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Perilous
Gateways
The
Winding Serpent
By
James Wyatt

Ophidian
Medium-Size
Monstrous Humanoid (Reptilian)
Hit
Dice: 3d8 (13 hp)
Initiative:
+2 (Dex)
Speed: 20
ft., climb 15 ft., swim 50 ft.
AC: 17
(+2 Dex, +3 natural, +2 large wooden shield)
Attacks:
Scimitar +4 melee; bite -1 melee
Damage:
Scimitar 1d6+1; bite 1d4
Face/Reach:
5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special
Attacks: Serpentine curse
Saves: Fort
+1, Ref +5, Will +3
Abilities:
Str 12, Dex 15, Con 11, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 10
Skills:
Hide* +8
[+6+2dex], Listen
+6, Move Silently +8 [+6+2dex],
Spot +2
Feats: Dodge
Climate/Terrain:
Warm forest and underground
Organization:
Clan (3-12)
Challenge
Rating: 2
Treasure:
Standard
Alignment:
Usually chaotic neutral
Advancement:
4-5 HD (Medium-size), 6-9 HD (Large)
Malicious
but servile, ophidians are a reptilian race most commonly found as slaves
of the yuan-ti. They look like large snakes with humanoid arms and hands,
and tails that are short and stunted in proportion to their bodies. Their
scales are typically mottled green and yellow, with browns, black, and
red sometimes appearing in certain individuals. Their scales naturally
change color to help the creatures blend in to wooded or subterranean
surroundings.
Ophidians
speak Common and Yuan-ti, and some learn Draconic as well.
Combat
Ophidians
are not bright, but often fight under the leadership of more intelligent
creatures (such as nagas or yuan-ti). They tend to make good use of their
natural camouflage to attack with surprise, though their distaste for
ranged weapons makes that tactic less effective than it might otherwise
be. Though they wield weapons comfortably in their humanoid hands, ophidians
love to bite victims, and particularly delight in infecting opponents
with their serpentine curse. If it desires, an ophidian can make its bite
attack its primary attack (using its full +4 attack bonus with that attack
and dealing 1d4+1 points of damage), attacking with its weapon as its
secondary attack (at a -1 attack bonus, dealing 1d6 points of damage).
Serpentine
Curse (Su): Any humanoid who suffers an ophidian's bite attack must
succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 11) or contract a curse that turns him
into an ophidian himself. Starting 1d4+1 days after the infection, the
victim's skin itches painfully. The character is uncomfortable, but suffers
no game penalties. Gradually, the character's skin flakes off, revealing
scales beneath. This process is complete 20 days after infection.
Seven
days after infection, the victim's legs begin to shrink and fuse together.
Ten days after infection, the victim's base speed is reduced by 5 feet.
Twenty days after infection, the victim's legs are fused into a tail and
his base speed becomes 20 feet. (even if it was reduced below that during
the transformation).
Nine
days after the infection, the victim's tongue grows long and forked. For
a period of three days, the victim suffers a 20% chance of spell failure
when casting spells with verbal components (rolled separately from any
arcane spell failure check due to armor). After this period, the victim
becomes accustomed to the forked tongue and can speak normally again.
Twenty
days after the transformation, the victim is fully transformed into an
ophidian, with no memory of his previous existence.
To stop
the transformation, the victim must receive a remove disease or
remove curse spell before the process is complete, although these
spells do not undo any transformation that has already begun. A heal
spell, regeneration, limited wish, wish, or miracle
is required to reverse the transformation. Once the transformation is
complete, nothing short of a wish or miracle can return
the victim to his previous state.
Skills:
*Ophidians gain a +10 bonus to Hide checks in forests or underground due
to their chameleonlike ability to alter their skin tones.
Ophidian
Characters
An ophidian's
favored class is fighter, and most high-level ophidians are fighters.
Ophidian clerics are almost unknown, as ophidians rarely revere true deities.
Some ophidians worship nagas, dragons, or giant snakes, and gain the powers
of the adept class from the strength of their own faith in these powerful
reptiles.
In
the Realms
Ophidians
originated in the Forest of Wyrms, though they are rarely found that close
to human civilization any more. According to yuan-ti history, ophidians
descend from a human tribe of the Shining Plains devoted to a snake cult.
Their belief in the ultimate superiority of serpentkind led these humans
into the Forest of Wyrms in search of relics from the yuan-ti kingdom
that flourished there in ancient times. Unleashing a powerful artifact,
the humans were transformed into serpent people, and passed the curse
on -- not only to their children, but also to the unfortunate victims
of their bites. They are now found primarily in the Serpent Hills, but
occasionally appear anywhere snakes are found . . . which is to say, almost
anywhere.

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to Serpent Hills
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