Babylon
Babylon
Her Name is a Mystery. Babylon, the Mother of Abominations, is an entity of the Dream Realm and the personification of doubt itself. As tall as a mountain, and wielding power that defies even the laws of magic, few have experienced the sheer terror that accompanies being in her presence, and far fewer have returned to speak her name.
“She was clothed in purple and adorned in gold,
and held in her hand a cup full of abominations.”
-Revelation 17:4
In many ways, Babylon is a dark perversion of the Woman. Where the Woman is the personification of faith, chastity, and steadfastness, Babylon is her counterpart: a perfect incarnation of doubt, adultery, and betrayal. She is fueled by the innate doubt of creatures in her presence, and she is even immune to damage and other negative effects that come from a creature that has even a flicker of doubt in its soul. However, she has a weakness too: Babylon is mortally wounded by an act of faith made in her presence.
“On her forehead was written a name, a Mystery... and I saw that she was drunk on the blood of the saints.”
-Revelation 17:5-6
Cup of Iniquity. The source of Babylon’s strength is a powerful artifact called the Cup of Iniquity, a golden chalice that is filled to the brim with blood. Whenever a creature is killed for its faith on the Material plane, more blood is added to the chalice. Because of this, the chalice is constantly overflowing, and Babylon is strengthened
Armor of the Faithless
Babylon’s “Armor of the Faithless” feature is fueled by the innate doubt in a creature. Usually this ability is triggered by in-character comments made by the player, such as “what is our plan of attack?” or “I don’t think this is going to work.”
Questions expressed out-of-character, such as “would you pass me the snacks?” or “what do I add to this roll?” are considered “table talk,” and do not trigger this ability. However, if a player expresses frustration or confusion out loud during the encounter, (example: “this encounter is impossible!”) this may reflect the inner doubt of their character and thus could trigger Babylon’s damage immunity. Whether or not a player’s comments represent their character’s inner thoughts is determined by the GM.
by the knowledge that her progeny are hard at work on the Material Plane, sowing doubt and slaying people of faith.
The blood in the Cup of Iniquity is not the actual blood of the martyrs; it is a symbolic incarnation of the reality of martyrdom in another realm of existence. However, in the Dream Realm, symbols take on a reality of their own. When Babylon channels the power of the Cup of Iniquity, she has the power to create Bloodfiends, powerful abominations bent on the destruction of Babylon’s enemies.
| d8 | Eternal Doubt Table |
|---|---|
| 1 | Is there even a God if things like this can happen? Your Wisdom score decreases by 1, but cannot fall below 10. |
| 2 | Nothing I do works; why should I keep trying? You gain 1 level of Exhaustion, which cannot be removed by a Long Rest. |
| 3 | Why am I wasting my time when I know how to get what I want? Your Flaw is increased in a way chosen by the GM. |
| 4 | Would my friends be better off without me? You no longer engage in small talk, and avoid forming connections with others. |
| 5 | The thought of making a mistake causes me to hesitate. You suffer a permanent -5 penalty to initiative rolls. |
| 6 | People compliment my talents, but I still feel like I am “faking” it. You lose one of your proficiencies (player’s choice). |
| 7 | I am not worthy. Your Charisma score decreases by 1, but cannot fall below 10. |
| 8 | Sometimes I replay conversations in my head and think about what I should have said differently. You take 1d4 psychic damage each time you speak. |
Babylon in the Bible
Babylon appears in chapter 17 of the book of Revelation where she is described as a “great whore” who has committed fornication with the kings of the earth. This language is often viewed as misogynistic by modern sensibilities, but the sexual language used to describe her meant something very specific to Judeo-Christian theology in the first century.
From the earliest stories in the Bible, humanity’s relationship to God was thought of and described through the language of romance and courtship, where God and God’s people are lovers. Any time a group of people turn away from God or demonstrate a lack of faith, they are often described using the language of sexual infidelity. In fact, the concepts of “adultery” and “idolatry” are so interchangeable in ancient theology that it is sometimes difficult to know whether certain Bible verses are talking about literal or figurative adultery.
