The Wild Quilt
As few posts ago, I presented two new monsters inspired by The Public Domain Review‘s article about Bakemono zukushi, “a Japanese painted scroll…from the Edo-period” that depicts several yokai, creatures from Japanese folklore. Today, I return to that scroll to present another new monster, again for both Swords & Wizardy and D&D 5E.
The nobusuma (also known as the wild quilt) resembles a flat-bodied flying squirrel about the size of a large rabbit. It has a grotesque face. The nobusuma eats nuts, fruit, and berries, but it also feeds on fire and sucks blood from humanoids and animals, especially smaller domestic animals such as cats and dogs. This malicious fey creature loves to attack travelers along roads at night, swooping from shadowy tree tops to latch onto the victim’s face and feed on his or her blood. Many scholars claim that unusually long-lived bats transform into nobusuma instead of dying a natural death.
Nobusuma
Hit Dice: 2+2
Armor Class: 6 [13]
Attack (Damage): Bite (1d4 + blood drain)
Move: 9/15 (when flying)
Save: 16
Alignment: Chaos
Challenge Level/XP: 4/120
Special: Drain blood 1d4/round, eat fire, face latch
The nobusuma attacks by latching onto its victim’s face and draining blood. After its first hit, the nobusuma’s victim is effectively blinded, and the monster drains blood automatically at a rate of 1d4 hit points per round. The nobusuma also feeds on fire. It is immune to fire damage. Instead of a normal attack, with a hit the nobusuma can consume a single fire source, such as a torch or lantern, extinguishing the fire source in the process.
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Nobusuma
Tiny fey, neutral evil
Armor Class 13
Hit Points 10 (3d4+3)
Speed 15 ft., fly 35 ft.
Ability Scores STR 6 (-2), DEX 17 (+3), CON 12 (+1), INT 6 (-2), WIS 10 (+0), CHA 8 (-1)
Skills Stealth +5
Damage Immunities fire
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Sylvan
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
Actions
Blood Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4+3) piercing damage, and the nobusuma attaches to the target’s face. While attached, the nobusuma doesn’t attack. Instead, at the start of each of the nobusuma’s turns, the target loses 5 (1d4+3) hit points due to blood loss. Also while attached, the target is blinded. The nobusuma can detach itself by spending 5 feet of its movement. It does so after it drains 15 hit points of blood from the target or the target dies. A creature, including the target, can use its action to make a DC 13 Strength (Athletics) check to detach the nobusuma.
Consume Fire (Recharge 5-6). The nobusuma chooses one source of fire within 5 feet to feed upon. The nobusuma gains 2 (1d4) temporary hit points, and the fire is extinguished.
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