Boroboroton ボロボロとん

Small fey (construct, yokai), neutral

Armor Class 12 (natural fabric)

Hit Points 27 (6d6 + 6)

Speed 10 ft., climb 10 ft.

STR 6 (−2) · DEX 14 (+2) · CON 12 (+1) · INT 6 (−2) · WIS 10 (+0) · CHA 10 (+0)

Skills Stealth +4, Perception +2

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks (soft, yielding fabric)

Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12

Languages understands Yokai Speech, Common (or local dialect) but cannot speak (it moans or rustles)

Challenge 2

Traits

Blanket Disguise. While motionless, the Boroboroton can appear as an ordinary tattered blanket, lying limp. A creature that inspects it can use its action to make a DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) check; on a success, they note subtle movements or a faint aura of life.

Naptime Stalker. The Boroboro-ton gains advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to approach any sleeping or unconscious creature. If it starts its turn adjacent to a sleeping creature, it can move onto that creature’s space without expending extra movement.

Nighttime Mischief. The Boroboro-ton prefers darkness. While in dim light or darkness, it has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.

Actions

Multiattack. The Boroboro-ton makes two Flap Slap attacks. If it has a creature Grappled, it can substitute one Flap Slap with Smother.

Flap Slap. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.

Hit: 6 (1d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage as the animated cloth strikes or whips a target with surprising force.

Smother (Grappled Target Only). The Boroboro-ton attempts to envelop a creature’s head and upper body. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (target’s choice) or be restrained and blinded, unable to speak. While smothered, the target can’t breathe and must hold its breath (PHB rules for suffocation). A smothered creature can repeat the escape check as an action on each of its turns, freeing itself on a success. The Boroboro-ton’s movement becomes 0 while smothering a target, and it can’t smother more than one creature at a time.

Reactions

Tattered Flail. When the Boroboro-ton is struck by a melee attack, it can reflexively lash out. The attacker must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or be entangled by a loose flap of fabric. The attacker’s speed is halved until the end of its next turn.

Behavior & Lore

This tsukumogami formed from years of use and eventual abandonment. Resentment fuels its mischief.

It rarely kills intentionally, more so out of fear. But a pinned victim can suffocate if help doesn’t arrive in time.

Lore

Haunted futon that strangles sleepers, driven by neglectful owners.

Imagine a beloved blanket that served you faithfully for years. One day, you buy a replacement and toss the old one aside to collect dust in a dark corner. Over time, that poor, wornout scrap of cloth might decide it’s had enough—and thus Boroboro-ton is born. The yokai’s name roughly means “shabby” or “tattered,” perfectly capturing its frayed appearance and resentful spirit.

A fair question might be: Why not just replace the blanket long before it turns into a yokai? In old Japan, fabric was expensive and labor-intensive to produce. In the Edo period and earlier, cloth-making was done by hand, and a quality quilt or blanket cost a significant sum. Instead of discarding such items, people patched, repurposed, or broke them down into scraps for clothing, floor mats, or stuffing. Occasionally, a forgotten blanket would languish for years in a built-in closet, slowly evolving into Boroboro-ton: a classic example of an “offended” tsukumogami.

From Yokai Bestiary 5E, p. 44 · Fern Flower Press