Snakes

Snakes are long, slender reptiles that can be found anywhere in the entire world, even in the coldest arctic regions.

There are basically two types of snakes, in all manner of sizes. The poisonous snakes make up for their relatively smaller size with deadly venoms, while the larger constrictors squeeze their victims to death. Both types sleep for days after eating. All snakes shed their skin several times each year.

Snakes fear fire and will retreat from open flames, suffering a -6 morale modifier when flames are used against them.

Amphisbaena

These monsters have heads at both ends, and both heads are armed with poisonous fangs. The creature travels by grasping one of its necks and rolling like a hoop. It can attack with both heads, each head attacking a separate target. Victims failing to make a saving throw vs. poison when bitten die instantly. Amphisbaena are immune to cold-based attacks.

Boalisk

The boalisk is a tropical constrictor snake with a gaze attack. Any creature meeting its gaze (failing a saving throw vs. petrification) is infected with a magical rotting disease, identical to that inflicted by a mummy. Characters refusing to look at the boalisk automatically avoid its gaze but suffer a -4 penalty to their AC. Surprised victims always meet its gaze and gain no saving throw. The boalisk can use its gaze on a single victim each round in addition to normal biting and constriction attacks.

Constrictor Snake

Constrictors of all sizes hide in the branches of trees, waiting patiently until they can slowly lower themselves or suddenly drop onto their unsuspecting victims. Once they strike, the victim is constricted automatically, suffering damage every round. Constricted humanoid creatures can escape the coils of normal constrictors with a successful open doors roll (at a -1 penalty). Anyone who attempts to free a captive by hacking at the constrictor has a 20% chance of striking the victim instead (roll normal damage and apply it to the victim). Area spells like fireball will likewise affect both combatants, but target-specific spells like charm monster and magic missile are more precise.

Common constrictor species include anacondas, boas, and reticulate pythons, all of which can reach lengths of 30 feet. Their skin is valuable, with an unblemished skin selling for as much as 100 gp.

Some constrictor snakes are known as birdcharmers; these innately magical snakes can mesmerize their prey by swaying slowly and steadily while staring down their victims. Creatures of animal intelligence or less must make a saving throw against paralyzation or be effectively paralyzed for as long as the snake continues to sway, and for 2d6 rounds thereafter.

Giant Constrictor Snake

Giant constrictor snakes are larger and much stronger than their smaller cousins. It requires the combined efforts of 60 total points of Strength (the coiled victim plus outside help) to extricate someone from a giant constrictor’s steel grasp.

The skin of a giant constrictor snake is too thick and stiff to be workable, and is valuable only as armor, not for decoration. An uncured hide can fetch 20 gp.

Snow serpents

are a particularly large and dangerous form of giant constrictor snake, one adapted to life in a sub-arctic climate. These furred white snakes hide their 100-foot bodies in the snow bodies and wait for prey to pass by. When it does, they spring up and coil their loops around the victims. After that, snow serpents automatically bite for 2d10 points of damage each round. Those in its coils are helpless. Snow serpents are very rare and have the following statistics: AC 6, MV 9, HD 10, THAC0 11, SZ G (100’ long), ML average (8-10), XP 2,000. Their pelt is worth 2,000 gp. In all other respects they are similar to other giant constrictor snakes.

Heway

These intelligent snakes have slimy, poisonous skins that they use to foul wells and oases. After swimming in a body of water for several hours and releasing its poison, it slinks off to wait for its prey to arrive. A creature drinking water poisoned by a heway must make a successful saving throw vs. poison at +2 or suffer 30 points damage within 3d6 minutes and be paralyzed for 1d6 hours. Creatures that make their saving throws suffer 15 points of damage. Even animals that survive the initial effects are often doomed to die of dehydration.

Many humans and animals attack heways on sight, but it can defend itself with its hypnotic stare, which has a powerful effect; any creature failing a saving throw vs. paralyzation will follow the heway to its lair and allow itself to be devoured. The heway sometimes uses this stare simply to immobilize a menacing creature. It then leaves the area while the hypnotized creature remains stationary for 1d6 turns.

Heway are innate cowards and avoid contact with other animals. It is a weak fighter, its bite is not venomous, and its jaws are weak. Its preferred food is small animal carrion. Simply touching heway skin has no effect; the poison must be ingested.

