Bandersnatch

Bandersnatch

(Creature)

Rare

Gargantuan

Beast

Tane

Level

17

Source: Monster Core, pg(s). 36

Legacy 2E: Primal Bandersnatches had the

N

trait in Kingmaker Adventure Path 610.

Type

Magical beast

CR

17

Environment

Any forests

Adjective

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Source: Bestiary 3, pg(s). 32

Ⅰ

Ⅱ

Bandersnatches are frumious beasts from the First World, and are part of the Tane, a group of the Eldest's powerful servants.

Appearance

A bandersnatch resembles a tawny cat with six legs, no ears, and barbed quills running the length of its body to the tip of its long, flexible tail. A bandersnatch measures 50 feet in length, of which ten is tail, weighs 12,000 pounds, and moves with surprising grace and stealth for a creature of its size.

Abilities

Bandersnatches quickly recover from many kinds of physical and mental afflictions, though not diseases and poisons, and cannot become confused. They also acclimate quickly to new planes and can track prey while moving at a full sprint.

The color, shape, and intensity of a bandersnatch's saucer-like, luminous eyes perpetually shift, and those who gaze into them become confused or panic. It can also accurately fling its quills at enemies, and if successful these barbed quills are exceptionally painful.

Ecology

Bandersnatches are consummate and adaptive hunters who pursue only the biggest or most cunning prey for sport, and pursue them without fear, rest, or remorse. They ambush prey while hidden by trees, savaging them, then running away again, gradually wearing down their prey. If outmatched, the bandersnatch quickly withdraws to pick up their trail and waits as pursuers separate from their allies, then picks them off one by one.

Bandersnatches are native to the First World, and it is unknown if they were deliberately or accidentally released to the Universe by the fey. In the Universe, bandersnatches are extremely rare and lair in forgotten ancient forests.

A female bandersnatch is fertile at most only twice per century. Of those who mate, the pairing separates soon after. Each litter contains up to two kittens which the mother protects for a year before abandoning them to their own fates. While surviving bandersnatches can live for millennia, they also hunt each other if they infringe on another bandersnatch's territory.

Variants

Though no bandersnatch is ordinary, some are rarer than others.

• Confounding bandersnatches have quills and claws that drip with infectious madness.
• Frumious bandersnatches brim with rage so fierce it burns.
• Magicbane bandersnatches radiate an antimagic aura.
• Primal bandersnatches retain their links to the First World.

References

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.

External links

• Bandersnatch (real-world fictional creature) on Wikipedia