Nogut

Medium humanoid (human, shapechanger), neutral evil

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)

Hit Points 110 (13d8 + 52)

Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)

STR 10 (+0) · DEX 16 (+3) · CON 18 (+4) · INT 14 (+2) · WIS 12 (+1) · CHA 16 (+3)

Saving Throws Dex +6, Con +7, Wis +4

Skills Arcana +5, Deception +6, Medicine +4, Stealth +6

Damage Vulnerabilities radiant

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from non-magical attacks; necrotic

Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled, restrained (mist form only)

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11

Languages Common, Tok Pisin; telepathy 60 ft.

Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)

Traits

Spirit Nogut. A malevolent spirit dwells inside the sanguma. While the sanguma has at least 1 hit point, the spirit can’t be targeted by attacks or effects. When the sanguma drops to 0 hit points, the body dies and the spirit emerges as an Invisible Stalker (with its normal statistics) that flees on its next turn. Destroying the stalker permanently ends the threat.

Incorporeal Veil. As long as the sanguma isn’t in bright sunlight, it can take the Hide action as a bonus action and has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide.

Mist Form (3/Day). As a bonus action, the sanguma and everything it is wearing or carrying transform into a cloud of toxic mist until the start of its next turn. In this form it has resistance to all damage except force and radiant, it can pass through openings as narrow as 1 inch wide, can’t speak or take actions other than Dash, and can’t be grappled or restrained.

Keen Needles. The sanguma’s needle attacks are considered magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to non-magical attacks.

Actions

Multiattack. The sanguma makes two Needle Stab attacks and may use Heart-Drain if a stab hits.

Needle Stab. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 3) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) poison damage.

Heart-Drain. The sanguma targets a creature it can see within 30 feet that it has hit with Needle Stab this turn. The target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 18 (4d8) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. The sanguma regains hit points equal to the necrotic damage dealt. A humanoid reduced to 0 hit points by this damage dies and can’t be revived except by a raise dead spell or stronger magic until the spirit “Nogut” is destroyed.

Curse of Envy (Recharge 5–6). The sanguma utters a whispered malediction heard only by one creature it can see within 60 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be cursed with Envy for 1 minute. While cursed, the creature has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks made while any ally is within 30 feet of it. The target can repeat the save at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. Only one creature can be under this curse at a time.

Bonus Actions

Mist Form. (see trait)

Reactions

Shadow Step. When a ranged attack targets the sanguma while it is in dim light or darkness, it teleports up to 20 feet to an unoccupied space it can see, causing the attack to miss.

Lore

A malevolent spirit that possesses a person and grants them supernatural powers to do harm.

Spirit Nogut is not a conventional, flesh-and-blood monster but a powerful possession entity deeply rooted in the socio-cultural and mythological landscape of Papua New Guinea. According to local folklore, it is a malevolent spirit that takes up residence inside a person. In other words, it is a Possession Entity: the human host—known as a Nogut—acts as the visible conduit, while the spirit itself is the source of the host’s anomalous abilities.

This phenomenon is closely tied to the widespread belief in sorcery and black magic, both of which most Papua New Guineans consider very real. Depending on the region and the circumstances, Spirit Nogut–driven acts go by several names. The most common terms include Nogut (referring both to the sorcerer and to the act of sorcery), Puripuri (a general word for magic), and Black Pawa (“black power”).

From Oceanian Bestiary 5E, p. 60 · Fern Flower Press