The third part of the Forgotten Realms series of super-adventures, Anauroch: The Empire of Shade, promises to give you some more adventuring fun, plus some source material about Anauroch itself. If you want to see a bit of this book before you purchase it for your gaming fun, check out one or more of the excerpts we provide below.
Shadow Sea Serpent
This creature resembles a cross between a giant eel and a nightmare whale. It's bigger than a freight wagon. It has a bulbous head, great lantern eyes and a long, beaklike snout full of curved teeth. It has tail flukes and small flippers just behind its thin neck. Its shiny hide is the color of dirty slate, mottled with veins of lighter gray.
Despite the name, a shadow sea serpent is an air-breathing, warm-blooded predator that combines the worst aspects of carnivorous whales and unnamed horrors from the Plane of Shadow, where the Shadovars bred the species.
A shadow sea serpent is a powerful and agile swimmer. On land it is ungainly, but can slither along like a massive snake.
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Shadow Sea Serpent Lore
Characters who have ranks in Knowledge (arcana) can learn more about shadow sea serpents. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including information from lower DCs.
Knowledge (arcana)
DC Result
14 This creature is a shadow sea serpent, an amphibious hunter bred by the Shadovars. This result reveals all magical beast traits.
19 Shadow sea serpents can stun or damage prey with sonic attacks, and their bites are deadly as well.
24 The Shadovars buy the shadow sea serpents' loyalty with gifts of living prey.
29 Shadow sea serpents are air-breathers that can hold their breath for extended periods of time, and can echolocate as whales do. Their echolocation and sonic powers are most effective underwater.
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Strategies and Tactics
Shadow sea serpents are pack hunters that try to overwhelm their prey with swift attacks. Serpents hunting underwater circle their prey for a time, firing off sonic waves to disable as many creatures as they can before charging in for melee attacks. Once in melee combat, they count on trip attacks to scatter and confuse foes. If foes resist the sonic waves, the serpents use their sonic lances to weaken the opposition before closing in.
On land, shadow sea serpents usually bore in and use their sonic waves as they approach. If foes outrun them, the serpents try to bring them down with their sonic lances.
Shadow Sea Serpent CR 12
Usually NE Huge magical beast
Init +6; Senses blindsight 60 ft. (240 ft. underwater), darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Listen +11, Spot +11
Languages Netherese
AC 25, touch 16, flat-footed 23
(-2 size, +2 Dex, +7 natural, +8 deflection)
hp 162 (12 HD); DR 5/piercing
Resist sonic 10
Fort +18, Ref +12, Will +5
Speed 20 ft. (4 squares), swim 50 ft.
Melee bite +20 (2d6+10) and
tail slam +16 (2d6+5)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Base Atk +12; Grp +30
Atk Options Combat Reflexes; sonic lance, sonic wave, trip
Abilities Str 31, Dex 15, Con 26, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 6
Feats Combat Reflexes, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Weapon Focus (tail slam)
Skills Hide +12, Listen +11, Search +12, Spot +11, Swim +18
Advancement 13-24 HD (Huge); 25-36 HD (Gargantuan)
Sonic Lance (Ex) A shadow sea serpent can generate a ray of sound with a range of 120 feet and no range increment. The ray deals 6d6 points of sonic damage. After using this power, a serpent must wait 1d4 rounds before using it again. Underwater, the lance's range is 240 feet.
Sonic Wave (Ex) Once an hour, a shadow sea serpent can generate a wave of stunning sound in a 120-foot spread centered on the serpent. A living creature in the spread (except other shadow sea serpents) must make a successful DC 24 Fortitude save or be stunned for 1d4 rounds. The save DC is Constitution-based. Underwater, the spread's range is 240 feet. A creature subjected to several waves at once need save only once.
Trip (Ex) A serpent that hits with a bite attack can attempt to trip the opponent (+18 check modifier) without using an action, making a touch attack or provoking attacks of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the serpent. Underwater, a tripped opponent that is at least one size category smaller than the serpent is hurled 10 feet per difference in size category in a direction of the serpent's choice. For example, a Medium opponent is hurled 20 feet.
Deflection (Sp) A shadow sea serpent generates a magic field that gives it a deflection bonus to Armor Class equal to its Constitution modifier (minimum +1). This power is always active and has a caster level equal to the serpent's Hit Dice. If the field is negated or suppressed, the serpent can activate it again as a free action on its next turn.
Hold Breath (Ex) A shadow sea serpent can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to eight times its Constitution modifier before it risks drowning.
Skills A shadow sea serpent has a +8 racial bonus on Hide checks and a +4 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. It has a +8 racial bonus on Swim checks to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
Sample Encounter
The Shadovars use shadow sea serpents as hunting animals and guardians. Their presence in the Shadow Sea discourages anyone from attempting to plumb its depths.
Guardian Pair (EL 14): These serpents might be assigned to guard a specific item or place, or to patrol the sea's shore looking for anyone walking along the beach. They hide in the shallows and attack with surprise when they can.
Hunting Pod (EL 15-17): The Shadovars send these groups into the depths of the sea to search the bottom for valuables and to root out any aquatic invaders.
Ecology
Shadow sea serpents are superbly adapted to the murky deeps. They prefer to eat warm, living flesh, but will consume almost anything they can catch or find. Shadow sea serpents are aware they've been bred to serve, but they enjoy the freedom of the sea and they eagerly accept gifts of living flesh from their Shadovar masters.
Shadow sea serpents can speak Draconic, and can also communicate with each other through a system of clicks, screeches, and whistles.
Environment: Despite their Shadovar-bred heritage, shadow sea serpents are natives of the Material Plane. They prefer the cool, gloomy depths of the sea, but won't hesitate to slither out onto land to catch prey.
Typical Physical Characteristics: An adult shadow sea serpent is about 25 feet long from snout to tail and about 4 feet in diameter. It weighs about 16 tons.
Environment
Though these creatures are mostly restricted to the Shadow Sea, it's possible that the Shadovars will (or perhaps already have) introduced shadow sea serpents into other bodies of water as part of a plan of conquest or economic disruption (a serpent's sonic lance could wreak havoc with bridges or shipping).