Poisonous Snake

All poisonous snakes deliver toxins automatically through their bite. Roll on the table below (or choose) to determine what type of poison is present.

* A successful saving throw means no damage.

Typical varieties of poisonous snakes include the asp, cobra, copperhead, coral snake, death adder, krait, mamba, puff adder, rattlesnake, sidewinder, and water moccasin.

Some cobras and sidewinders hunt by night and can track warmblooded prey by body heat as well as by sight. They have the equivalent of 30-foot infravision. Black mambas are the fastest known snakes and can reach MR 30 across open ground.

Giant Poisonous Snake

Giant poisonous snakes cause death in one round if their victims fail a saving throw vs. poison. Some varieties inflict 3-18 points of damage even if the saving throw is made.

The giant cobra is an example of a variant, giant poisonous snake. Its venom results in death 2-8 rounds after a successful strike; if the victim makes a saving throw at -2 he suffers only 10 points of damage.

Giant cobras mesmerize prey as birdcharmer snakes do (see above). They can kill and eat an entire goat or a demihuman up to halfling or gnome size. Some varieties of giant weasel can hunt them successfully, and jungle giants consider giant cobras a delicacy, as do some elven tribesmen.

Giant Sea Snake

Found only in tropical waters, the giant sea snake is the only type of snake that is both constricting and poisonous. Its constricting grasp on small ships can crush them in 10 rounds. Sea snakes attack ships only when they are hungry (20% chance). Their poisonous bite is deadly in 1-4 rounds. Sea snakes are fully capable of diving to great depths, and their nostrils (on the top of their snouts) have membranes that automatically seal them underwater.

From time to time giant sea snakes gather in huge floating masses of hundreds or thousands of snakes, often 100 yards wide and 30 miles long. These may be mating rituals or they may be seasonal migrations; the actual reason is unknown.

Spitting Snake

Spitting varieties of snakes bite their victims and can shoot poisonous spittle at a single target within 30 feet. Their poison is identical to normal poisonous snakes (see above). Typical species include the African spitting cobra, which can spit up to 15 feet. Its spittle can blind victims that fail a saving throw vs. poison. The blindness wears off after 2-12 hours.

Jaculi (Tree Snakes)

Many of the above land snakes can be encountered as tree snakes, also known as jaculi. These subspecies are simply arboreal varieties of other types of snakes that have adapted to life in a forest canopy. They have chameleon-like camouflage abilities and can leap onto their prey from 50 feet above ground; opponents suffer a -4 penalty to surprise rolls.

Some tree snakes have broad, flat heads with razor spines or barbs that make their initial impact particularly potent (double normal bite damage). After their initial flying attack, they must depend on biting or constriction attacks or climb back into the trees to leap again.

Jaculi snakes include the poisonous boomslang and the emerald tree boa. Many jaculi species prey on other snakes.

Elder Serpents

Ancient snakes are said to gain wisdom with age, giving them Semi- to Low intelligence (2-7). They gain an additional Hit Die and the ability to speak (with a lisp). Elder serpent venom is more concentrated than that of its younger cousins (death in 1-4 rounds maximum, saving throws at -4). They suffer no modifier to morale when faced with open flames. Elder serpents have a measure of cunning and value glittering objects; they have treasure, type W.

Elder serpents can paralyze prey as birdcatchers do (see constrictors above). In the case of elder boalisks, their gaze has two simultaneous effects and victims are entitled to two saving throws. All elder serpents can hypnotize people as well as animals with their paralyzing stare.

The largest elder serpent is called the Grand Snakemaster, and is said to be immortal. When it sheds its skin, the discarded skin is rumored to possess healing powers. Those who eat it are said to gain wisdom, but since the Grand Snakemaster has never been seen, the truth of these rumors is questionable.

Herald Serpent

The heraid is a lightning-swift reptile wth sapphire or emerald colored eyes, and a body marked wirh black and gold bands. Hcralds are the enchanted messengers of serpent lords. Like their masters, heralds are adept linguists and conversationalists, able to speak at least six languages fluently, including common.

Combat: Herald serpents are more likely to talk their way out of a confrontation than attack, using their silver tongues to flatter an opponent while planning an escape route. A herald serpent can cast the following spells, once/day, at the 4th level of ability: friends, hypnotism, comprehend languages, hypnotic pattern, and invisibility.

