Let's Read The Monster Manual II: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Fight Them

[Requilac]

@unoriginal
I didn't mean to rush you, I'm sorrry if it came across like that. You should do it whenever you want, I was just saying that it seemed like people were bored of intellect devourers. I was just afraid that if we don't keep updating frequently, then people would get disenterested and the thread would die. But I did not mean that you should have written at that exact time. Sorry if I seemed too impatient or overly aggressive, I am trying my best to communicate my thoughts and sometimes I am poor with my wording. My apologies for seeming like that, it was not my intention at all.

[Estrillian]

I've always thought of the Intellect Devourer as being D&D's version of the classic Fiend without a Face, from the 1958 horror movie of the same name, a disembodied brain that moves around on its spinal cord, throttling people with its nerve stem.



The Fiend was invisible (most of the time, it is made visible by radiation) and although they could not possess people like the Intellect Devourer, they could remove the brains from people to reproduce (technically I think they infect people first, and then the now-independent brain creatures drag themselves free of the bodies).

[Unoriginal]

Invisible Stalker

Introduction: Malevolent or simply hostile invisible creatures have been present in fiction for a very long time, from Platon's Ring of Gyges to the Predator movie, passing through Lovecraft's description of Abdul Alhazred's death. The inherent danger and paranoida-inducing creepiness of being unable to see your aggressor, not to mention the images conjured by one's mind when facing the unseen, provokes an instinctual, primal fear, and this take on the concept by D&D shows how something very simple can be effective.

Stalking adventurers since 1974, the Invisible Stalker is a creature whose name summarize its whole: it creeps around and attack people while being totally invisible.


Art: The Invisible Stalker has always posed a dilemma when it came time to draw it: how do you portray something whose defining characteristic is to be invisible? Some of the previous editions went for the "empty picture" version, others for the "empty room" one, and others for the "faint outline to show the creature's presence" approach.

5e, for it parts, went for a "spectral yet clearly visible, colored-but-translucent creature" approach, which is puzzling for obvious reasons. On one hand, the Stalker is very visible and bigger than its medium side implies, and rather than using the attack described in its statblock, the bludgeoning slam, it seems to grappling and cutting its victim. be On the other hand, the artworks aren't bad, showing a human in armor being killed by a clearly dangerous spirit, with the floating objects making a nod to the creature's wind-and-air nature, forming a fairly dynamic picture that demonstrates the "lethal menace" creed of the Stalker.


Purpose and Tactics:

With its low AC mitigated by invisibility, its decent but not amazing slam attacks, and its appreciable but not impressive amount of HPs and Resistances (as well as some interesting Immunities), the Invisible Stalker would be a fairly average CR 6 combatant, in a straight fight.

But why would they give their preys a straight fight?

The Stalker's true strength is to use its impressive Stealth to hide and attack their surprised opponents, and maybe use the disadvantage their foes have due to invisibility to disengage and dodge the enemy's AoO.

If in a team with others, the Stalker can also be an efficient helper.

Thanks to their decent stats, the Stalker can have some success grappling or shoving the adventurers with the less STR in the group.

Their proficiency in Stealth makes the Stalkers effective infiltrators and spies, but it also makes them very interesting guards when coupled with their proficiency in Perception, as they can detect approaching intruders while staying discreet themselves. Finally, their Faultless Tracker trait makes them good jailers for specific prisoners and good hunters, aided by not needing to sleep, breath or eat.


Fluff:Much like the being itself, the Invisible Stalker's fluff is simple but effective.

The Stalker is an air elemental spirit summoned with a purpose, and while it hates being compelled like that, it *will* accomplish its task. Unless it manages to twist the instructions given to it, as the Stalker might be a summoned spirit, but it's a *spiteful* summoned spirit.

All in all, the text manage to give some personality, or at least an identity, to the monster, which adds some flavor to an otherwise hard to notice.


Hooks:

Fright by Night, Fray by Day: a strange threat is terrorizing the city, launching devastating attacks on various districts during the night. None of the survivors were able to describe the violent but stealthy aggressor, but there is mentions of objects and people being projected by some unseen force, like by magic. Fear among the population and the tension with the city's mages increase each day, not to mention the various factions and noble houses blaming each other, and the adventurers must show result quick if they want to avoid riots, or simply be used as scapegoats by an irate mob.


