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D&D 3E/3.5 Creature Catalog 3.5 Overhaul Project


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OK, I have just found this thread.

I would love to help out in monster development, though I think I will wait unil next round of monsters...if there is any.

I checked back, but you were right Boz, this thread is sooooo large. If there is work currently going on on another critter other than the anachu I am in (but a reminder please;))

Pity I just got in on this, but it looks like the two of you may appreciate some further help;) ?

Connors
 

Of course we always appreciate help when offered. :) Like the other conversion threads, this one got slowed down a bit due to my busy personal life. But slow is not the same as stop. ;)

I don’t see too many issues left on the anuchu. For this skill bonus, I had originally set the value at +2; does that sound like something we should keep or raise?

Skills: *Anuchu have a +X racial bonus on Move Silently checks when in natural surroundings.

Darkvision or low-light vision?
 

BOZ said:
I don’t see too many issues left on the anuchu. For this skill bonus, I had originally set the value at +2; does that sound like something we should keep or raise?

Skills: *Anuchu have a +X racial bonus on Move Silently checks when in natural surroundings.
I'd set it to +4 since it is only situational.

BOZ said:
Darkvision or low-light vision?
Low-light vision makes more sense for forest-dwellers.
 



good deal. isn't it interesting how close some of these monsters were to being finished right before i became unable to keep up with them? :)

ok, next since i had it ready is jabberwocky!!! :) there are at least two D&D versions of him. this one comes from Dragon mag #54. there was also one in Monstrous Compendium Annual #3, which i will need to compare and see if we can successfully merge the two or not. anyway, here are the original stats:

JABBERWOCK
Huge Aberration
Hit Dice: 15d8+45 (112 hp)
Initiative: +0 (Dex)
Speed: 40 ft, fly 40 ft (average)
AC: 30 (–2 size, +22 natural)
Attacks: Bite +17 melee, 2 claws +17 melee
Damage: Bite 2d8+8, claw 2d4+4
Face/Reach: 10 ft by 20 ft/10 ft
Special Attacks: Burble, paralysis gaze, frightful presence, improved grab, flurry of blows
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 35/+3, SR 27
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +5, Will +10
Abilities: Str 26, Dex 11, Con 20, Int 4, Wis 12, Cha 17
Skills: Listen +12, Spot +12, Wilderness Lore +9

Climate/Terrain: Any forest
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 17
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 16–30 HD (Huge); 31–45 HD (Gargantuan)

The jabberwock is a curious creature found only in dense forests. In appearance it resembles a dragon in its general outlines but lacks a breath weapon or any treasure-hoarding instinct. It is, however, fiercely territorial and attempts to slay and devour any intruders it finds in the confines of its territory.

The jabberwock is a solitary creature that apparently treats all other beings it meets as prey. The only exceptions to this rule are druids, which the jabberwock ignores, and sylvan creatures such as dryads, treants, forest gnomes, and the like, who can sense its approach and discreetly withdraw in order to avoid a confrontation. It is believed that, like the tarrasque, only one jabberwock exists at any one time.

Despite its unwavering ferocity, the jabberwock serves a very important function for the forest it inhabits. In essence, it is the woods’ protector, its very presence serving to keep away most of those who would exploit or destroy the woodlands.

The jabberwock has a stout draconian torso with sturdy hind legs, long forearms each ending in four feathery talons (each talon being some four feet long and fully prehensile), a long sinuous neck ending in an enormous head, a pair of elegant wings, and a long thin tail. The creature can rear up on its hind legs and actually take a few steps in biped fashion if the need arises.

Combat
The jabberwock is a fearsome opponent. Once a jabberwock has chosen a target, it concentrates all its attacks on that creature until either that creature or the jabberwock is killed. The jabberwock’s preferred method of attack is a bite.

Burble (Su): A jabberwock constantly mutters or burbles to itself—a low, rumbling bubbling sound that carries up to 200 feet. Anyone who hears this sound must make a Will save (DC 20) or be affected as by confusion cast by a 15th-level sorcerer. Affected creatures will remain confused until removed from the area of effect. Creatures making a successful saving throw, must roll new saves each round they are in the area of effect.

The burble also acts as a sort of reversed tongues spell; the victim’s words slide, shift, and blend, producing odd hybrids that make communication very difficult. Any spellcaster trying to cast a spell with a verbal component while under the effects of the burbling must make a Concentration check (DC 20) or the spell will fail.

Paralysis Gaze (Su): Paralyzed for 1d6+2 minutes, 50 feet, Fortitude save (DC 20).

Frightful Presence (Su): This ability takes effect whenever the jabberwock charges, attacks, or flies overhead. Any creature within 200 feet with less than 15 HD must make a Will save (DC 20) to remain immune to that jabberwock’s frightful presence for one day. On a failure, creatures with 4 or fewer HD become panicked for 4d6 rounds and those with 5 or more HD become shaken for 5d6 rounds. Jabberwocks ignore the frightful presence of other jabberwocks.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use the ability, the jabberwock must hit an opponent of up to Medium-size with its claw attack. If it gets a hold, it deals automatic bite damage each round the hold is maintained.

Flurry of Blows (Ex): When faced by overwhelming odds, a jabberwock may strike with a flurry of blows at the expense of accuracy. When doing so, the jabberwock may make one extra attack in a round at its highest attack bonus, but this attack and each other attack made that round suffer a –2 penalty apiece.

The jabberwock must use the full attack action to strike with a flurry of blows.

The Jabberwock first appeared Dragon #54.
 