If negotiation fails and escape is impossible, the herald can physically attack with its lightning-swift bite, striking twice per round for 1d4 points of damage. The bite automitically delivers a potent toxin, with an onset time of only 1-3 rounds (saving throw vs. poison negates). Victims of the poison suffer complete amnesia, forgetting their own identities, abilities, even memorized spells for 2-8 hours.

Habitat/Society: Herald serpents are the enchanted messengers of serpent lords, who imbue their servants with magical gifts so they can deliver important notices or act as envoys on their lord’s behalf. Before their enchantment, heralds are a colorful variety of poisonous jungle snake. Heralds serve their lord willingly and are usually returned to their normal state after completing the mission for which they were enchanted. A dispel magic, successful against 16th-level magic, will transform a herald back into a giant poisonous snake with lethal poison.

Ecology: As an enchanted creature, herald serpents have no niche in the ecology of the world, though like any snake, they must eat live prey (birds and small animals, mostly) to survive.

Teak Serpent

Teak serpents are a variety of huge constrictor snakes inhabiting teak and ironwood forests. Adults often reach lengths exceeding 30 feet.

Combat: These reptiles resemble branches of the hardwood trees they inhabit, giving opponents a -2 penalty on surprise and the serpent a superior Armor Class (AC 3).

Teak serpents wait patiently in the upper canopy of trees for an unsuspecting victim to pass underneath, attacking from above with a combination bite and constriction attack. The bite inflicts 1d6 points of damage; if a constriction attack is successful, the serpent squeezes each round thereafter for 2d6 points of damage. The coils of a teak serpent are stronger than ironwood, requiring the combined efforts of 80 points of Strength to release a trapped victim. With their prodigious length, one of these serpents can constrict up to three man-sized creatures simultaneously.

Habitat/Society: Because of their ferocity and immense size, teak serpents are feared in the jungles they inhabit. Teak serpents usually subsist on a diet of large animals (preferring baby elephants, when they are available), but they will attack a small group of man-sized creatures without hesitation. They often sleep for up to a week after feeding.

Ecology: The scales of a teak serpent, if used while casting barkskin, provide a +2 bonus to Armor Class for the duration of the spell. Teak serpents are sometimes captured by powerful spellcasters and bound into magical staves.

Snake, Sewerm

The sewerm is a relatively large water snake found in the sewers of Waterdeep (thus its name) and the fouled, fetid waters of the swamps of the northern Sword Coast (the Mere of Dead Men, the Stump Bog, etc.) Its tan-and-brown scales over a mottled green underbelly grant it great camouflage abilities in the dark sewers, and they can swim at remarkable speeds.

Combat: Sewerms use their coloration as camouflage in the swamps and sewers, gaining a surprise bonus of +2 against any opponents. The sewerm secretes an anaesthetic oil through its skin that locally deadens a character’s sense of touch; the snake often wraps around a character’s boot and leg as it attacks, allowing it to be carried along while it feeds. If the sewerm gained surprise, the character will not notice the sewerm until a successful Wisdom check is rolled (check once per round). The sewerm’s anaesthetic is also secreted through its fangs, making its bite totally painless; once bitten, the victim is drained of 1-4 hit points per round as the sewerm drains the character of blood. Characters will often simply get weaker and weaker, dropping dead from blood loss, before they even feel the snake attached to them. It only takes a Strength check to dislodge a sewerm from a character, and (luckily) the wound closes almost immediately; the snake’s anaesthetic also acts as a disinfectant, preventing anyone from contracting any illness from the brackish water through the wound.

Sewerms only attack warm-blooded creatures and they strike at areas of exposed flesh (or through cloth, not leather) close to the waterline of where they encounter their prey; their common prey has been plumbers in the sewers of Waterdeep, and they strike just at the top of the boot. They can, with one round of preparation, coil themselves up and spring out of the water, striking out to their full length; this attack is becoming more common as people moving through the sewers are wearing hip boots, forcing the snakes to use this more blatant (but startling – surprise bonus of +4) attack.

Habitat/Society: Sewerms are water snakes that have adapted to living in sewers and swamps and feeding off warm blood, similar to a leech. They often hunt alone but, on rare occasions, travel in small groups of up to six snakes; other than immediately after birth (where there are 5-20 ½-HD sewerms and one 4-HD mother), sewerms do not collect in large gatherings.

