Jabberwock

Huge magical beast, chaotic neutral
A massive, sinuous predator of shadowed forests and craggy highlands, the Jabberwock dominates its territory with terrifying ferocity. Its iridescent, molten-metal-like scales shimmer, and its bulging, unsettling eyes track intruders with unnerving intelligence. As it moves, it produces whiffling and burbling sounds, unnerving all who enter its domain.

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Armor Class: 21 (natural armor)
Hit Points: 210 (20d12 + 100)
Speed: 40 ft., climb 30 ft., fly 60 ft. (good)

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
27 (+8)	16 (+3)	21 (+5)	13 (+1)	15 (+2)	14 (+2)

Saving Throws: Dex +9, Con +11, Wis +8, Cha +8
Skills: Perception +12, Stealth +9, Survival +8
Damage Resistances: bludgeoning, piercing, slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities: poison
Senses: darkvision 120 ft., tremorsense 60 ft., passive Perception 22
Languages: understands Common and Draconic but cannot speak
Challenge: 13 (10,000 XP)

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Traits

Keen Senses. Advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks relying on sight or smell.

Camouflage. Can take the Hide action even if lightly obscured by terrain.

Territorial Predator. +4 damage on melee attacks against creatures entering its lair or hunting grounds within the last hour.

Unsettling Eyes (3/day). Creatures within 60 ft. that can see the Jabberwock’s eyes must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be shaken for 1 minute (repeat save at the end of each turn).

Burbling (Su). While moving, the Jabberwock emits eerie whiffling and burbling noises. Creatures within 30 ft. that fail a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw take –2 penalty on attack rolls and skill checks until the start of their next turn. Creatures immune to fear are unaffected.

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Actions

Multiattack. Makes three attacks: one bite, two claws, and one tail attack.

Attack	To Hit	Reach	Damage
Bite	+14	10 ft.	18 (3d10+8) piercing
Claw	+14	10 ft.	15 (2d10+8) slashing
Tail	+14	15 ft.	13 (3d8+8) bludgeoning

Frightful Roar (1/day). 60-ft. cone; DC 16 Wisdom save or frightened 1 minute. Success = shaken 1 round.

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 9th; concentration +5)

• At will: detect magic, dimension door (swift movement up to 30 ft.)
• 3/day: fear (6th-level), blur
• 1/day: lightning bolt (6d6, 90-ft. line), dimension door (full use)

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Legendary Actions

3 legendary actions per round, one at a time, at the end of another creature’s turn:

• Move. Moves up to its speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
• Terrifying Glare. One creature within 30 ft. must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom save or be frightened until the end of its next turn.
• Tail Sweep. Makes a tail attack against all creatures within 15 ft.

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Tactics

The Jabberwock ambushes from shadows, mist, or elevated terrain, opening combat with Frightful Roar or Unsettling Eyes to destabilize foes. It uses Multiattack to control space and target the most vulnerable. Flight and climbing allow rapid repositioning or disengagement. Its Burbling and whiffling movements subtly hinder enemies and heighten tension.

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Environment & Ecology

Apex predator of dense forests, misty swamps, and rugged highlands. Solitary, territorial, and highly intelligent, the Jabberwock observes intruders before attacking, combining cunning with overwhelming physical power. Its eyes and eerie sounds make it terrifying even before combat begins.

Jabberwock

Huge magical beast, chaotic neutral
A massive, sinuous predator of shadowed forests and craggy highlands, the Jabberwock dominates its territory with terrifying ferocity. Its iridescent, molten-metal-like scales shimmer, and its bulging, unsettling eyes seem to watch intruders with cunning intelligence. As it moves, it produces eerie whiffling and burbling sounds, unsettling all who enter its domain.

