Homebrew Babau Species Details

Present in virtually every culture, the babau (or boogeyman, or sackman, or cuca or one of a thousand other names) are tall, dark figures who stalk the night in search of disobedient children to take away to parts unknown; one can hear them approach by the sound of their heavy boots, by the haunting melodies they sing, by the swarms of bugs crawling out the woodwork to pay them their respects. They are fear made manifest, the certainty of an uncertain fate, the most inescapable of horrors - but thankfully, they are also just a story that parents use to scare their unruly children into obedience. Right?

Right?

The Awful Truth

Contrary to popular belief, the babau is unfortunately a very real threat. They are a dark example of what a fey can be; tall, dark-clad humanoids whose heavy clothes hide the horror underneath. They are masters of dread, which they use to their advantage when feeding by scaring their victims into cornering themselves.

They are elusive by nature and almost impossible to encounter unless one is their next target; what little concrete information there is about them fails to establish whether they are even a group or an individual. Reports of close encounters are few and far between, suggesting that they're either not very numerous or brutally efficient.

Guests, Not Hunters

Ironically, a babau's most useful tool is its own infamy. They are capable of sensing any mention of them across vast distances and, if their name is used to invoke fear, they will take it as an invitation to approach the household where they were spoken of. This means that it is not children misbehaving that attracts them, but the parents trying to scare them straight.

They prefer fearful prey over any other kind, perhaps because they need their victim to be fearful in order to feed on them. Offerings and bargains rarely interest them, as they are typically made out of panic by the victim which of course makes them even more appetizing to the monster.

Babau are able to appear in any unobserved space, such as under beds or inside closed closets; they will not immediately kill their victim, but rather use a combination of this ability and their own dreadful skills to harass and terrify their quarry for extended periods of time - a babau's "visit" may last anywhere from a single night to several years long. How this sustains them is unknown; they may not even need to eat to survive, which begs the question as to why they engage in this activity at all.

Childsnatchers

Babau prefer children above any other type of victim, to the point where they'll abandon an adult they are currently pursuing if a child becomes suitable to 'visit'; they will even pursue younglings of non-sapient species if the creature in question has somehow been made aware of them - such as through telepathy or spellcraft.

Babau utilize their own reputation as simple myths to pursue kids at their leisure, knowing that their warnings and cries for help will be ignored. They will seek to isolate them or force them into a one-on-one confrontation so as to avoid discovery; their ultimate fates are never observed - sometimes they disappear forever, sometimes they are returned after a year with no memory of where they've been and sometimes all that's left of them is half-buried bones.

For obvious reasons, they prefer not to remain in one place too long and instead wander the land in search of their next meal, typically by night or on rarely-travelled routes. The best defense against a babau is numbers, as they hesitate to approach large groups.

Babau Traits

As a babau, you gain the following features:

Dreadful Presence

Your dreadful nature makes you inherently intimidating, especially to those who have already witnessed what you are capable of. You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill, and gain advantage on Intimidation checks against any frightened creatures.

Fearsense

You are a creature of fear and legend, and hunt by these principles; you are able to sense frightened creatures within 30 feet of you and are aware where and when anyone mentions your kind within 1 mile of you.

In addition, you are also adapted to the depths of darkness, as you are a stalker who dwells in shadows. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

The Art of Horror

You are a master of your craft, and approach fear much in the same way an artist approaches a canvas. Your insight into the nature of phobia makes you immune to its effects, as nothing can be scarier than you already are, and your familiarity with shadows grants you a Stealth proficiency.

In addition, while hiding, you may reveal yourself as a Bonus Action. All creatures that were previously unaware of you must make a Wisdom save against a DC of 8 + your proficiency modifier + your Charisma modifier or become frightened until the start of your next turn.

Hidden Step

Your nature as a fey grants you some of their inherited abilities, albeit with a dark twist. So long as you are hidden, you may use your Action teleport to an enclosed, unobserved space within 15 feet of you by spending 30 feet of movement.

Languages

You can speak common.

Ability Score Improvement

As a creature of despair, you are an expert in the manipulation of others, gaining +2 Charisma; additionally, you are also agile and unnaturally flexible, granting you +1 Dexterity.

Just An Old Fairytale

You are a creature of fairytales, a being whose essence is determined by what people believe about you. Your creature type is fey. If a creature you target has "childlike wonder" (as defined by your DM), your attack rolls gain advantage against it; however, when said creature attacks you, you gain any one vulnerability to a damage type it believes you to be weak to.