Aswang, Balbal

Balbal CR 6

XP 2,400
CE Medium monstrous humanoid (shapechanger)
Init +6; Senses aswang scent, darkvision 60 ft., scent; Perception +12

DEFENSE

AC 19, touch 12, flat-footed 17 (+2 Dex, +7 natural)
hp 76 (8d10+32)
Fort +5, Ref +8, Will +8; +4 vs. illusions
Weaknesses sensory sensitivity, snake terror, vulnerable to sonic

OFFENSE

Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft., fly 60 ft. (average)
Melee tongue +8 (2d6+2 plus 1d6 bleed), 2 claws +7 (1d6+4)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. with tongue)

STATISTICS

Str 17, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 15, Cha 14
Base Atk +8; CMB +12; CMD 24
Feats Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Toughness, Weapon Focus (tongue)
Skills Acrobatics +10 (+6 when jumping), Climb +16, Fly +6, Handle Animal +6 (+10 with crocodilians), Intimidate +6, Perception +12, Sense Motive +10, Stealth +11, Swim +8; Racial Modifiers +4 Handle Animal with crocodilians, +4 Sense Motive
Languages Aswang, Common
SQ change shape (crocodile, beast shape II), crocodile command, destructive

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Aswang Scent (Ex)

Aswangs can pinpoint the location of any creature within 60 feet with a disease or that has taken piercing or slashing damage since the end of the aswang’s previous turn. It can perceive any creature within 60 feet taking bleed damage as if it had blindsight.

Corpse Dummy (Su)

A balbal can spend 1 minute using its razorsharp tongue to carve a Small or Medium piece of wood into a humanoid shape. This dummy appears to casual inspection indistinguishable from the corpse of a humanoid of the same size (which may resemble a specific individual). Creatures carefully inspecting the corpse dummy can attempt a DC 20 Perception check to reveal the ruse. This is a magical illusion effect, and creatures using detect magic to examine the corpse dummy gain a +2 circumstance bonus on their check to disbelieve the illusion.

Crocodile Command (Su)

A balbal can communicate with crocodiles and similar creatures as if using speak with animals and crocodiles treat them as if they had a permanent sanctuary (DC 13) spell. The balbal’s presence causes crocodilians to become aggressive toward other creatures and hard to control, granting them a +4 bonus on saving throws against charm, compulsion, and fear effects and increasing the DC of Handle Animal or wild empathy checks against them by 4. A typical balbal lurking in the water has 1d6 friendly crocodiles lurking nearby. These crocodiles gain a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls against any creature they have seen attack a balbal within the previous minute.

Destructive (Ex)

A wakwak’s natural weapons ignore the hardness of objects with hardness 5 or less.

Sensory Sensitivity (Ex)

Aswangs are sensitive to bright light and loud noise. When an aswang takes sonic damage or damage from a light effect like searing light or sunbeam, it is shaken 1 round (DC 20 Will negates). In addition, they take a -4 penalty on saving throws against effects that cause deafness due to loud noise or blindness due to bright light, and Intimidate checks against them have a +2 circumstance bonus in an area of bright light or in a noisy area; these stack if the area is both brightly lit and noisy (GM’s discretion).

Snake Terror (Ex)

When a balbal sees a snake within 30 feet, it becomes frightened for 1 round (DC 20 Will negates). It must make this saving throw when it sees statues, paintings, or other artistic representations of snakes, though the DC is reduced to 15. If the balbal succeeds on its saving throw, it overcomes its snake terror for 1d4 rounds and need not save during this time.

ECOLOGY

Environment warm forest
Organization solitary or bask (2–4 balbals and 2–8 crocodiles)
Treasure standard

This thick-bodied bat-winged humanoid has rank brown fur that drips with wetness and patchy green algae. Its bald, wrinkled head is faintly scaled and a terrifyingly long, rasping tongue lolls from its fanged mouth.

These winged horrors hunt the fringes of settled areas seeking fresh blood. They shun bright and noisy areas unless starving but often bask or float in crocodile form, inciting their scaled servants to feral savagery. In any form, reflections in their eyes are always upside down.

Balbals search villagers for the freshly dead, tearing through roofs and windows and using their tongue to dissect and devour the corpse before replacing it with a magical duplicate.

Their predations on the recently dead often lead to their disturbed spirits rising from the grave, but the balbal cares little for any collateral damage it leaves behind. The balbal is nearly as tall as an average human with a wingspan of 10 feet and weighs 100 pounds.