Bodaks are what was left of a humanoid that has been destroyed by the touch of pure evil,[9] such as that of a nightwalker. Undead creatures devoid of personality or souls, bodaks are cruel and relentless hunters, either of their own volition or at the behest of some greater power, such as the nightwalker that created them.[3]
Description[]
Bodaks resembled their living form to a certain extent, being roughly the same size and shape.[9] Beyond that, there are a number of differences which are immediately obvious to the eye. A bodak's skin is a deathly pale white or gray, devoid of any hair at all. More eerie still was its face, which was twisted into an inhuman visage of sheer madness and horror with empty,[9] milky-white eyes.[9]
Varieties of Bodak[]
- Keith Baker's commentary.
A bodak is created from the corpse of an individual who has delved into necromantic arts or pledged themselves to a dark, malevolent power—someone whose soul bears the scars of their sinister choices. The master consumes the soul of this servant, forging it into a conduit to Mabar.[10]
Bodaks are corpses animated by shadow, infused with the essence of Mabar. Their appearance reflects the power that created them:[10]
- Bone King: Withered flesh tightly stretched over bones with shadowy veins writhing beneath. Cracks in the flesh emit shadowy wisps. Mouths are shadow-filled but not distended.[10]
- Empress of Shadows: Twisted, hunched figures with dramatically distended, shadow-filled mouths. Their mouths serve as the focal point of their threat, draining life force and triggering the Death Gaze.[10]
- Lady Illmarrow: Lady Illmarrow’s bodaks are unique in that they radiate a chilling aura of despair, sapping the will of those nearby. Additionally, their death gaze is augmented by a wave of necrotic energy, draining life from multiple enemies at once.[10]
- Mazyralyx: Bones shift into draconic shapes, resembling dragonborn without scales. These bodaks grow claws and exhibit draconic features.[10]
Personality[]
As a rule, bodaks are not generally very intelligent, and targets those that pose the most immediate threat to it.[11]
Although mostly devoid of any semblance of their past selves, bodaks occasionally experienced flashbacks of their life, an occurrence sometimes triggered within combat. In such cases, a bodak might take pause for a moment, stopping whatever it was doing. If an enemy triggered this flashback, the bodak was less likely to take effective action against the enemy for sometime thereafter.[9]
A bodak clings to fragmented memories of its past life, relentlessly pursuing former allies and enemies to annihilate them. Its twisted soul seeks to erase all remnants of its previous existence.[2]
Conduits to Greater Powers[]
- Keith Baker's commentary.
A tether remains between the bodak and its master until the bodak’s destruction. Through this connection, the master perceives everything the bodak sees and hears. If desired, the master can take direct control of the bodak, even speaking through its voice.[10]
Abilities[]
Bodaks possess a number of unusual abilities granted to them by their undead state.
Death Gaze[]
For instance, each bodak has the capacity to gaze into the soul of a nearby creature, gravely injuring or killing them if they were already weakened, an attack often known as a death gaze.[3] Some bodaks have an extension of this ability that is not a commonly held trait of their kind — when creatures are not killed by their death gaze, bodaks can then cause their victims to see an unsettling vision of their own death.[12]
Those killed by a bodak's death gaze are likely to subsequently become bodaks themselves.[2][3]
Aura of Annihilation[]
Similarly, bodaks project an aura of death around them, injuring and hindering the actions of any creature within roughly 25 to 30 feet (7.6 to 9.1 meters) of them.[2][3] Other undead and fiends are not affected by this.[2]
- Keith Baker's commentary.
Bodaks possess deadly powers tied to the shadowy energy of Mabar. They can drain the vitality of others using a withering gaze, which manifests differently based on their creator—ranging from a shadowy breath attack to consuming life through a gaping maw. Their death gaze is equally lethal, capable of killing those who meet their eyes or look into their terrifying mouths. Some bodaks, like those created by Mazyralyx, also develop physical traits such as claws, which they use to inflict additional harm in combat.[10]
Undead Nature[]
Like many undead creatures, bodaks had an inherent weakness to brilliant light, and therefore shunned sunlight whenever able to.[2][9][13] They are, however, completely invulnerable to disease or poison and have a strong resistance against the effects of necrotic power.[2][3]
Combat[]
Bodaks generally fight in a defensive manner, giving their death gaze more time to work.[11] A sub-type of bodak, "reavers," are the ones most likely to fight with them. They typically wield greataxes and can even be seen wearing plate mail.[3]
- Keith Baker's commentary.
Bodaks fight relentlessly, employing their gaze attacks and physical traits specific to their origin.[10]
For example:[10]
- Bodaks of Mazyralyx use claws and shadowy breath.[10]
- The Empress’s bodaks rely on their distended mouths for devastating attacks.[10]
Society[]
Bodaks propagate more of their own kind by killing victims with their death gaze ability.[14]
- Keith Baker's commentary.
