I watched Forgotten Island last night

and the best character portrayal in there to me was the Manananggal - literally "remover" or "one who separates itself" in filipino dialects. 

but this is a TTRPG/D&D blog so...

LET'S MAKE A STAT BLOCK

Name: Manananggal (Ma-na-nang-gal)

Medium Undead (Aswang)

Starting with the name and size, it's pretty straightforward. Added a little pronunciation help there in case. While Manang from the Forgotten Island is most probably large, Manananggals are typically women who have died gruesomely in some way, so I'd assume they are typically Medium sized. If you want a Large Manananggal, go for it. That would also be why I classify this creature as undead. Additionally, if vampires get their own tag, I’m giving Aswang their own tag too.

Armor Class: 17 (Natural Armor)

Hit Points 173 (23d8+69)

Speed 30ft, fly 30ft (60ft when detached)

At this CR (I’m aiming for a 13 to 15 for this popular monster), the armor class should be set pretty high (16 or higher), as PCs typically get about +5 proficiency and anywhere between +2 to +5 on their ability score. This means they’re typically rolling at +7 or higher. In a high fantasy super heroic game like D&D, players typically wanna hit more often than not (so above 50%). I like to keep it around the 60 to 80% mark personally, so if I assume a +9 average, an 18 armor class is getting hit about 60% of the time (again, I want this to be a relatively hard to hit character). I’m pre-empting the detach ability with the speed, of which in the film we saw that she looked way more agile and was dodging better when she was detached. I’m also imagining bat-like precision with their movements, and even greater speeds when the body is split in half and the wings have less weight to pull around. This is foreshadowing their detaching ability.

A Strength of 16, representing supernatural strength, whilst being in the realm of human possibility, but an almost impossible 20 on Dex, represented by the Manananggals ability to swiftly switch and move between the split and non-split forms. A good Constitution is needed to handle the undead status. I’m winging the Int and Wis a bit – close to the stats of a vampire, but the Charisma is also on the higher side, representing beauty that they once had.

Change Appearance. The Aswang can use its action to polymorph into a Medium humanoid it has seen, or back into its true form. Its statistics, other than its size, are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.

Flyby. The aswang doesn't provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy's reach.

Frightful Presence. Each creature of the aswang’s choice that is within 120 feet of the aswang and aware of it must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the aswang’s Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours.

Multiattack. The aswang makes four Rend attacks. If the aswang has used its Tanggal ability, it’s legs may make two Rend attacks and its body may make two Rend attacks. Additionally, its body may replace any Rend attack with its Prehensile Tongue ability..

Rend. Melee Attack Roll: +10, reach 5 ft. Hit: 13 (1d10 + 5) Slashing damage plus 5 (2d4) Necrotic damage.

Prehensile Tongue (Torso in Tanggal form only). The aswang has one tongue, and the tongue can be attacked (AC 20; 30 hit points; immunity to poison and psychic damage). Destroying the Tongue deals 40 damage to the aswang, which can extrude a replacement tongue after a short rest. This ability can be used to consume the viscera of corpses as an action, healing 2d10+3 hit points.

Prehensile Tongue. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 20 ft., one creature. Hit: The target is grappled (escape DC 16). Until the grapple ends, the target is restrained and has disadvantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws, and the aswang can't use the same tongue on another target. The aswang doesn’t have to spend extra movement to move a creature Grappled by the aswang if the creature is the aswang’s size or smaller.

Tanggal (detach). As an action, the aswang can separate its body into two different parts, its legs and its body. They still count as one creature. The legs gain a walking speed of up to 40 feet, and the body loses its walking speed and gains a flying speed of 60 feet.

Flyby is a must have for a dive bomber hawk like monster like this one. Frightful presence represents the fearful appearance of such a creature. Aswang in general are shape changers, and blend in with society. I’ve gone with 4 rend attacks, since we want this creature to be about CR15. The Prehensile Tongue is a must have a consuming and grappling ability, very much like ropers. It’s basically word for word. Lastly, the Tanggal ability allows this creatures to split up into two parts.

Place this creature in a crowded forest, a cave with many pathways, or anywhere where visibility is low. Split her up early into two parts, and confuse the party by making them believe there are two creatures. Her relatively high armor class makes her hard to hit, and they’re decent at Dexterity saving throws.

Lastly, TEST. Might update this as I use her more and see how it feels against parties at different levels. Might wanna give her necrotic based spells or even pre-colonial blades as part of her attacks for flavor in game, but otherwise, these stats are all you need to try it out.

All this to say go watch Forgotten Island, it's a great film that isn't getting the love it should be getting. I really wanna make Batibat and were-aspin stats. Tiyanaks are also filthy scary creatures, and would love to make more filipino monster stat blocks. Slowly. 

Thanks for checking it out and most of all, who’s awesome? You’re awesome.