He Who Sows The Wind : The wizard Antorius has summoned an Invisible Stalker to deal with one of his rivals. Unfortunately, he left a big loophole in his instructions, which allows the Stalker to target not only his rival, but any mage the Stalker wants, and it very much desire to punish Antorius for its binding, harassing him whenever he tries to rest and making him unable to recover the spells needed to deal with the elemental for good. The wizard, desperate and exhausted, turns to the adventurers to protect him long enough for him to have a proper rest.


A Revenge Unnoticed : A foe of the adventurers, who escaped their first encounter, has sent an Invisible Stalker (or several) to kill them. Or at least, keep them busy while said foe is conducting another scheme...





Verdict: A pretty decent monster who serves its purpose well, without making too much sparks.

[Requilac]

Despite what its stats imply, I think the invisible stalker is incredibly dangerous for its CR. It is invisible and has a +10 to stealth, so odds are that it will go undetected and can easily sneak up on the party. This is especially dangerous as they probably have some basic intelligence, judging by their intelligence score and ability to find loopholes in commands, so it's reasonable for them to target squisher enemies first. I can imagine them being devastating even to a powerful adventuring party if the invisible stalker has an ally distracting the martials while it sneaks up behind the casters and crushes them. When used effectively, I could imagine them being very hard to deal with.

[ScathachOfSkye]

The Invisible Stalker is pretty weak and boring in attacks, as the two slams deal around a CR 3 monster worth of damage. However, the rest of its stat block gives a lot of interesting ways to use it in a fight, so I guess that they didn't want to put too much complexity into it or make it too immediately lethal given its insane infiltration ability.

Its permanent invisibility plus high stealth modifier combined with high speed, flight, and a long list of immunities mean that it can be a very difficult opponent to ever lock down. It can just fly past the party tanks without facing opportunity attacks and charge the casters. It can easily jump in and out of fights, so actually finishing one off would be pretty difficult.

I imagine that it would be pretty easy to make your players hate this thing once they realize that its defenses make it very easy for it to ignore many of the options that players have at their disposal.

[ZeltArruin]

I really like the idea of using an invisible stalker in an urban setting as an unstoppable hitman, or 'the guild's judgement', or some-such. It lend's itself well to a more political or round-about problem resolution too, as stopping the summoner or controller could end the threat, as opposed to tracking down an invisible, practically undetectable, non-sleeping, flying monster. I've been working on my own setting and trying to come up with city adventures, and this really sparks my imagination.

[Unoriginal]

Despite what its stats imply, I think the invisible stalker is incredibly dangerous for its CR. It is invisible and has a +10 to stealth, so odds are that it will go undetected and can easily sneak up on the party. This is especially dangerous as they probably have some basic intelligence, judging by their intelligence score and ability to find loopholes in commands, so it's reasonable for them to target squisher enemies first. I can imagine them being devastating even to a powerful adventuring party if the invisible stalker has an ally distracting the martials while it sneaks up behind the casters and crushes them. When used effectively, I could imagine them being very hard to deal with.

The Invisible Stalker is pretty weak and boring in attacks, as the two slams deal around a CR 3 monster worth of damage. However, the rest of its stat block gives a lot of interesting ways to use it in a fight, so I guess that they didn't want to put too much complexity into it or make it too immediately lethal given its insane infiltration ability.

Its permanent invisibility plus high stealth modifier combined with high speed, flight, and a long list of immunities mean that it can be a very difficult opponent to ever lock down. It can just fly past the party tanks without facing opportunity attacks and charge the casters. It can easily jump in and out of fights, so actually finishing one off would be pretty difficult.

I imagine that it would be pretty easy to make your players hate this thing once they realize that its defenses make it very easy for it to ignore many of the options that players have at their disposal.

Well, as said in my post, the Stalker would be an average threat in a straight fight, but it has no reason to engage in a straight fight.


Invisible Stalkers have intelligence and charisma similar to your average humanoid, but they are pretty wise, which means they know how to pick their targets and use tactics to make the encounter harder.

But DMs should remember the Stalker needs to use the Hide action to actually be concealed during a fight. Being invisible gives nice perks, but it doesn't make one automatically undetected.


