Dabus | New Monster for Fifth Edition (Patreon Exclusive)

This tall, slender humanoid floats along just above the ground. It wears long robes and carries a hammer in its hand. It passes another of its kind and exchanges what appears to be a greeting. The air above the heads of both beings fills with pictures of objects which, if their names were spoken in succession, would form words. 

Servants of the Lady of Pain, the dabus band together to form silent legions that keep Sigil operating and enforce the Lady’s will. Some believe that the Lady of Pain is their goddess-creator; others believe she is simply one of them, and that the dabus are the true masters of Sigil—the hidden genius of her being. Others believe these creatures to be nothing more than slaves charged with maintaining Sigil’s mighty engines. 

The dabus wander the streets of Sigil on their endless missions. Most of these involve building or tearing down portions of the city, or carrying out orders from the Lady of Pain. They do not ally with other races 

Organized by Cells.  The dabus claim to be organized into cells consisting of two to twelve members. Each cell has a particular duty in the city, though its function is not tied to any one place or skill. One day a member of a given cell might gather the trash that blows out of the Great Bazaar; the next, it might be resetting cobbles near the Hive. Whatever intelligence guides the dabus in their tasks, they know what is expected of them 

Dabus Rebus. The most puzzling aspect of the dabus is their strange speech. They have mouths and seem perfectly capable of speaking normally, but they never do. Instead, they communicate by making images appear in the air. These images are picture equivalents of the sounds that make up whatever language the onlooker speaks. These sounds can then be strung together into words. When a dabus is excited, these rebuses can fl icker by with dazzling speed.  

Why the dabus do not speak remains one of Sigil’s greatest mysteries. Have they surrendered speech, thereby cutting away the ideas that bind fl esh to a false image of the world? Or is language a mystery to them—a forgotten art dependent upon words and letters they cannot understand? Or perhaps they are like idiot savants—brilliant at their own chores but blind to talents common in others.

Dabus

Medium humanoid (dabus), neutral

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Armor Class 13

Hit Points 22 (4d8 + 4)

Speed 30 ft.

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Abilities Str 11 (+0), Dex 16 (+3), Con 12 (+1), Int 12 (+1), Wis 14 (+2), Cha 14 (+2)

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Saving Throws Con +3

Skills Arcana +3, History +3, Perception +4

Condition Immunities prone

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14

Languages understands all but can't speak, dabus rebus

Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

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Floating Form.   Dabus never stand on the ground. They neither fly nor walk, but use a unique movement mode somewhere in between the two.  They are immune to magic and effects that would affect the surface beneathe them.

Innate Spellcasting. The dabus can innately cast alter self, requiring no material components. Its innate spellcasting ability is Charisma.

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Multiattack. The dabus makes two longsword attacks.

Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) slashing damage, or 6 (1d10 + 1) slashing damage when wielded with two hands.

Hand Axe. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60, one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) slashing damage.