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SAKAI IBUTSU, THE BAKU

This was on the random encounter list for Tales from the Infinite Stairway.  Didn’t come up in the random rolls but it was too fun a creature to resist converting to 5e 🙂


BAKU

UntitledHuge celestial (kami), neutral good
Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 126 (11d12 + 55)
Speed 40ft., fly 60 ft.
STR 24 (+7)                DEX 11 (+0)               CON 21 (+5)
INT 17 (+3)                WIS 17 (+3)                CHA 16 (+3)
Damage Resistance. acid, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from nonmagical weapons.
Damage Immunities necrotic
Condition Immunities charmed
Senses blindsight 10ft., truesight 60ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Celestial, Common, Spirit Tongue
Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)

Innate Spellcasting. The baku’s spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

Dream Claws. The baku’s natural attacks are considered magical.

Dream Eater. Baku are attracted to human dreamers having nightmares. They feast on the negative energy generated during such an experience, ending the dreams and calming the sleeper. Any honorable person visited thus by a baku will awaken with the effect of a bless spell that lasts until the next time creature takes a long rest. Dishonorable individuals who are visited by a baku experience a very different effect. The baku, disapproving of their dishonorable natures, devours their hopeful dreams instead and leaves the nightmares behind. Such persons receive an effect similar to that of a bane spell that lasts until the next time creature takes a long rest. 

Magic Resistance. The kami has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Trampling Charge. If the baku moves at least 20 feet straight toward a creature and then hits it with a gore attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a DC 18 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the target is prone, the baku can make one stomp attack against it as a bonus action.

ACTIONS          
Multiattack. The baku makes two attacks: one with its Gore or Stomp and one with its claws.

Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10ft., one target.
Hit: 25 (4d8 + 7) piercing damage.

Stomp. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft. , o ne prone creature.
Hit: 29 (4d10 + 7) bludgeoning damage.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.,
Hit: 10 (1d6 + 7) psychic damage plus mental drain – target losses 1d4 intelligence on a failed DC 16 INT saving throw. A creature reduced to 0 Intelligence becomes unconscious.

Probability Travel (1/day). A baku psionically teleports, along with any equipment it is wearing or carrying, up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.

DESCRIPTION                    
Baku are huge elephantine creatures with the tail of a lizard. The Baku’s rear feet end in leonine paws complete with claws. The baku’s back is covered with dragonlike scales running from their head all the way to the end of their tail. They have a short trunk, usually four feet in length.

An enigmatic native of Yume-do, the Realm of Dreams, the baku is poorly understood by the people of Rokugan. These creatures rarely appear in the mortal world, but often enter the dreams of mortals. Though many fear the baku’s strange appearance and mysterious origins, the baku are in fact beneficial creatures, whose presence can ward away night- mares and promote sleepers’ health.

The benevolent baku avoid combat, preferring to qui- etly approach sleeping humans and devour their night- mares. If discovered, a baku flees, often transforming into one of five animals: lion, horse, tiger, ox rhinoceros. If its ruse is uncovered, it will transform into its true form, at which time it will fight to the death.

Posted in 5e, Dungeons & Dragons, Monstrous Compendium, Oriental Adventures, Planescape, Tales from the Infinite Staircase

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