Now, if you want a "finishing move" for the Stalker, or even an opening move, here's one:

-Grapple with one of the "squishy" members of the team (wizard, ranged rogue, etc)

-Fly up 50ft, carrying the adventurer

-Keep grappling with the adventurer even if they attack

-Fly up 50ft again the next turn

-Attack the PC when you can

-Rince and repeat until the Stalker is either low on HP or is otherwise in danger

-Once you reach that point, let the adventurer fall

-Get an AoO attack since by falling they leave the space the Stalker control

-Watch the adventurer get 1d6 of additional damages per 10ft of fall (so at least 10d6 if you did it 2 turns) once they land

[DerKommissar]

I think i while post smth on the invisible stalker later, as i don't really have time atm.

Just about the AoO: i think thats debatable:
- the stalker doesn't get one against the dropped pc as he doesn't leave it using an action

- the dropped pc shouldn't get one as the stalker doesn't leave the threatened area, but the dropped one does... really a corner case, but i don't think it counts as provoking, otherwise if you push someone 5ft out of your range he'd get one against you as well

[Unoriginal]

I think i while post smth on the invisible stalker later, as i don't really have time atm.

Just about the AoO: i think thats debatable:
- the stalker doesn't get one against the dropped pc as he doesn't leave it using an action

- the dropped pc shouldn't get one as the stalker doesn't leave the threatened area, but the dropped one does... really a corner case, but i don't think it counts as provoking, otherwise if you push someone 5ft out of your range he'd get one against you as well

Fair enough, but it should be said the dropped PC cannot get an AoO anyway, because it's not the Stalker leaving the space. I think being projected out of a controlled space means the one controlling the space can AoO you,though.

[DerKommissar]

Fair enough, but it should be said the dropped PC cannot get an AoO anyway, because it's not the Stalker leaving the space. I think being projected out of a controlled space means the one controlling the space can AoO you,though.

It used to be like that in 3.5 but Player Handbook p. 195 clarifies that you don't receive one if you get moved without using your action/reaction/movement.

[Shining Wrath]

I've used Invisible Stalkers as minions of a hag that escaped the party. Being a hag, she was vengeful; and summoning Invisible Stalkers and sending them to kill the Paladin (of course the Paladin. She's a hag, she hates pretty good boys) kept the party on their toes.

I've only used Intellect Devourers as minions of Mind Flayers to up the CR of an encounter. The party took them out fast and hard, which gave the Mind Flayer time to maneuver; a good deal for the Mind Flayer. I intend to use a commoner possessed by an ID as a messenger in the future.

[Regitnui]

Invisible stalkers are definitely better encountered in a city or as part of a vengeance plot. But I would also use them as substitutes for the Howling Dead of the Mournland and other similarly hostile incorporeal beings.

They might make a good base for a Living Spell, with an at-will Innate Spellcasting trait.

[the_brazenburn]

Yeah, the invisible stalker seems kind of odd. In theory, it should be nearly impossible to kill, since it is impossible to detect. I like the idea of a city full of air mages that uses invisible stalkers as sort of a police force. I also might refluff them as a creature created by the dying breath of an evil person, or maybe bits of mist from a swamp where a dead body was hidden...

[Unoriginal]

Yeah, the invisible stalker seems kind of odd. In theory, it should be nearly impossible to kill, since it is impossible to detect.

The Invisible Stalker is *not* impossible to detect. Just kinda hard (by the standards of professional adventurers).

First, even if the +10 Dex(Stealth) bonus of the Stalker is high, it's far from impossible to overcome. More than one adventurer in each group should have a chance to notice the Stalker if they're searching for it, and your average watchdog would have a more than decent chance to detect the air spirit.

Second, the Stalker *can't* hide and attack on the same turn. Ergo, unless it's using a trap against the PCs, the Stalker cannot damage them unless it blows its cover. Which means that unless it's careful, the Stalker will do one Multiattack and then get attacked by the group (an AC 14 isn't that hard to hit, with the disadvantage from invisibility being the saving grace).



On another topic, I think people tend to forget that despite mostly being summoned to kill people and hating their summoners, the Stalkers are neutral beings, not particularly malevolent.

Given its mental stats, if the occasion of talking to one arises (if one of the PCs speak the Air Language), the PCs could very well be surprised by the wise, if alien, viewpoint the elemental has on the world, and the range in personalities different Stalkers can exhibit.

As DMs, don't be afraid to give your Stalkers individuality. Some could be tricksters, others polite gentlemen, others paranoid and nervous, etc.



Also, now that I think of it, do you guys want me to do the next entry?

[M Placeholder]

I would like to do the Kenku.

