Medium-Size Monstrous Humanoid

Hit Dice: 4d8+4 (22 hp)

Initiative: +2 (Dex)

Speed: 20 ft, fly 40 ft (average)

AC: 14 (+2 Dex, +2 natural)

Attacks: 2 claws +4 melee, bite –1 melee

Damage: Claw 1d4, bite 1d6

Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft/5 ft

Special Qualities: Astral jaunt, material projection, spell immunity, darkvision 60 ft

Saves: Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +5

Abilities: Str 10, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 13

Skills: Hide +9, Listen +8, Move Silently +7, Search +5, Spot +8

Climate/Terrain: Any land

Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 3

Treasure: Standard

Alignment: Always chaotic evil

Advancement: 5-12 HD (Medium-size)

The berbalang is a dark and evil creature that spends most of its life in a comatose state while its spirit wanders the Astral plane. When it returns to the Material plane, it does so only to feed on the flesh of humans who dwell near its lair.

   The berbalang is a gaunt biped, ranging in size from four to seven feet tall, with black, leathery skin. Its wide glowing eyes are watery and white in color. Two broad, bat-like wings sprout from the creature's back.

COMBAT

When a berbalang or its material projection (see text below) is forced into combat it makes the most of its ability to fly. When it strikes, it rips at its opponents with its claws and attempts to bite with its needle-like teeth.

   If a berbalang's material projection is hit, the projection immediately takes flight and attempts to flee, returning to the resting place of the material berbalang.

   Astral Jaunt (Su): The berbalang spends the majority of its life on the Astral plane. When on the Material plane, it can shift to the Astral plane as a full round action as astral projection cast by a 7th-level sorcerer. This ability can be used at will by the berbalang.

   Material Projection (Su): The berbalang can, when its astral form returns to its body, create an exact duplicate of itself as a free action. This projection travels forth in search of food for the berbalang up to a distance of three miles from its physical body.

   The material projection looks and acts as the true berbalang. If the projection is attacked it will flee at once, as quickly as possible, returning to the location of the real berbalang.

   If the projection is slain, the material berbalang must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 15) or die as well.

   If the projection is wounded, the berbalang cannot produce another for a number of days equal to the total points of damage suffered.

   When the projection returns to its master, it dissipates, and the material berbalang awakens from its trance.

   Spell Immunity (Ex): The material projection is immune to all mind-influencing spells and effects.

BERBALANG ECOLOGY

The vast majority of its life is spent in a death-like trance that allows the monster's spirit to wander throughout the Astral plane. Here the berbalang stalks creatures weaker than itself and engages in complex courtship and mating rituals with other berbalang.

   If the material form of the berbalang is discovered or disturbed, the berbalang immediately attempts to return to its body and animate it. The return process takes 1d4 minutes for the astral form to find the material form.

   If the body is destroyed, the astral berbalang is slain as well. For this reason the creature takes great care to seclude and protect the resting place of its physical body.

   Once per month, at the times of the full moon, the berbalang returns to the Material plane to send forth its material projection in search of food.

   A berbalang that does not feed will eventually seek revenge upon those that interfered with it’s feeding. Although there may be a lull while the body of the berbalang recovers from the shock of the attack on its projection, retribution is a certainty.

   If the projection was forced back to its body or destroyed before it could find prey to feed upon, it will send forth another material projection as soon as it is able, in order to satisfy its hunger (regardless of the phase of the moon) before seeking its revenge.

The Berbalang first appeared in the 1e FF (1981).