Shabti

Medium construct, unaligned

Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 102 (12d8 + 48)
Speed 40 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
14 (+2) 20 (+5) 18 (+4) 6 (-2) 11 (+0) 6 (-2)

Damage Immunities poison, psychic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons that aren’t adamantine
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages understands the languages of its creator but can’t speak
Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)

Special Traits

  • Immutable Form. The shabti is immune to spells and effects that would alter its form.
  • Magic Resistance. The shabti has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
  • Magic Weapons. The shabti’s weapon attacks are magical.
  • Serpentine Armlets. As a bonus action, the shabti commands its armlets to drop to the floor, whereupon they become two giant poisonous snakes. The shabti can mentally direct the serpents (this does not require an action). If the snakes are killed, they dissolve into wisps of smoke which reform around the shabti’s forearms, and they can’t be turned into snakes for 1 week. These armlets are linked to the shabti at the time of its creation and do not function for other creatures.

Actions

  • Multiattack. The shabti uses Telekinesis and makes two attacks with its nabboot.
  • Nabboot. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d4 + 5) bludgeoning damage plus 7 (2d6) necrotic damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be cursed with tomb taint. The cursed target’s speed is reduced to half, and its hit point maximum decreases by 3 (1d6) for every 24 hours that elapse. If the curse reduces the target’s hit point maximum to 0, the target dies and its body turns to dust. The curse lasts until removed by the remove curse spell or comparable magic.
  • Telekinesis. The shabti targets a creature within 60 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Strength check or the shabti moves it up to 30 feet in any direction (including upward), and it is restrained until the end of the shabti’s next turn.

About

Wearing silver and red enamel pectoral jewelry and stylized armlets, as well as carrying a thin, carved stick, this angular, dark-eyed human appears almost normal. When it moves, gears clash and whir faintly within it.

About

Lifelike Servants. Shabti are constructs made to tend to the needs of their masters in the afterlife. Dressed in ceremonial regalia, they are sometimes mistaken for living beings by intruders into their ancient tombs, though careful examination reveals faintly glowing hieroglyphs graven into their garments and their bodies.

Insane Machines. Usually driven mad by centuries within its master’s tomb, a shabti fiercely attacks anything that threatens its sworn charge. Some ceaselessly babble ancient scriptures or invocations to the gods of death.

Ancient Weapons. A shabti fights by releasing its serpentine armlets, then using telekinesis against spellcasters while thrashing anyone within reach with archaic but effective stick-fighting maneuvers. The shabti’s weapon, the nabboot, is a 4-foot stick made of rattan or bundled reeds; this weapon was common in ancient forms of single-stick fighting. Shabti always fight until destroyed.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Tome of Beasts. Copyright 2016, Open Design; Authors Chris Harris, Dan Dillon, Rodrigo Garcia Carmona, and Wolfgang Baur.