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CR 13; XP 25,600
Race: Magical Beast; Init +3; Senses: darkvision 120 ft., tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +21

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Defense

AC 27, touch 12, flat-footed 24 (+6 natural, +3 Dex, +8 size)
HP 195 (17d10+102)
Fort +15, Ref +12, Will +9
Defensive Abilities: camouflaged, territorial predator
DR 5/magic; Immune: poison; Resistances: bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks

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Offense

Speed: 40 ft., climb 30 ft., fly 60 ft. (good)
Melee: bite +22 (3d10+12), 2 claws +22 (2d10+12), tail +22 (3d8+12)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: frightful roar 60 ft. (DC 23), multiattack, vorpal claws

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 9th; concentration +10)

• At will: detect magic, dimension door (swift movement up to 30 ft.)
• 3/day: fear (6th-level), blur
• 1/day: lightning bolt (6d6, 90-ft. line), dimension door (full use)

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Statistics

Str 27, Dex 16, Con 23, Int 13, Wis 15, Cha 14
Base Attack +17; CMB +24; CMD 37 (cannot be tripped by normal means)
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (claw), Cleave, Improved Critical (claw), Flyby Attack
Skills: Perception +21, Stealth +18, Survival +15, Fly +14
Languages: understands Common and Draconic but cannot speak

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Special Abilities

Vorpal Claws (Ex): On a critical hit with a claw, the target takes an extra 4d10 slashing damage.

Keen Senses (Ex): +4 bonus on Perception checks relying on sight or smell.

Camouflage (Ex): Can hide as if using Stealth even when lightly obscured by terrain.

Territorial Predator (Ex): +2 attack and damage rolls against creatures that have entered its lair or hunting grounds within the last hour.

Frightful Roar (Su): 60-ft. cone; DC 23 Will save or be frightened 1 minute. Success = shaken 1 round. Usable 1/day (recharge 5–6).

Unsettling Eyes (Su): Creatures within 60 feet that can see the Jabberwock’s eyes must succeed on a Will save DC 21 or be shaken for 1 round. Usable 3/day.

Burbling (Su): While moving, the Jabberwock emits eerie, whiffling, gurgling noises. Creatures within 30 feet that fail a Will save DC 20 take a –2 penalty on attack rolls and skill checks until the start of their next turn. Constant while in motion; creatures immune to fear are unaffected.

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Combat

Jabberwocks favor ambush tactics, striking from shadows or elevated positions. They open combat with Frightful Roar or Unsettling Eyes, then use Multiattack to isolate targets. The tail controls battlefield space and punishes flanking. Flight and climbing allow rapid repositioning or retreat. Spell-like abilities like Dimension Door, Blur, and Lightning Bolt enhance mobility, defense, or area damage. Burbling sounds and eerie movements psychologically unnerve foes before and during combat.

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Ecology & Environment

Jabberwocks are apex predators inhabiting dense forests, misty swamps, and rugged highlands. Solitary and territorial, they mark their hunting grounds with the remains of prey. Highly intelligent, they may observe intruders before attacking, making them as cunning as they are deadly. The combination of menacing eyes, eerie burbling noises, and physical might ensures that few survive an encounter.

Jabberwock

This creature has a stout draconic torso with sturdy hind legs, long forearms that end in four long feathery talons, and a long thin tail. It flies about on a pair of elegant wings. Its neck is long and sinuous and its head is enormous. Its malevolent yellow eyes have red pupils and appear to emit beams of light that cut through the shadows. Its scales are a tawny color of mixed gold and brown, and the tiny cracks between the scales are filled in with moss.

Originally Posted Creature Catalogue on the En World forums.

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The jabberwock is a peculiar creature that prowls dense, virgin forests. Though it resembles true dragons somewhat, it has no breath weapon or treasure-hording instinct. The low, rumbling bubbling sound it creates makes it hard for creatures to remember what it looks like – thus, accurate descriptions of a jabberwock are hard to come by.

This solitary predator will hunt anything moving in its woods. It ignores druids altogether, and some creatures such as fey, treants, centaurs, and Gnomes that live in the woods know what signs to look for to withdraw when a jabberwock approaches. A jabberwock is a protector of the woodlands themselves, existing to ensure that no creature exploits or destroys them. Each large, ancient primal forest is theorized to have its own jabberwock.

A jabberwock is 30 feet long with a 20-foot tail, and weighs about 4,000 pounds.

