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Agbako

Image © @chimeride , accessed at their tumblr here

[Agbako literally means “calamity” in Yoruba, and there’s a popular Nigerian actor who’s taken it as a stage name [he mostly plays villains, but of course]. So there’s some Google camouflage. Agbako appears in The Forest of A Thousand Daemons, the first Yoruba language novel, written by D. O. Fágúnwà. The novel brings in motifs and characters from folklore, but is decidedly literary (and Yoruba sources aren’t common in English), making it a bit unclear if Agbako was an existing entity in Nigerian myth or was created for the book. Or if the idea of personifying Calamity existed, but the bizarre appearance and abilities are original to the novel. I hadn’t read Forest of A Thousand Spirits when I asked @chimeride to do the art, so when I saw a description of him with multiple clubs and swords, I assumed that meant a large number of limbs. But he wields two clubs in one hand and three swords in the other! That’s a wild special ability, and I need to give it to some monster some time.]

Agbako

CR 16 CE Aberration

This creature is vaguely humanoid but clearly not. It has two legs covered in projections like the fronds of a palm leaf, and four arms. Its head is a stubby cone, with 16 eyes at its base, arranged in a circular fashion. Its skin appears to be warty and slick, with short tendrils growing from it like thick, animate hair. It wears chainmail and a helmet, and carries a weapon in each hand.

An agbako is a being of calamity. They exist solely to make life worse for other sapient creatures, and especially delight in escalating situations. An agbako will rarely attack straight away, instead preferring to spy on a party and watch them struggle against either other creatures or the elements. Once the mortals are worn down and exhausted, the agbako strikes.

An agbako’s mere presence causes luck to disappear, and they are powerful melee combatants. Indeed, an agbako’s favorite place is in the thick of melee, surrounded so it can fight multiple enemies at once. If they want to kill a foe, they use their weapons, but if they want to drag things out rely on their natural attacks to grapple enemies. Creatures they grab are pulled close to the stinging tendrils that grow along its body—these stings contain a numbing venom. Agbakos are incredibly cocky, and might pause a single combat in order to have a drink, or even to heal an enemy in order to keep the fight going. Only if actually challenged will they rely on their breath weapon, a cone of searing hot sparks.

The anatomy and physiology of an agbako is bizarre, and perhaps closest to sea creatures such as anemones or sea cucumbers. Although they have vital organs, these appear to migrate through the body. Their heads show radial symmetry, and their legs are more like strengthened tentacles than actual jointed appendages. They can soften or harden their skins at will, to the point where their hide can break metal weapons. And they reproduce by budding. An agbako will grow a handful of juveniles throughout its lifetime, which grow on their backs nestled in tentacles, and then abscise off and live separately following a gestation of several years.

Agbako CR 16

XP 76,800

CE Large aberration (shapechanger)

Init +8; Senses all-around vision, aura sight 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft., Perception +25

Aura calamitous (30 ft.)

Defense

AC 31, touch 13, flat-footed 27 (-1 size, +4 Dex, +6 armor, +12 natural)

hp 252 (24d8+144)

Fort +14, Ref +14, Will +20

Immune blindness, confusion and insanity effects

Defensive Abilities fortification (50%), mirror magic, shatter weapons

Offense

Speed 40 ft.

Melee +1 scimitar +26/+21/+16/+11 (1d8+8/15-20), +1 scimitar +26 (1d8+4/15-20), 2 +1 heavy maces +26 (2d6+4) or 4 slams +25 (1d8+7 plus grab)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.

Special Attacks breath weapon (30 ft. cone, Reflex DC 28, 16d6 fire plus blindness, 1d4 rounds), infuse weapons, rake (sting +26, 3d4+7 plus poison)

Spell-like Abilities CL 16th, concentration +21 (+25 casting defensively)

At will—bestow curse (DC 21), fear (DC 21)

3/day—cure critical wounds (DC 19), make whole, restoration

1/day—greater teleport, phase door, regenerate

Statistics

Str 25, Dex 19, Con 22, Int 15, Wis 22, Cha 20

Base Atk +18; CMB +26 (+30 grappling); CMD 40

Feats Acrobatic Steps, Alertness, Combat Casting, Combat Reflexes, Critical Focus, Exhausting Critical, Fatiguing Critical, Improved Critical (scimitar), Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Nimble Moves, Power Attack, Quicken SLA (cure critical wounds)

Skills Acrobatics +19 (+21 when jumping), Climb +20, Intimidate +23, Knowledge (arcana, local) +14, Knowledge (nature) +17, Perception +29, Sense Motive +22, Spellcraft +17, Stealth +15, Survival +21, Swim +20; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception

Languages Aklo, Common, Sylvan

SQ change shape (any animal, beast shape III), superior multiweapon fighting

Ecology

Environment warm forests

Organization solitary

Treasure standard (mithril chainmail, two masterwork scimitars, two masterwork heavy maces)

Special Abilities

Aura Sight (Su) An agbako can see the alignment, emotion, health or magic auras of all creatures within 30 feet, as if under the effects of an analyze aura spell. It may change what type of aura it can see as a swift action.

Breath Weapon (Su) A creature that fails its save against an agbako’s breath weapon must succeed a DC 28 Fortitude save or be blinded for 1d4 rounds. The save DC is Charisma based.

Calamitous Aura (Su) Luck effects do not function within 30 feet of an agbako. Spells and effects with the curse and fear descriptor cast in the aura gain a +2 bonus to their DC. These bonuses are included in the spell save DC above.

Infuse Weapons (Su) Any weapon an agbako wields gains a +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls. It also counts as a cold iron and silver weapon for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Mirror Magic (Su) If an agbako fails its saving throw against a spell or spell-like ability, and the caster is within the agbako’s calamitous aura, the caster is also affected by that spell. The caster can still attempt a saving throw, as appropriate, based on their own spell save DC.

Poison (Ex) Sting—injury; save Fort DC 28; frequency 1/round for 4 rounds; effect 1d4 Str damage; cure 1 save. The save DC is Constitution based.

Shatter Weapon (Ex) Whenever a weapon strikes an agbako, the weapon takes 3d6 points of damage. Apply hardness normally. Weapons that take any amount of damage above their hardness are treated as having the broken condition.

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