Jabberwocky!

[BOZ]

We’ve been working on a conversion of the Jabberwock from Monstrous Compendium Annual #3 in the Creature Catalog Overhaul Project thread (just go to the last page – trust me) and got stuck on a certain issue.

We want to preserve the idea that the creature is vulnerable to Vorpal weapons (you remember the poem right?) but are having a hard time deciding on a way to make this rules-friendly. We tinkered with different ideas: just giving it DR 15/magic and slashing; giving it regeneration with vorpal weapons as a weakness; making it immune to damage from all non-vorpal weapons.

Right now, we are down to two ideas that might work.

One is to make all weapon attacks nonlethal damage (as if it had regeneration) but it is still subject to critical hits from vorpal weapons.

The second is to give it a damage reduction that only vorpal weapons overcome.

Ideas? Discuss!

 

[BOZ]

bump!

 

[demiurge1138]

DR 10/vorpal might be the way to go, although you could just give it something like...

Vorpal Vulnerability (Ex): The thin neck of a jabberwock is easily severed. When an opponent is confirming a critical hit with a vorpal weapon, the jabberwock's Armor Class is considered to be (actual AC -4).

Demiurge out.

 

[BOZ]

hmm, that might be even sloppier though... let's face it, there's no "easy" way to work this out.

 

[BOZ]

one more bump...

 

[Tessarael]

First, I'm assuming the Jabberwock is a unique creature, and that creating unique mechanics to handle killing it is reasonable.

In a questing type of campaign, it's entirely reasonable that the Jabberwock can only be killed (or hurt) by a vorpal weapon. Then the party has to quest/make a vorpal weapon if they want to (easily) kill the Jabberwock. Or they could just avoid it. Something like DR 15/epic and slashing seems appropriate (compare to Tarrasque and Solar). And allow a vorpal weapon to be able to bypass the DR as well.

 

[BOZ]

Well, the tricky DR is one way, but I had figured out another way that I liked. I was going to go with it unless someone had a way of working on the DR that I liked better:

Resistance to Weapon Damage (Ex): A jabberwock treats damage from bludgeoning, slashing, and piercing weapons as nonlethal damage. A vorpal weapon can kill a jabberwock if the wielder successfully cuts off its head.

Knight Otu suggested something that I might add on though:

A compromise: Weapon attacks except slashing deals non-lethal damage. Slashing weapons deal minimum damage, maybe with DR. Vorpal weapons deal normal damage, and ignore the possible damage.

 

[Knight Otu]

Depending on how high the DR is in that compromise, you could possibly also say that slashing weapons deal their normal damage, but are subject to the DR.

 

[Scion]

Why not a fairly high regen?

Regen 10 (only takes real damage from weapons with the vorpal enhancement)

Any actual killing blow simply describe as decapitation. If actually decapitated by the vorpal then your job is even easier.

Or, if it is truely a weakness, then simply incease the range over which this creature is decapitated. Instead of it being a natural 20 instead increase it by some other amount of at least 1. Possibly more depending on the circumstances.

 

[Majere]

Why not treat it like the tarrasque ?
Give it something like

Regeneration (Ex): No form of attack deals lethal damage to the Jabberwock. The Jabberwock regenerates even if it fails a saving throw against a disintegrate spell or a death effect. If the Jabberwock fails its save against a spell or effect that would kill it instantly (such as those mentioned above), the spell or effect instead deals nonlethal damage equal to the creature’s full normal hit points +10. The Jabberwock is immune to effects that produce incurable or bleeding wounds, such as mummy rot, a sword with the wounding special ability, or a clay golem’s cursed wound ability.
The Jabberwock can be slain only by decapitation with a vorpal weapon.
If the Jabberwock loses a limb or body part, the lost portion regrows in 1d6 minutes (the detached piece dies and decays normally). The creature can reattach the severed member instantly by holding it to the stump.

Majere