[the_brazenburn]

T

The Invisible Stalker is *not* impossible to detect. Just kinda hard (by the standards of professional adventurers)

I meant that in theory, it should be impossible to detect (at least by sight). I'm actually underwhelmed by 5e's invisibility.

[Requilac]

Yeah, the invisible stalker seems kind of odd. In theory, it should be nearly impossible to kill, since it is impossible to detect.

I would not quite say that the invisible stalker is nearly impossible to defeat just because it is invisble. It still makes noise, disturbs objects in the area around it and you could probably feel it move past to or next to you (the one time where "perhaps it was just the wind" is ironically the worst possible scenario). A perceptive and talented enough person could probably tell where it is brushing past something and just aim at that direction. And if you know it's general position, then you could just a launch an AoE or volley in that direction and hope for the best. It may also be possible to throw some type of dust or powder onto the invisible stalker so that you can find its outline (I have seen this strategy used in movies and books many times before). Even though the invisible stalker is made of wind and would probably blow the dust off pretty quickly, you only need a few seconds to make a proper attack. Also spells such as faerie fire would make it glow and become possible to hit. They are many ways around invisibility, you just have to think outside the box (or, you know, steal someone else's idea).

@dark sun gnome
Let's not forgot the Jackalwere before we move on to the kenku.

[M Placeholder]

@dark sun gnome
Let's not forgot the Jackalwere before we move on to the kenku.

Didn't forget the Jackalwere, just haven't got much to say on them. Have got quite a bit to say on the Kenku and how it has seemingly swallowed up the Tengu, and how much the monster has changed over the editions.

[Unoriginal]

T

I meant that in theory, it should be impossible to detect (at least by sight). I'm actually underwhelmed by 5e's invisibility.

The Stalker IS impossible to detect by sight (like all invisible things), but there are more senses than sight.

Didn't forget the Jackalwere, just haven't got much to say on them. Have got quite a bit to say on the Kenku and how it has seemingly swallowed up the Tengu, and how much the monster has changed over the editions.

I can do the Jackalwere tomorrow.

[Requilac]

@ unoriginal

That's fine if you want to wright the Jackalwere entry, go ahead. It seems like people are not yet bored of the invisible stalker, but we could always continue discussing them after the Jackalwere entry is created.

I plan on writing an entry sometime in the nearby future, but I want to write about monster that I have had experience with, or one that I am just really interested in.

@dark sun gnome

The tengu... I have played no other D&D edition except for 5th, but that name sounds familiar to me somehow. Is it a creature from mythology? I could have sworn I saw it mentioned in a book or a museum or something, are they from Chinese legends?

[Unoriginal]

Tengu are Japanese mythical beings. Generally represented as crow-or-raven-people, or as flying men with red faces and very long noses

[DerKommissar]

I think if id use the invisible stalker i would give it something like sneak attack, as it seems to me that the only viable combat option for them is massive hit and run. This would make its name trait - invisibility - more powerfull, while the PCs can "defang" it by taking the invisibility (the main trait) away. The grappling and flying up to drop for damage is smth my PLayers wouldn't like from a medium creature and it seems a bit like a d**k move to pull as a dm (for extra points grab the wizard while he is sleeping).

That said i really like them and i would actually not use them as a combat opponent for my pcs, but rather e.g. In some npc vs npc way or a mystery to solve. Im pretty confident my players who are at lvl 3-4 could beat the stalker in a straight up fight, which would waste its potential for being perceived as a threat: knowing there is smth invisible killing people evokes more (good) fear and atmosphere than having a fight where the enemy is constantly hitting and running cause its actually to weak to stand up in a fight. Plus i somehow want to use these tactics very rarely, as it can easily seem i want to just harrass my players for no good reasons (e.g. Rest nuking them).

A Invisible Stalker should have a mission and if that mission is "kill the pcs" its basically just an invisible random encounter ogre. It can also steal, kidnap, rescue, scout, get smth to scry, stalk [ ;) ], guard, spook, deliver messages, sabotage, make a heist, bodyguard, infiltrate, transport people (would be a nice mount if you don't care about it being a ridiculous one - see above), siege cities dropping down burning pitch, spy, listen to the conversation of the king with his generals, follow the wizards daughter to scare of the boys,.... seriously its an invisible, flying servant - whats not to like :)

[M Placeholder]

Tengu are Japanese mythical beings. Generally represented as crow-or-raven-people, or as flying men with red faces and very long noses

They were in the Monstrous Compendium: Kara-Tur, and comprised two types - the Crow Tengu, who were small sized and were crow people, complete with wings, and the Humanoid Tengu, who more closely resembled the traditional Japanese portrayal of a red or blue faced human with a long nose, and were either wingless or had stunted wings. The Humanoid Tengu, amongst other features, also had pretty potent spellcasting abilities.

