Sagari — Baleful Whinny Ambusher

A tiny flying aberration with a fanged horse-like head, a tentacular body and a supernatural whinny that sickens prey before it attacks.

The Sagari is a bizarre forest predator scarcely three feet long. Its body is little more than a writhing tentacle ending in a fanged equine head with luminous green eyes. Sagaris hang upside-down from branches, rafters or cavern ceilings, then drop or swoop onto prey after weakening it with a hideous supernatural whinny.

At a Glance

IdentityTiny aerial ambush predator with a sickness-inducing cry.

Size & typeTiny Aberration.

TemperamentCruel, carnivorous and opportunistic.

Combat roleLow-level flying harrier that weakens enemies before diving in.

Signature powersBaleful Whinny, supernatural flight and lashing reach despite tiny size.

HabitatForests, barns, tall ruins and caverns with overhead perches.

CR by edition5.5e: 1/2 · 5e: 1/2 · PF1e: 1/2 · 3.5e: 1/2.

Run It Tonight

Put the sagari above the party, not in front of them. Let the forest go quiet, then use the whinny before revealing the creature. A single sagari tests the weakest traveller; several stagger their cries and attack whichever victim appears most affected.

Rules by Edition

5.5e / 2024
5e / 2014
Pathfinder 1e
D&D 3.5e

Sagari

Tiny Aberration, typically Neutral Evil

AC 14; Initiative +2 (12)
HP 13 (3d4 + 6)
Speed 10 ft., Fly 30 ft. (Hover)

STR
8 (−1)

DEX
15 (+2)

CON
14 (+2)

INT
6 (−2)

WIS
11 (+0)

CHA
14 (+2)

Skills Perception +2, Stealth +6
Senses Darkvision 60 ft.; Passive Perception 12
Languages understands Aklo but rarely speaks
CR 1/2 (100 XP); PB +2

Traits

Supernatural Flight. The sagari hovers and does not fall if its Speed is reduced to 0 unless it is Incapacitated.

Lashing Reach. The sagari does not provoke Opportunity Attacks when it makes a Tentacle attack and then flies out of a creature’s reach on the same turn.

Actions

Multiattack. The sagari makes one Bite and one Tentacle attack.

Bite. Melee Attack Roll: +4, reach 5 ft. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) Piercing damage.

Tentacle. Melee Attack Roll: +4, reach 5 ft. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) Bludgeoning damage.

Baleful Whinny (Recharge 5–6). Each creature within 30 feet that can hear the sagari makes a DC 12 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it has the Poisoned condition until the end of its next turn. A creature that succeeds is immune to that sagari’s Baleful Whinny for 24 hours.

Sagari

Tiny aberration, neutral evil

Armor Class 14
Hit Points 13 (3d4 + 6)
Speed 10 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)

STR
8 (−1)

DEX
15 (+2)

CON
14 (+2)

INT
6 (−2)

WIS
11 (+0)

CHA
14 (+2)

Skills Perception +2, Stealth +6
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages understands Aklo
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

Traits

Hover. The sagari can hover while flying.

Actions

Multiattack. The sagari makes one bite and one tentacle attack.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage.

Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) bludgeoning damage.

Baleful Whinny (Recharge 5–6). Each creature within 30 feet that can hear the sagari must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the end of its next turn.

Sagari CR 1/2

XP 200
NE Tiny aberration
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +4

Defense

AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +2 size)
hp 7 (1d8+3)
Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +2

Offense

Speed 10 ft., fly 30 ft. (perfect)
Melee bite +1 (1d4−1), tentacle +1 (1d4−1)
Space 2½ ft.; Reach 2½ ft.
Special Attacks baleful whinny, lashing strike

Statistics

Str 8, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 14
Base Atk +0; CMB +0; CMD 9 (can’t be tripped)
Feats Lightning Reflexes
Skills Fly +10, Perception +4, Stealth +14
Languages Aklo
SQ flight

Special Abilities

Baleful Whinny (Su). As a standard action, creatures within 60 feet that hear the sagari must succeed on a DC 12 Will save or become sickened for 1d4 rounds. A creature that succeeds is immune to that sagari’s whinny for 24 hours. This is a sonic, mind-affecting effect.

Flight (Su). The sagari’s flight is supernatural.

Lashing Strike (Ex). Although Tiny, the sagari does not provoke attacks of opportunity when making melee attacks, and its tentacle is a primary attack.

Ecology

Environment any forests
Organization solitary, pair, herd (3–8) or harras (9–16)
Treasure none

Sagari

Tiny Aberration

Hit Dice 1d8+3 (7 hp)
Initiative +2
Speed 10 ft. (2 squares), fly 30 ft. (perfect)
Armor Class 14 (+2 Dex, +2 size), touch 14, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple +0/−9
Attack bite +1 melee (1d4−1)
Full Attack bite +1 melee (1d4−1) and tentacle +1 melee (1d4−1)
Space/Reach 2½ ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks baleful whinny, lashing strike
Special Qualities darkvision 60 ft., supernatural flight
Saves Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +2
Abilities Str 8, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 14
Skills Hide +18, Listen +4, Move Silently +6, Spot +4
Feats Lightning Reflexes
Environment forests
Organization solitary, pair, herd or harras
Challenge Rating 1/2
Treasure none
Alignment usually neutral evil

Compatibility Note

This 3.5e presentation adapts the open Pathfinder chassis into 3.5e terminology.

Behaviour

Sagaris are carnivores with just enough intelligence to recognise weakness. They avoid prey that looks obviously stronger, but several sagaris may attack a group if they believe the whinnies can make enough victims sick to create an opening.

They rarely bother speaking to anything they already regard as food.

Signs Before Initiative

A barn goes silent before livestock begin panicking for no obvious reason.
Small clawless drag marks end directly beneath rafters or branches.
A grotesque horse-like whinny comes from above rather than from the trail.
Several animals become violently nauseated at the same time.
Blood is found on high beams where no ordinary predator could perch.

If Violence Starts

The sagari opens with Baleful Whinny whenever several enemies are in range, then dives at the weakest affected creature. It does not stay on the ground if it can avoid doing so. Groups stagger attacks from different heights and directions rather than forming a conventional battle line.

Counterplay

Silence, deafness or simply getting out of range prevents the whinny from doing its work. Once the creature is forced into open air and loses surprise, its tiny body is fragile.

Cover overhead matters more than cover in front. Barn rafters, tree canopies and cavern ceilings are where the sagari wants to be.

Using a Sagari in an Encounter

The sickened stable. Every animal in a roadside barn becomes ill whenever night falls.

The voice above. Travellers hear a horse whinny from the forest canopy where no horse could possibly be standing.

The harras. A migration route passes beneath trees occupied by more than a dozen sagaris.

The empty rafters. Hunters search a barn floor for tracks while the creatures remain motionless overhead.

Related Creatures

Browse the Aberration Bestiary for other strange predators, or return to the World Bestiary.

Rules Sources and Licensing

The 5.5e/2024 and 5e/2014 blocks are original compatibility adaptations. The D&D 3.5e block translates the open Pathfinder chassis into 3.5e terminology.

Keep this reference growing

If this page helped with your reading or game, you can support its upkeep or explore the curated books.

Buy the creator a coffee

Explore the Bookshop — epics, classics and stories behind imagined worlds.