The otherworldly entity called “Babylon” is the symbolic pinnacle of faithlessness, and is thus labeled the “great whore” since early Christians were accustomed to using sexual language in their theology. The true identity of Babylon is, as Revelation 17:5 suggests, a mystery. Ancient Christians would have viewed her as symbolic of Rome, the antagonist of Christianity; however, she is more than this. Mystery, Babylon the Great, Mother of Abominations, is symbolic of the cult and culture of faithlessness. Any time a society not only turns away from faith, but goes so far as to mock, persecute, and even kill people for their faith, it has become a new Babylon.
Babylon
Gargantuan Enigma, Neutral Evil
Armor Class: 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points: 207 (18d8 + 126)
Speed: 50 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 (+5) | 12 (+1) | 25 (+7) | 13 (+1) | 10 (+0) | 20 (+5) |
Saving Throws: Str +12, Con +14, Wis +7
Skills: Athletics +12, Insight +7, Perception +7
Condition Immunities: charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned.
Senses: Blindsight 120 ft. (blind beyond this radius)
Languages: Common, Telepathy 120 ft. (does not speak)
Challenge: 23 (50,000 XP)
Proficiency: +7
Features
Armor of the Faithless: If a creature within 120 feet of Babylon holds in its mind a doubt, a fear, a question, or an uncertainty, Babylon becomes immune to all damage and other negative effects (including spells) that originate from that creature until the end of the creature’s next turn.
Eternal Presence: Babylon is immune to any spell or effect that would alter her form or change her location, such as polymorph, banishment, or gate.
Virtue Vulnerability: If a creature within 120 feet of Babylon uses an action to demonstrate faith, forgiveness, or personal growth, she suffers 49 (14d6) Psychic damage. If the creature takes this action while trapped in Babylon’s Manifest Doom illusion instead of trying to escape, this damage is doubled.
Actions
Manifest Doom: Babylon targets one creature she can sense within 120 feet. They are immediately engulfed in an illusory scene that they can touch, smell, see, and hear. The illusion fills a 20-foot-cube, and is a reflection of their worst fears, and a perversion of their Bonds and Ideals. The target can escape from the illusion by using their action to make an DC 20 ability check. The target can choose which skill to use when making this check, as long as they can justify how using the skill would aid their escape.
Invoke Doubt: Babylon points at a creature she can sense within 120 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or become Cursed. While Cursed in this way, a creature permanently gains a doubt, chosen by the GM or determined randomly by rolling on the “Eternal Doubt” Table. This Curse may be removed by any magic that removes a Curse, only if it is accompanied by a successful DC 20 Arcana or Religion check from the caster.
Sunder Fortitude: Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 42 (4d20) psychic damage and the target must succeed on a DC 20 Intelligence saving throw or become Frightened for 1 minute. A creature Frightened in this way may repeat the saving throw on each of its turns, ending the effect on itself with a success.
Legendary Actions
Babylon can take 3 Legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. Babylon regains spent legendary actions at the start of her turn.
Spill Blood: Four drops of blood fall from the rim of Babylon’s goblet, transforming into 4 Bloodfiend Furies that hover in unoccupied spaces within 10 feet and join combat (Furies act on their own initiative as a group).
Decant Blood (costs 2 actions): Babylon pours a gout of blood from her goblet onto an unoccupied space within 10 feet, where it transforms into a Bloodfiend Berserker that joins combat (Berserkers act on their own initiative as a group).
Cascade of Blood (costs 3 actions): Babylon pours a river of blood from her goblet into an unoccupied space within 10 feet, and from it rises a Bloodfiend Onslaught that joins combat (Onslaughts act on their own initiative as a group).
Azrael's Guide to the Apocalypse, printed pages 186, 187.