[Requilac]

or as flying men with red faces and very long noses

I understand that they are called "random encounters" for a reason, but this one takes it too far. Of all the things I expect to be attacked by while hiking up a mountain side, I have to admit that fly red-faced men with pinnochio noses are not on the list of things I plan for.

[SharkForce]

I think if id use the invisible stalker i would give it something like sneak attack, as it seems to me that the only viable combat option for them is massive hit and run. This would make its name trait - invisibility - more powerfull, while the PCs can "defang" it by taking the invisibility (the main trait) away. The grappling and flying up to drop for damage is smth my PLayers wouldn't like from a medium creature and it seems a bit like a d**k move to pull as a dm (for extra points grab the wizard while he is sleeping).

That said i really like them and i would actually not use them as a combat opponent for my pcs, but rather e.g. In some npc vs npc way or a mystery to solve. Im pretty confident my players who are at lvl 3-4 could beat the stalker in a straight up fight, which would waste its potential for being perceived as a threat: knowing there is smth invisible killing people evokes more (good) fear and atmosphere than having a fight where the enemy is constantly hitting and running cause its actually to weak to stand up in a fight. Plus i somehow want to use these tactics very rarely, as it can easily seem i want to just harrass my players for no good reasons (e.g. Rest nuking them).

A Invisible Stalker should have a mission and if that mission is "kill the pcs" its basically just an invisible random encounter ogre. It can also steal, kidnap, rescue, scout, get smth to scry, stalk [ ;) ], guard, spook, deliver messages, sabotage, make a heist, bodyguard, infiltrate, transport people (would be a nice mount if you don't care about it being a ridiculous one - see above), siege cities dropping down burning pitch, spy, listen to the conversation of the king with his generals, follow the wizards daughter to scare of the boys,.... seriously its an invisible, flying servant - whats not to like :)

giving them much more damage is actually quite dangerous. see what happens some time when a handful of them show up in the back and hit the squishies if nobody notices them... it's a pretty big chunk of the HP of a typical wizard or sorcerer...

also, quite frankly, they're air elementals. modified, sure, but they're air elementals. flying up into the air and dropping someone sounds exactly like how they would think to me.

[Envyus]

I found a pretty fun example of a Invisible Stalker in the Adventure Princes of the Apocalypse. One of the villains Aeresi who likes to act like a queen and leads an air cult has an invisible stalker named Whisper under her control. And one of her pastimes is using Whisper to kill minions who disappoint her. Which I saw as her as pretty much trying to look like Darth Vader force choking her minions.

[War_lord]

They were in the Monstrous Compendium: Kara-Tur, and comprised two types - the Crow Tengu, who were small sized and were crow people, complete with wings, and the Humanoid Tengu, who more closely resembled the traditional Japanese portrayal of a red or blue faced human with a long nose, and were either wingless or had stunted wings. The Humanoid Tengu, amongst other features, also had pretty potent spellcasting abilities.

In Japanese mythology Tengu started off being depicted as Crow demons, and over time depictions evolved to the old man with a red face and huge nose. So both depictions are accurate.

[Unoriginal]

Will write Jackalwere tomorrow. Sorry, couldn't do it today.

[Unoriginal]

Jackalwere

Introduction: Present in the game since the first Monster Manual of 1977, the Jackalwere is a creature whose impact on the game could be summarized, as far as I can see, by this analogy: "always the bridesmaid, never the bride".

Not enjoying outside-of-D&D fame like the classical Werewolves, Golems and other Orcs, not iconic like the Beholder, the Mind Flayer or the Drider, and not silly but memorable like the Flumph or the Flail Snail, the Jackalwere occupie the far from pleasant spot of being a (mostly) original monster with a long history, yet one that almost no one uses, and even less give center stage.

Art: The artworkd manages to convey the feel of the fluff pretty well, showing a disheveled, gaunt, rag-wearing jackal-man who tries to appears threatening, raised on their legs and showing their teeth and drooling mouth like a feral beast, making a nod to their demonic origins, despite their turned head and their body language, in particular their ears and shifting arm position, betraying that they've sensed danger and would rather be somewhere else than facing it. The perspectives are not bad, and I feel the artist did succeed in making the being looks around human size thanks to the posture and the body's proportions, despite the lack of reference. A nice detail in the eyes, which while small, are almost entirely yellow, with a light spot, giving them a bit of an "oracular eyes" effect and suggesting their sleep-causing gaze.

