Bura-Bura ぶらぶら

Small undead (yokai), chaotic neutral

Armor Class 13

Hit Points 33 (6d6 + 12)

Speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)

STR 6 (−2) · DEX 16 (+3) · CON 14 (+2) · INT 10 (+0) · WIS 12 (+1) · CHA 15 (+2)

Skills Deception +4, Stealth +5

Damage Vulnerabilities fire

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks

Damage Immunities poison

Condition Immunities poisoned, prone

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11

Languages Yokai Speech, understands Common but communicates mostly via eerie murmurs

Challenge 2

Traits

Eerie Glow. Bura-Bura emits dim light in a 15-foot radius and can extinguish or reignite this glow as a bonus action.

Hovering Lantern. Bura-Bura remains aloft without flapping or apparent effort. If it becomes unconscious, it floats gently to the ground.

Mischievous Lure. At the start of its turn, if a creature within 30 feet of Bura-Bura can see the lantern’s glow, Bura-Bura may create a faint illusion of a drifting light or humanoid silhouette just out of clear view. The creature must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or feel compelled to move up to half its speed toward the illusion. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks. A creature that succeeds on this save is immune to Mischievous Lure for 24 hours.

Paper Body. Bura-Bura has vulnerability to fire, reflecting its flammable nature. If it takes fire damage, it can’t use Eerie Glow or Mischievous Lure until the end of its next turn, as it sputters and smolders.

Actions

Spook (Recharge 5 - 6). Bura-Bura flashes a grotesque face—complete with wide eyes, popping tongue, and an echoing howl. Each creature within 20 feet that can see or hear it must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened until the end of Bura-Bura’s next turn. A frightened creature must immediately use its reaction to move up to half its speed away from Bura-Bura by the safest available route.

Lantern Bash. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.

Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage. This attack represents Bura-Bura ramming or striking with its hardened rim and frame.

Flare of Light. Ranged Spell Attack: +4 to hit, range 60 ft., one creature.

Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) radiant damage. A spark of ghostly lantern flame sears the target’s vision. On a hit, the target has disadvantage on the next Wisdom (Perception) check it makes before the end of its next turn.

Behavior & Lore

Bura-Bura typically avoids outright violence, preferring to mislead weary travelers off the safe path.

A lone adventurer might follow Bura-Bura’s dim glow at night, mistaking it for another traveler’s lantern—only to realize too late it’s leading them astray.

Often, Bura-Bura reveals its face in the midst of darkness, hoping to induce a moment of panic. If threatened, it may attempt one or two Spook actions, then flee.

Lore indicates Bura-Bura rarely kills. Nonetheless, a victim could stumble off a cliff or become lost in the wilderness if they rely too heavily on its misleading glow.

Lore

Spirit of a paper lantern, floating around deserted houses, startling passersby.

Bura-Bura is a tsukumogami—a spirit of an old paper lantern that has awakened to consciousness and gained supernatural powers after a century of existence. It manifests wherever a lantern has hung, neglected for many years, be it in an abandoned teahouse, a forsaken roadside inn, or a deserted shrine. Lacking a clear goal, its appearance is inevitably linked with anxiety and fear. Descriptions often show a tattered, aged lantern sporting one or two enormous eyes and a mouth with a long tongue dangling out. At night, it may hover in midair, gently swaying or flickering in the darkness, catching the eye of traveling adventurers still wandering the roads.

During the medieval ages, a humble paper lantern with a candle might well have been a lone traveler’s only companion. One ancient tale recounts how Bura-Bura’s glow can lure people into the unfamiliar places, tricking them into believing they have encountered another adventurer. But the moment the person follows its light, it vanishes, leaving them lost in utter darkness and unfamiliar surroundings. Sometimes it simply leads wanderers astray, making them circle through woods or marshes. Rarely, the yokai’s glow might guide its quarry off a cliff or into mortal danger, though such events are thought to be uncommon.

From Yokai Bestiary 5E, p. 42 · Fern Flower Press