Well, the first thing I'd strongly recommend is changing it to the dragon type.

From the MM:

"Dragon Type: A dragon is a reptilelike creature, usually winged, with magical or unusual abilities."

"Dragon: A dragon is a reptilelike creature, usually winged, with magical or unusual abilities. This type is exceptionally powerful, combining good combat ability, hit points, and saving throws.
Use the dragon type for variations on the basic dragon design (a flying reptile with supernatural abilities). If your creature is essentially just a flying reptile (such as a pterodactyl), the animal or magical beast type may be more suitable."
 


Don’t want to get too deeply into this guy yet… I want to get a good look at the MCA 3 version.

I do agree that the Aberration type doesn’t sit quite well with them. Magical Beast is much better, and Dragon may well be better than that. It’s not a true dragon, but it “has a stout draconian torso” and resembles a dragon more than anything else…

You think DR 15/magic is sufficient?

Here are the original Dragon #54 stats:

THE JABBERWOCK
FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 0 head and body; 6 underbelly.
MOVE: 9”; 15” when charging
HIT DICE: 10x10 to 12x12
% IN LAIR: 25%
TREASURE TYPE: F, R
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 4-16/4-16/3-36
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Tail, fear
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Surprised only on a 1
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
ALIGNMENT: Neutral (evil)
SIZE: L (45’)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil

The Jabberwock is a huge reptilian beast which inhabits light forests or broken wastelands. The creatures resemble dragons in some respects and are occasionally mistaken for them in conditions of poor lighting. Jabberwocks, however, are wingless and far more ungainly than dragons. They do share the dragon’s interest in hoarding treasure. Jabberwocks are fierce fighters, carnivores by nature, and fond of human meat.
Jabberwocks are solitary beasts, coming together only during their violent mating season. They hibernate during periods of intense cold and are most active at brillig. The Jabberwock’s lair is generally found in a cave or underground in a moist, cool, and dark place, since these are the conditions necessary for the maturation of their eggs. Eggs (2-8) are laid after the spring mating season, which often only one adult of a pair (fortunately for Jabberwocks, generally the female) survives. The eggs mature and hatch in roughly five years. They are generally laid in different places each year, since Jabberwock hatchlings tend to eat unhatched eggs when they can find them.
Jabberwocks gain hit points as dragons do, by age, and mature in the same eight stages that dragons do, each stage representing a period of about 15 years. It is unknown whether Jabberwocks die of old age, since no one has ever been able to observe one for any length of time in the wilds. Jabberwocks put in captivity always die within a month.
Jabberwocks grow to tremendous size: 30-foot-long bodies and 15-foot-long tails are not unusual, and a full-grown creature stands 8 feet tall at the shoulder. The body is protected by thick, muddy green armor plates, while the soft underbelly is protected by its low (2-foot-high) ground clearance, when it is not standing erect. It attacks via its two forefeet, with claws (the size of a short sword) that cause 4-16 points of damage each, and its huge mouth which can swallow a human-sized being whole. On a roll of 20 which hits, the victim is swallowed and suffers instant death from digestive juices which can dissolve a human body in seconds. Larger beings can be partly swallowed, causing double damage and the loss of a limb (determined at random), which usually proves fatal.
A Jabberwock’s eyes glow like flames, giving off a faint light in the dark. Gazing upon the eyes and failing a saving throw vs. paralyzation causes fear in creatures of less than 4+1 hit dice. Those that fail the saving throw are rooted to the spot as if paralyzed for 2-8 rounds unless they make a subsequent saving throw, in which case they will run in terror for 1-4 turns. Additionally, the whiffling noise made by a charging Jabberwock is greatly feared by horses and will cause them to throw their riders and flee.
Opponents to the rear of the creature will be attacked by the Jabberwock’s spiky tail, which is constantly weaving back and forth to prevent attacks from behind. The tail will attack 1 opponent at a time (randomly determined if more than one is within its 15-foot range), attack at -2 to hit and do 2-24 damage.
The Jabberwock is virtually immune to surprise because of its extraordinary senses of smell and hearing. It wilt be aware of invisible opponents, though it cannot see them. It has 90’ infravision.
The Jabberwock can detect the existence of a vorpal blade from approximately a mile away. The creatures hate and fear such weapons, the hate winning out in most cases. A Jabberwock will seek out the wielder of a vorpal blade and stalk him through all manner of terrain, waiting until the sword’s owner sets it aside or is asleep. Then it will charge the party, ignoring all other threats to its safety, attempting to vanquish the vorpal sword’s owner before the blade can be put into action. Should the Jabberwock slay all of the party and gain possession of the sword, it will dispose of it in the bottom of a quicksand pit or some other inaccessible place.
Description: The Jabberwock is heavily armor-plated everywhere except its soft underbelly. Its four-footed body is dark muddy green above and a pale yellow below. The head is shaped somewhat like an alligator’s, while the remainder of the body is like a desert lizard. The three-toed feet are webbed and heavily clawed, and its small, “flaming” eyes are protected by bulbous horny ridges. A series of bony shoulder projections (occasionally mistaken for folded wings) produce an eerie whiffling sound which rises from a barely audible wail at a trot to a screeching, banshee-like howling at full charge.
The Jabberwock breathes through a gill-like mechanism as well as through its lungs, producing a burbling sound when it is under a strain (i.e., charging or fighting). This characteristic, as well as the webbed toes and moist habitat, points to the Jabberwock’s evolutionary niche as a semi-amphibious predator.
 

Into the Woods

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