#balbal

[hilobiak]

[tabletopresources]

by Clark Ocleasa

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[mecthology]

The Balbal: Corpse eater of Philippine folklore.

After consuming its meal, it replaces the body with a banana stalk, deceiving mourners.

Legend says these creatures have a close connection with crocodiles and can be warded off by loud noises, light, or using the branches of Blumea balsamifera. Balbals are also known to be repelled by proper burial practices, suggesting that their tales might have originated as a cautionary reminder to handle the dead properly to prevent disease.

While primarily feasting on the dead, some stories claim that the Balbal may even target the living, especially during a full moon. Their acute sense of smell allows them to detect sickness, lurking nearby to snatch their next victim.

Often compared to other flesh-eating beings like the Aswang and Amalanhig, the Balbal remains one of the most feared mythical creatures in Philippine folklore.

Follow @mecthology for more myths and legends❕️

Source: Wikipedia, abookofcreatures.com, cryptidz.fandom.com, villains.fandom.com

[briefbestiary]

A consumer of the dead who roams with rancid breath, awaiting the scent of the deceased. When described with a long tongue, it is said to extend it at great length to lick away its chosen meal.

[thecreaturecodex]

Balbal

“Manananggal” © Brian Valeza, accessed at his ArtStation page here

[Monsters like the balbal are why I think folklore is such an invaluable resource for game design. A man-bat with a razor tongue that turns into a crocodile might be sent back for revisions by an editor for being not thematically consistent enough, but it is a real mythological entity. Case in point, most depictions on the Internet drop the flight and don’t mention the affinity for crocodiles, making it a much more typical ghoul. Thanks to @a-book-of-creatures​ for their writeup of the balbal providing the bulk of the inspiration for this entry.

Incidentally, I will be featuring other artists besides Brian Valeza in this project. But his gallery is an excellent resource for images of monsters with little Internet footprint, and it was a major incentive for me to tackle this project.]

Balbal CR 5 CE Magical Beast This creature looks something like a man-sized bat, with a ghoulishly humanoid face and clawed fingers on its wings. Its tongue lashes from its mouth, as long as a whip and razor sharp.

Balbals are corpse-eaters that glide between villages to prey on their dead. They use their long claws to pry holes in roofs and break windows while a body lies in state, then shred the corpse with their razor-sharp tongue. In order to avoid detection, they replace the body with a magically altered stock of wood. In areas haunted by undeath, the lack of a proper burial may cause the spirits of their victims to animate as incorporeal undead, but by that point, the balbal is long since gone.

A balbal spends much of its time in the form of a crocodile. They can influence the behavior of crocodiles, and especially aggressive crocodile populations may be a sign of a local balbal. This affinity does not extend to other reptiles; balbals fear and hate venomous snakes especially. In countries where balbals are present, some people decorate their houses with snake motifs in an attempt to frighten off the monsters, or even keep such dangerous animals as pets.

A balbal has a wingspan of about eight feet and weighs 100 pounds. Their lifespans range into the forties or fifties if they are well fed and safe from adventurers and vengeful family members.

Balbal     CR 5 XP 1,600 CE Medium magical beast Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Perception +6, scent Defense AC 18, touch 14, flat-footed 14 (+4 Dex, +4 natural) hp 45 (6d10+12) Fort +6, Ref +9, Will +4; +4 vs. illusions Defensive Abilities hard to fool Offense Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft., fly 60 ft. (average) Melee tongue +9 (2d4+2 plus bleed), 2 claws +9 (1d4+2) Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. with tongue) Special Attacks bleed (1d4) Statistics Str 15, Dex 19, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 15, Cha 12 Base Atk +5; CMB +7; CMD 21 Feats Stealthy, Toughness, Weapon Finesse Skills Climb +10, Escape Artist +7, Fly +6, Perception +6, Stealth +10, Swim +5 Languages Common SQ change shape (crocodile, beast shape II), corpse decoy, crocodile empathy +11 Ecology Environment warm coastal and urban Organization solitary, pair or wallow (1-2 plus 1-6 crocodiles) Treasure none Special Abilities Corpse Decoy (Su) A balbal can sculpt a stock of wood into a shape akin to that of a humanoid corpse in a process that takes 1 minute. This false corpse can resemble a specific individual, and creatures interacting with the false corpse must succeed a DC 14 Will save to realize the deception. This is an illusion (glamer) effect. The save DC is Charisma based. Crocodile Empathy (Ex) A balbal may improve the attitude of crocodiles. This functions as the wild empathy class ability of a druid equal to the balbal’s HD, except that the balbal gains a +4 racial bonus on this roll and can only use it to influence crocodilians. At the GM’s discretion, this ability may work with similar creatures such as dinosaurs, but it does not function with reptiles such as snakes, lizards or turtles. Hard to Fool (Ex) A balbal gains a +4 racial bonus on all saving throws against illusion effects. Tongue (Ex) A balbal’s tongue is treated as a primary natural weapon that deals slashing and piercing damage and has 10 feet of reach.

[thirstdrafts]

Sure, one Kabal would be nice... and going into mk11 and having both Krispy and smooth Kibby would be great. But that’s not thinking big enough. No. I need to go through every timeline and grab him. Get myself an army of Kababes! And maybe BalBal isn’t a fighter in every timeline. Getcha a sandwich artisan Kabal. An engineer Kabal. A Flight attendant kabal. Fuck getting a man who can do both. Get multiple variations of the same man and build the biggest pillow fort ever.

[thejackmeister-mongolhistory]

A recent one I am quite pleased with (it was nice to not draw people killing each other for once) depicting a Qipchaq and Cuman enjoying a meal and some music.  Behind the Qipchaq is a balbal, anthropomorphic stone stelae which tended to mark a grave. The Cuman-Qipchaq balbal are noted for their highly detailed and individualized depictions, including wonderful depictions of clothing, gear, weapons and hairstyles. Style varied considerably between groups (often much more stylized than this) and would sometime distinguish between men and women, i.e have women sitting while men stand. To learn more about the Cuman-Qipchaqs, check out my video on them: youtu.be/uHP0QZd1tAA

[yadatasi]

Richard Subrakov