Bodaks have no society or autonomy, existing purely as tools of greater powers, some linked to Mabar and some native to the Material Plane.[10]
Bodaks tied to specific shadow powers—such as the Bone King, the Empress of Shadows, Lady Illmarrow or Mazyralyx—are infamous for their unique abilities and fearsome appearances.[10]
Bastions of Frozen Flesh[]
A Bastion of Frozen Flesh is a trap containing either bodach or bleakborn. This hidden undead trap is used primarily as a defense. It consists of seemingly lifeless undead corpses that lie dormant until a living creature comes within 30 ft (9.1 m), triggering them to attack. Karrnathi forces strategically placed these bastions in shallow trenches, mountain passes, or trade routes to ambush enemies. They can remain inactive for long periods, waiting for targets. Occasionally, they are used offensively, smuggled into cities, or even dropped from the air into populated areas.[15]
Diet[]
Bodaks are a type of undead that do not require any form of sustenance.[16][17]
Homelands[]
Bodaks originate from the plane of Mabar, the Eternal Night.[5]
Bodaks lurk in the Crying Fields in Aundair, some wearing scraps of Thrane uniforms.[6]
They can be found in areas of Sarlona with strong influence of Mabar such as the wild reserve of the Shanjueed Jungle,[7] or aukaraks to Mabar ("reality storms") found in the Tashana Tundra.[8]
Relationships[]
Bodaks typically collaborate with other undead or creatures.[3] Such as ghouls, wights, and demilichs.[18]
- Keith Baker's commentary.
Bodaks are bound to the will of their creators, such as the Bone King, Empress of Shadows, or Mazyralyx, and form no independent relationships.[10]
History[]
- Keith Baker's commentary.
Bodaks are created by corrupting mortal corpses with the energy of Mabar, their form and function shaped by the whims of their creator.[10]
The Last War[]
During the Last War, necromancers from Karrnath employed Bastions of Frozen Flesh, using them primarily defensively but rarely smuggling them into enemy cities for offensive purposes. One highly publicized attack by Karrnath involved dropping a Bastion from a low-flying elemental airship.[15]
Notable Bodaks[]
- Rashade, the onetime brother of Whisper, the elf leader of the Shrouds gang in Stormreach, now returned as a terrible undead creature with a deadly gaze and shrouded in veils.[19]
Appendix[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Mike Mearls, et all (2016). Volo's Guide to Monsters. Edited by Jeremy Crawford. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 127. ISBN 0786966017.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 Wizards D&D Team (May 2022). Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 64. ISBN 978-0786967872.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Mike Mearls, Stephen Schubert, and James Wyatt (2008). Monster Manual (4th edition). (Wizards of the Coast), p. 36. ISBN 0-7869-4852-3.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Skip Williams, Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook (July 2003). Monster Manual v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 28. ISBN 0-7869-2893-X.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Keith Baker, Bill Slavicsek, & James Wyatt (2004). Eberron Campaign Setting. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 97. ISBN 0-7869-3274-0.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Bill Slavicsek, David Noonan, and Christopher Perkins (2005). Five Nations. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 36. ISBN 0-7869-3690-8.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Keith Baker, Scott Fitzgerald Gray, Glenn McDonald, and Chris Sims (2007). Secrets of Sarlona. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 82. ISBN 978-0-7869-4037-0.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Keith Baker, Scott Fitzgerald Gray, Glenn McDonald, and Chris Sims (2007). Secrets of Sarlona. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 144. ISBN 978-0-7869-4037-0.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 Skip Williams, Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook (July 2003). Monster Manual v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 27. ISBN 0-7869-2893-X.
- ↑ 10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 10.10 10.11 10.12 10.13 10.14 10.15 Baker, Keith (September 2, 2024). Ask the Dreaming Dark (in English). Blog Post. Archived from the original on September 13, 2024. Retrieved on 2025-01-13.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Andy Collins, Bruce R. Cordell (October 2004). Libris Mortis: The Book of Undead. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 135. ISBN 0-7869-3433-6.
- ↑ Bruce R. Cordell, Eytan Bernstein, Brian R. James (January 2009). Open Grave: Secrets of the Undead. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 220. ISBN 0786950692.
- ↑ Andy Collins, Bruce R. Cordell (October 2004). Libris Mortis: The Book of Undead. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 20. ISBN 0-7869-3433-6.
- ↑ Andy Collins, Bruce R. Cordell (October 2004). Libris Mortis: The Book of Undead. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 11. ISBN 0-7869-3433-6.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 James Wyatt, Wolfgang Baur, Ari Marmell (2007). The Forge of War. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-7869-4153-7.
- ↑ Andy Collins, Bruce R. Cordell (October 2004). Libris Mortis: The Book of Undead. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 9. ISBN 0-7869-3433-6.
- ↑ Bruce R. Cordell, Eytan Bernstein, Brian R. James (January 2009). Open Grave: Secrets of the Undead. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 12. ISBN 0786950692.
- ↑ Bruce R. Cordell, Eytan Bernstein, Brian R. James (January 2009). Open Grave: Secrets of the Undead. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 155, 165. ISBN 0786950692.
- ↑ Keith Baker, Nicolas Logue, James Desborough, C.A. Suleiman (2008). City of Stormreach. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 73. ISBN 0-7869-4803-5.