Jabberwocky
Huge Dragon
Hit Dice	15d12+75 (172 hp)
Initiative	+0
Speed	40 ft (8 squares), Fly 40 ft (average)
Armor Class	30 (-2 size, +22 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 30
Base Attack/Grapple	+15/+31
Attack	Bite +21 melee (3d8+8/19-20)
Full Attack	Bite +21 melee (3d8+8/19-20), 2 claws +19 melee (1d6+4), 2 wings +19 melee (2d8+4), 2 stomps +19 melee (2d4+4), and tail slap +19 melee (2d6+4)
Space/Reach	15 ft/10 ft (20 ft with bite)
Special Attacks	Burble, crush, frightful presence, Paralysis gaze
Special Qualities	Blindsense 60 ft, damage reduction 20/magic and slashing, fast healing 3, keen senses, regeneration 1, Spell Resistance 27, vulnerability to vorpal weapons
Saves	Fort +14, Ref +9, Will +10
Abilities	Strength 26, Dexterity 11, Constitution 20, Intelligence 4, Wisdom 12, Charisma 17
Skills	Knowledge (nature) +6, Listen +14, Search +4, Spot +14, Survival +19 (+21 aboveground, +21 following tracks)
Feats	Ability Focus (burble), Alertness, Improved Critical (bite), Multiattack, Snatch, Track
Environment	Any forest
Organization	Solitary
Challenge Rating	17
Treasure	None
Alignment	Always neutral
Advancement	16-30 HD (Huge), 31-45 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment	—

COMBAT

The jabberwock is fiercely territorial and will slay anything intruding in its woods. This fearsome opponent will choose a single target, concentrating on it and pursuing it relentlessly until the victim is killed and devoured. The jabberwock only chooses a new foe when its intended target is killed or leaves the forest.

The jabberwock prefers to bite with its huge front teeth. Its long snaky neck enables the head to dart out a surprising distance to reach foes. A jabberwock can rear up on its hind legs and even walk as a biped for a short distance if it needs to. Though it can fly, the jabberwock prefers not to.

Burble (Su): A jabberwock constantly mutters and burbles to itself, creating a confusing effect. All sane creatures within 200 feet of the jabberwock must succeed on a DC 22 Will save or be affected as though by a confusion spell for as long as the victim is within range. Creatures in the area of effect must make a saving throw every round, even if they succeeded in previous rounds. This is a sonic mind-affecting compulsion effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.

This sound also distorts an affected creature’s depth perception, causing a skewed judgment of distance. Creatures, objects, and parts of objects may appear to be much closer or further away than they actually are, causing an affected creature to suffer a –3 circumstance penalty on attack rolls.

This sound also distorts the way an affected creature speaks: words slide, shift, and blend, producing odd hybrids that make communication very difficult. Any affected creature trying to speak or cast a spell with a verbal component must succeed on a DC 20 Concentration check. The check DC is Charisma-based. This also cancels any tongues or comprehend languages effects while a creature is affected.

Crush (Ex): A flying jabberwock can land on opponents three or more sizes smaller than itself as a standard action, using its whole body to crush them. A crush attack affects as many creatures as can fit under the jabberwock’s body. Each creature in the affected area must succeed on a DC 22 Reflex save or be pinned, automatically taking 2d8+12 points of bludgeoning damage. The save DC is Constitution-based. Thereafter, if the jabberwock chooses to maintain the pin, treat it as a normal grapple attack. While pinned, the opponent takes crush damage each round.

Frightful Presence (Ex): A jabberwock can unsettle foes with its mere presence. This ability takes effect whenever the jabberwock attacks, charges, or flies overhead. Creatures within a 200-foot radius are subject to the effect if they have fewer than 15 HD. A potentially affected creature must succeed on a DC 20 Will save to remain immune to that jabberwock’s frightful presence for 24 hours. On a failure, creatures with 4 or less HD become panicked for 4d6 rounds and those with 5 or more HD become shaken for 4d6 rounds. Jabberwocks ignore the frightful presence of other jabberwocks.

Paralysis Gaze (Su): Paralyzed for 1d6+2 minutes, range 50 feet; Fortitude DC 20 negates. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Keen Senses (Ex): A jabberwock sees four times as well a human in shadowy illumination and twice as well in normal light. It also has Darkvision out to 120 feet.

Regeneration (Ex): Magic slashing weapons deal normal damage to a jabberwock.

Vulnerability to vorpal Weapons (Ex): A vorpal weapon threatens a critical hit on a range of 19-20 when wielded against a jabberwock.

1996 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

Originally found in Monstrous Compendium Annual Three (1996). Different versions also found in Dragon Magazine #54 (“Beware the Jabberwock,” October 1981, Mark Nuiver) and module EX2 – Land Beyond the Magic Mirror (1983)