to be banished. Some community reports suggest other unconventional methods may work in specific circumstances, but only Laser Emitter, "holy" damage, and X-Rays reliably produce Night Essence.
• In scripted encounters (for example during the Gale Reactor reactivation) the Reaper behaves differently and may focus NPCs or be immune to usual dissipation methods. During Dark Fog events the Reaper will attack players who touch Shades.

The Reaper’s mobility, teleportation grab, and enraged kill behavior make avoidance and preparation the primary strategies. Carry a flashlight and an X-Ray Lamp when operating in areas where it spawns, prioritize stealth or ranged pre-emptive strikes while the Reaper is unaware, and use Laser Emitter or "holy" sources when Night Essence is required.