Ecology: Sewerms, while being a dangerous nuisance to those of the Cellarers’ and Plumbers’ Guild in Waterdeep’s sewers, are highly prized in many ways by those of the Guild of Apothecaries and Physicians and others about the city; the Pain-deadening effects of the sewerm’s venom are helpful to their work and, with proper preparations, can be stored for up to six months before the venom breaks down and is useless. Sewerms shed their skins once a year; the guild will purchase whole skins at 2 silver pieces each. Whole snakes are also purchased by the guild and other interested parties, should any plumbers (or adventurers) find any down in the sewers; guild prices are 5 silver pieces per Hit Die of the sewerm (1 gold piece per Hit Die if still alive). Kromnlor Sernar the sage is much quieter about her interest, but she buys sewerms at 1 gold piece per Hit Die, regardless of condition.

Heway

The heway is a large white snake with a deadly stare, a creature of the desert that enjoys poisoning wells and oases. It is hated and feared by other desert creatures, and desert tribesmen and others who depend on pure oasis water will kill heway on sight (with missile weapons so as to avoid being trapped by its stare).

Unlike the dry, scaly skin of most snakes, the heway has slimy, poison-coated scales that it sheds constantly. Its eyes are large because it only hunts by dim light; it has large pits on its snout that serve to detect heat, aiding it in nocturnal scavenging. A heway also has a very acute sense of smell, and its tongue can sense water from as far as 20 miles upwind. This allows the heway to orient itself to likely hunting grounds.

Combat: The heway is a cowardly animal and only fights when cornered. It prefers weakened prey, though if it is starving, it can stalk healthy animals. Its primary attack form is its ability to poison fresh water.

When it arrives at a well or oasis, the heway crawls in and swims around for several hours, slowing releasing its poison into every portion of the water. When the water is poisoned, any creature drinking from it must save versus poison at +2 or suffer 30 points damage within 3d6 minutes and be paralyzed for 1d6 hours. Creatures that make their save suffer 15 points of damage. Even animals that survive the initial effects are often doomed, as they must somehow reach another water source in their weakened state or die of dehydration. The snake is immune to the effects of its own poison.

The stare of the heway has a powerful hypnotic effect on its prey; any creature failing a saving throw vs. paralyzation will follow the heway to its lair and allow itself to be devoured. The heway sometimes uses this stare simply to immobilize a menacing creature. It then leaves the area while the hypnotized creature remains stationary for 1d6 turns.

Curiously, the heway does not have a venomous bite, and its jaws are weak. It will only take small, hypnotized game when poisoned prey is unavailable. Its poison is only excreted through the skin. Merely touching the skin of a heway has no poisonous effect; the poison must be ingested.

Habitat/Society: The lair of a heway is only large enough to accommodate the snake itself and perhaps one carcass. A cunning heway sometimes learns to poison a well, drag a large animal back to its lair, consume it, and then wait and digest until the well becomes drinkable again. Then it sallies forth to poison the well once more. It continues this trick as long as its lair remains undiscovered. If it requires additional food between poisonings, it may use its stare on small prey.

The heway avoids others of its kind except once a year, during the mating season. After the winter rains have come, the heway travel to ancestral spawning grounds in the deep desert. The young hatchlings are left to fend for themselves; the strongest devour the rest in order to survive and then crawl off in search of water.

Ecology: The heway is an opportunistic animal – it comes to a well, poisons it, and then waits for animals to drink and die before it attempts to feed. It doesn’t mind sharing its kills with jackals or other scavengers; a poisoned well usually results in plenty of meat for all the animals. A heway is most vulnerable during its overland journeys between wells, so it usually makes these trips by night.

Other animals, especially herd animals, will kill a heway by trampling it if they can catch it out in the open during daylight. Predators like hyena and great cats generally leave the area, as they can only hope to kill the snake with their claws; predators that bite a heway often don’t survive.

The heway is occasionally hunted by unscrupulous tribes which use it to poison the waterholes of their enemies. Since its stare makes it dangerous even when caged, dead snakes are usually used for this purpose. In this case, the poison is at half strength and saves are made at twice the usual bonus (+4).

Poisoned bodies of water become drinkable up to 2d6 days after the snake is removed, depending on how quickly the water replenishes itself. A small, quickly evaporating oasis fed by an underground spring may be drinkable within two days, while a well which is not often used (and where the water is not frequently recirculated) might take two weeks.