By Alan McCoy from Dungeons & Dragons: Fundamentals
How to build challenging encounters against a Jackalwere
Note: This has been prepared utilizing only the 5E Core Rules. The Jackalwere can be found in the Monster Manual page 193. Note that this creature is intimately linked with the Lamia (MM page 201), and you are strongly encouraged to read that entry carefully as well.
Jackalwere are created from normal Jackals by the intervention of the Demon Lord Graz’zt. As a created rather than an evolved life form, they are immune to certain drives that inflame natural creatures.
With this immunity, the Jackalwere are unable to gain solace or distraction and thus have great intensity in their interactions with others.Jackalwere are shapeshifters, they have three forms.
The first is that of a normal Jackal; the second is that of a human, and the last is a hybrid form where the humanoid body is covered with the coarse fur and the head and muzzle of the Jackal.
As the natural and most often utilized terrain of the Lamia is that of Ruins and desert grasslands, this terrain is also the most likely place to find a Jackalwere. The Jackalwere does roam the domain and even farther if need be, so the presence of a Jackalwere does not mean that there is a Lamia nearby.
The Demon Lord Graz’zt created the Jackalwere as servants to his devoted servants the Lamias. Their service includes kidnapping humanoids, condemning victims to lifelong slavery followed by an agonizing death, and ensuring that the slaves remain cowed by use of terror.
The Jackalwere prefers to fight alongside his fellow Jackalwere, or that of natural Jackals, whom they can utilize as fierce and loyal companions.Jackalwere are beholden to their Lamia masters and will fight to the death to defend them and otherwise honor them.
The form of a natural Jackal is used by the Jackalwere to move about without attracting undue attention.The humanoid form is used by the Jackalwere to create a clever ruse, sometimes an escaped slave desperate for help, sometimes the sole survivor of an attacked caravan and sometimes a solitary traveler on the road, who would welcome some companionship.
Due to their master’s ability to scry upon the whatever enters its domain, the Jackalwere has the information it needs to formulate an appropriate ruse.
The Jackalwere form is used for combat, the sudden appearance of fur covered hybrids within the confines of a caravan or travel train, or potentially an oasis is sure to create havoc.
Step 1) Let’s Review what we know about the Jackalwere
Physically the Jackalwere is roughly average in strength and physical toughness (+0), but well above average in dexterity (+2).
Mentally, the Jackalwere are slightly above average in intelligence (+1), but unremarkable in their wisdom and presence.
Jackalwere are fast, capable of moving 40 feet per round.
Jackalwere are imbued with the following skills when created: Deception (+4), Perception (+2) and Stealth (+4).
Jackalwere are immune to damage from weapon attacks. They can be damaged by Silvered and by Magical Weapons.
Jackalwere see in the normal spectrum of light, they have a passive perception of 12, however because they have keen hearing and a keen sense of smell, they have advantage on any perception check using those senses.
As a remnant of their animal existence, the Jackalwere retain PACK TACTICS and thus gain the advantage on attack rolls if an ally is within five feet of the creature that they are attacking.
The Jackalwere bites a target in Jackal form, but when in their humanoid or hybrid forms, they utilize their weapon, usually a scimitar for combat.
By far the most terrible weapon of the Jackalwere is the ability to utilize a sleep gaze to drop targeted creatures into a magical slumber.
Graz’zt designed this ability specifically to defeat the Fey Presence ability found in Elves, Half-Elves and others descended from Fey stock. This ability can best be described as magically enhanced hypnosis.
I suggest giving those with Fey Presence ADVANTAGE on the Saving throw to resist this Effect (See Tips and Observations section).
Step 2) Determine the probable Strategy and Tactics
The Jackalwere are somewhat of an enigma because so much of their activity is based on orders from their masters, the Lamia, or from direct revelation from their creator Graz’zt.
The Jackalwere will usually gather a pack of Jackals from which to operate, this is both a measure of camouflage and one of preparing a group of allies close by that can be called upon in time of need.
Once inserted into the path of the oncoming caravan, group of travelers or whatever the directed target may be, it will assume humanoid form to carry out that ruse.
Acting with stealth and deception, the Jackalwere will move about the target group using its sleep gaze to eliminate the opposition, other Jackalwere will then bind and carry off these victims. The Jackalwere may utilize intoxicants to reduce the resistance if it believes that the target will successfully resist.
Typically, this will come as a ‘My Caravan was damaged, but it has a cargo of wine’, in thanks for my rescue, I humbly offer it to you’, or some such rhetoric.
If caught, the Jackalwere will assume its hybrid form, to appropriately terrify any weak or mundane guards. Note: even in combat, the Sleep Gaze is a favored weapon, after all, slaves are valuable for years to come, meat is only fit to eat.
Step 3) DM Tips and Observations
Why is the second form of the Jackalwere limited to HUMAN, why not expand this to include other creatures that might be more appropriate and able to interact with their target.
The 5E Monster Manual creates this monster as a CR ½ monster. Their stated purpose is to cow and subdue the slaves of the Lamias and to attack and retrieve valuable slaves and other wealth from those creatures that venture too close to the Lamia’s lair.
This CR is far too low for them to accomplish their goal. CR 2 or 3 would be far more appropriate.I personally like the idea of a dexterity-based monster, but to give this creature a Dexterity of 15 is significantly low for its purpose.
I propose raising this to 18.
In addition, the Jackalwere utilization of a Scimitar as a primary weapon is suspect, wouldn’t it be better to declare that its claws are dexterity weapons.I think the Jackalwere deserves multi-attack and should get Action: two claws and Bonus Action Bite or Gaze.
The AC of this creature is too low, it reflects only the dexterity of the creature. I think it would be appropriate to raise the reflect the Tough hide +3 and the heightened dexterity I suggest +4 to AC 17.
While many would state that the immunity to normal weaponry is significant, almost all adventurers have some means of overcoming that restriction within their normal abilities.
The Sleep Gaze DC of 10. This is a difficult one as it does not allow round by round saving throws that would allow the afflicted to wake up on their own. They must either be shaken awake, or allow ten minutes to pass, wherein they will awaken naturally.
I suggest raising the DC of this ability to 12 or no one will be affected by it.
Defining this ability as Magically enhanced Hypnosis is an attempt to meet a happy medium between granting blanket immunity, or an automatic “I win” button to a player character.