Behir

The behir is a long, slender reptile like a snake with a dozen legs, which make it fast and let it climb at half speed; it can also fold them in and slither. Its crocodilian head still opens wide enough to gulp prey whole. Hard banded scales run from ultramarine to deep blue, striped gray-brown over a pale blue belly. Its two swept-back horns look dangerous but are only for grooming.

A behir bites, then coils around its target and squeezes; if the coil holds, it rakes the trapped victim with six talons next round. Every 10 rounds it can loose a 20-foot lightning stroke for 24 damage (save vs. breath weapon for half).

On a natural 20 the bite swallows a man-sized victim, who loses a sixth of his starting hit points per round and is dead after six rounds. Digestion takes 12 turns and leaves nothing that can be raised. The victim may hack at the stomach (AC 7), but each round inside cuts the damage of every attack by a further point: -1, then -2, then -3.

Solitary, behirs meet only to breed. For eight months the female broods a clutch of 1-4 eggs and her mate brings her food, then the 2-foot hatchlings are driven off and the pair separates. Young start with six or eight legs, grow 8 feet a year, and add leg pairs until adulthood.

Each claims about 400 square miles, often from a high cliff cave. It despises dragons and never shares a region with one: it fights to evict a dragon intruder, moves away if it fails, and never knowingly trespasses on a dragon's range.

Its horns make ink for lightning bolt scrolls, its talons give priests ink for neutralize poison scrolls, and its heart commonly goes into protection from poison ink. Armorers pay up to 500 gp for scales to make ornate scale mail.

A dead behir has a 10% chance of small valuables in its gut: 60% gems (10 x Q), 30% jewelry (1-8 pieces), 10% one small indigestible magic item. Its lair never holds any, since it buries its waste elsewhere.