Not a bad piece at all, even if it could have been interesting to see the scimitar the statblock indicates they use as weapon.

Purpose and Tactics:

On one hand, the Jackalwere enjoys complete immunity from non-magic, non-silvered weapons, which seems pretty harsh given their CR. On the other, their low AC, low HPs, and their pretty unimpressive physical attacks make clear why they need those immunities to survive against adventurers.

However, it is not to say that they are helpless in a fight. They Pack Tactics ability can make them pretty dangerous when they have allies, and their Sleep Gaze does pack a pretty decent punch, especially if they manage to isolate the enemies who aren't very resistant against it form their group. The save DC is still low, though.

Coupling this with their skill bonuses and their capacity to shapeshift, as well as their keen senses and their speed, and you have a monster who is quite suited to serve as guard, spy, infiltrator, liar, or combat grunt for a tougher boss... which is exactly what they are supposed to be.


Fluff: One of the many monsters of 5e created by demons, in this particular case the Demon Lord Graz'zt, and servants of the Lamia, the Jackalwere, despite the name and their weakness to silver, are quite distinct from the Lycanthropes. The fluff is pretty good, revealing the being's origin in a nice way, then describing their typical behavior in a manner that makes finding ways to use them in an adventure both easy and interesting, and also ties with their statblock very well.

A pretty nice detail, which really helps flesh out the creature in my opinon, is how the entry describes the Jackalwere as being in physical pain whenever they have to tell the truth.

A good fluff bit for a monster that's often glossed over, and one in which a DM could find the seeds of many an adventure.

Hooks:

My Brand New Best Friend: When one of the PCs called for a familiar, a strange jackal showed up. It seems smart, knows how to make itself useful and obey instructions, and enjoy being affectionate with its master. Strangely enough, a few weeks after this, the enemies of the group seems to be able to find them and get ready for them as soon as they enter the region. Maybe the group is under the scrutiny of a divination spell, cursed, or followed by an homunculus?

Not Me This Time: As the adventurers try to sell some jewelry or minor magic item, the merchant tell them that if they come back tonight, he can introduce them to an enthusiastic buyer who has no problem paying far more than what the merchant could offer them. If they agree and come back to the shop, long after it closed, they are introduced to a very slim man in clothes obviously meant for, and clearly used a lot in, the desert. He is interested in what the PCs want to sell, and will indeed give them a good prize, but before the deal is concluded, the merchant, who went to a different room to prepare tea, start screaming, before being silenced and only the sound of him falling can be heard. He has been murdered, most likely by a burglar who panicked. When the guardsmen arrives, they immediately try to arrest the PCs and the man, in reality a Jackalwere, who keeps pleading his innocence in a manner that's clearly painful to him. The Jackalwere is ready to pay the PCs a lot if they help him escape alive from this town.

The Champion: Arriving in a tavern, the PCs see an enthusiastic crowd gathering around the fighting pit at the center. The main attraction of the night is "Adamantine" Scarm, champion of bare-handed fighting for all the competitions in the region, known for his nimbleness but even more so for his incredible endurance, often managing a come-back victory after finding a second wind late in the rounds, even when his opponent wailed punches after punches on him, which earned him many nicknames like "Diamond Jaw" or "Adamantine". Adamantine Scarm is getting very rich, very famous, and according to rumors, has started to invest in some very lucrative businesses.

In reality, Scarm is just an ordinary Jackalwere who got the idea of using his species's supernatural immunity to regular hits to become a fighting champion. He is not strong nor tough, although he did pick up a few tricks after so many fights, but he is pretty good at faking, like all Jackalwere, and his tactics consist mostly in tanking everything his foe throws at him thanks to his immunity, pretend to get winded and injured while keeping on the fight, and endure until his opponent is too exhausted by their efforts and too hurt by his punches to continue.


Verdict: Strangely enough, a pretty nice entry, with interesting potential, for a monster that will likely keep being forgotten and not used.

[Kane0]

Poor Jackalwere. Even the videogames seem to forget them.

I only remember them coming up once in a game i've been part of, being added into a Gnoll / Flind tribe as tagger-ons.