Buy me a coffeeCaliban
Caliban son of the witch Sycorax, is an important character in William Shakespeare‘s play The Tempest.
Caliban is half human, half monster. After his island becomes occupied by Prospero and his daughter Miranda, Caliban is forced into slavery. While he is referred to as a calvaluna or mooncalf, a freckled monster, he is the only human inhabitant of the island that is otherwise “not honour’d with a human shape” (Prospero, I.2.283). In some traditions, he is depicted as a wild man, or a deformed man, or a beast man, or sometimes a mix of fish and man, a dwarf or even a tortoise.
Banished from Algiers, Sycorax was left on the isle, pregnant with Caliban, and died before Prospero’s arrival. Caliban, despite his inhuman nature, clearly loved and worshipped his mother, referring to Setebos as his mother’s god, and appealing to her powers against Prospero. Prospero explains his harsh treatment of Caliban by claiming that after initially befriending him, Caliban attempted to rape Miranda. Caliban confirms this gleefully, saying that if he had not been stopped, he would have peopled the island with a race of Calibans – “Thou didst prevent me, I had peopled else this isle with Calibans” (Act I:ii). Prospero then entraps Caliban and torments him with harmful magic if Caliban does not obey his orders. Resentful of Prospero, Caliban takes Stephano, one of the shipwrecked servants, as a god and as his new master. Caliban learns that Stephano is neither a god nor Prospero’s equal in the conclusion of the play, however, and Caliban agrees to obey Prospero again.
D&D 5E Epic Monsters: Caliban
D&D 5E – Epic Monsters: Caliban | EN World | Dungeons & Dragons | Tabletop Roleplaying Games
The creature known as Caliban is a half-man half-monster born by Sycorax after she was banished from Algiers and left alone on a remote island. When she passes he begins worshiping her, believing she still has power in the realm of mortals. Sometime after her death Prospero (magician, former Duke of Milan) and his daughter Miranda are shipwrecked on the island, and using his powerful magic Prospero enslaves Caliban—because the first time they meet the beastman, Caliban tries to rape Miranda and is quite glib about it. Before the end of The Tempest he rejects Prospero and worships another shipwrecked traveler (Stephano) but by the conclusion he realizes the servant is not the magician’s equal, accepting the spellcaster as his master.
Caliban
Medium beast-humanoid, neutral evil
Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 45 (6d8+18)
Speed 30 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
| 15 (+2) | 18 (+4) | 16 (+3) | 9 (–1) | 15 (+2) | 8 (–1) |
Saving Throws Str +4, Con +5
Skills Athletics +6, Perception +4, Stealth +6, Survival +6
Senses passive Perception 19
Languages Common
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Doubletyped. For the purposes of features, spells, and traits, Caliban counts as both a beast and humanoid.
Keen Senses. Caliban has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight, smell, and sound.
Nimble Escape. Caliban can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of his turns.
Pounce. If Caliban moves at least 20 feet straight toward a creature and then hits it with a claw attack on the same turn, it must succeed on a DC 12 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the target is prone, Caliban can make one bite attack against it as a bonus action.
Relentless Endurance (1/Long Rest). When Caliban is reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, he can drop to 1 hit point instead.
Running Leap. With a 10-foot running start, Caliban can long jump up to 40 feet.
Stench. Any creature that starts its turn within 10 feet of Caliban must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the start of its next turn. On a successful saving throw, the creature is immune to Caliban’s stench for 24 hours.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. Caliban attacks once with his bite and twice with his claws, or twice with thrown rocks.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) piercing damage.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) slashing damage.
Rock. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 20/40 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4+4) bludgeoning damage.
Caliban
Source Tears at Bitter Manor pg. 57
While an individual hag who has coupled with a human can only hope to birth a changeling, hag covens prove far more versatile in spawning monstrous progeny. The hags in such covens occasionally use their combined witchcraft to supernaturally create abominable male children, brutish monsters born of foul sanies and unholy ablutions that are stewed for days and then allowed to ferment into living creatures. These monsters go by many names among the hags who ‘birth’ them, but among civilized races they are known by just one word: caliban.
Calibans are free-willed but invariably inherit much of the vileness of their monstrous parents. Unlike changelings, calibans are usually raised among hags rather than in human settlements, since most societies would find a calibans form too repulsive for any purpose other than obliteration. Thus calibans learn from an early age to trust only their mothers and to revile anyone else. Those calibans who for whatever reason find themselves apart from their hag mothers are the most likely to shed their evil ways and forge a path of their own, but such individuals are few and far between.
Just as changelings are always female, calibans are always male, and since they are the result of hags foul magics it is impossible for them to reproduce. The average caliban is 7 feel tall and weighs about 260 pounds.
| Caliban CR 2 |
| XP 600 CE Medium monstrous humanoid Init +2; Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Low-Light Vision; Perception +6 |
| DEFENSE |
| AC 14, touch 12, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dexterity, +2 natural) hp 22 (4d10) Fort +1, Ref +6, Will +3 |
| OFFENSE |
| Speed 30 ft., Swim 20 ft. Melee handaxe +5 (1d6+1/×3), claw +0 (1d4) or 2 claws +5 (1d4+1) Special Attacks share deformity, unsettling scream |
| STATISTICS |
| Strength 13, Dexterity 15, Constitution 10, Intelligence 10, Wisdom 8, Charisma 11 Base Atk +4; CMB +5; CMD 17 Feats Athletic, Nimble Moves Skills Acrobatics +6, Climb +10, Intimidate +5, Perception +6, Survival +4, Swim +11 Languages Common |
| SPECIAL ABILITIES |
| Share Deformity (Su) Once per day as a standard action, a caliban can make a melee touch attack against a humanoid creature. If it hits, the opponent must succeed at a DC 12 Fortitude save or have its form warped horribly. An affected creature takes 4 points of ability damage to Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution (caliban’s choice). Until this ability damage is healed, the caliban gains a +4 bonus to that same ability score. This ability damage heals automatically after 24 hours. A creature can’t be affected by more than one instance of this ability at a time. This is a curse effect, and the save DC is Charisma-based. Unsettling Scream (Ex) As a standard action, a caliban can wail horribly. All non-caliban creatures within 60 feet that can hear must succeed at a DC 12 Will save or be deafened for 1 round and shaken for 1 minute. A creature affected by this ability is immune to the unsettling scream of the same caliban for 24 hours, regardless of whether its save is successful. This is a sonic fear effect, and the save DC is Charisma-based. |
| ECOLOGY |
| Environment temperate and warm forests and marshes Organization solitary or brotherhood (2-6) Treasure standard (handaxe, other treasure) |