Has This Critter Been Published?

[Rechan]

Anyone seen a Pennangalan in a 3.0/3.5 book? Or a 2e one in need of conversion?

A Pennangalan is sort've like a vampire, except that they can walk around during the day. At night, the pennangalan's head comes off, and the head (trailing the spinal cord) floats around, looking for blood.

To kill them, you have to find the creature's body and burn it. Then it can no longer walk among the living. Exposing the head to sunlight will kill it.

 

[jdrakeh]

I do believe that there is a 2e critter by this name. Danged if I can recall specifics, though (well, aside from the artwork -- for some reason, that sticks out in my head).

[Edit: I think it might also exist as a template in the 3.0 OA book.]

[Re-edit: Yes, this creature exists in OA on page 189, with a slight variation in name --Pennaggolan.]

 

[Thorfin]

Just happen to have a 1st ed Fiend Folio here beside... that's the only place I remember seeing it.

 

[Rechan]

[Re-edit: Yes, this creature exists in OA on page 189, with a slight variation in name --Pennaggolan.]

Thanks - I just happen to have that.

 

[megamania]

I believe there is a version in Oriental Adventures and Denizens of darkness (Ravenloft Monster Book) also.

 

[jdrakeh]

Thanks - I just happen to have that.

No problem. The original creature is drawn from Malaysian folklore. There is a similar beast in Japanese mythology, though I cannot recall its name (only a story about the heads of the creatures bearing down on travellers encamped near a haunted burial ground).

 

[Rechan]

No problem. The original creature is drawn from Malaysian folklore. There is a similar beast in Japanese mythology, thiough I cannot recall its name (only a story about the heads of the creatures bearing down on travellers encamped near a haunted burial ground).

Yeah - I recalled it was Asian in origin.

I've seen it pop up a few places - a Forgotten Realms short story anthology, the first Hellboy cartoon, and a Buffy novel.

 

[Echohawk]

Here's a quick history of the Pĕnanggalan's main D&D's appearances:

• 1981: 1ed Fiend Folio, p71
• 1992: 2ed Monstrous Compendium Fiend Folio Appendix (MC14)
• 1995: Dragon #222, "Necrology of the Penanggalan"
• 1996: Children of the Night: Vampires, p95
• 2001: 3ed Oriental Adventures, p189
• 2004: Dragon #318, Oriental Adventures 3.5 update article

There is also a 3.0 conversion in the Creature Catalog right here on ENWorld:

• Penanggalan template

And while I'm at it, here's link to and a punt for my complete D&D monster index from which I extracted this information .

 

[Rechan]

And while I'm at it, here's link to and a punt for my complete D&D monster index from which I extracted this information .

You sir, are both awesome and have too much time on your hands.