Scryxull

Essentially a zombie snake, the scryxull is made by evil priests and wizards to guard foul places. It looks like an ordinary snake, up to 20 feet long, keeping whatever coloring it had in life, but its skin seems dusty. Up close, the 'dust' is a crust of dead scales. The eyes give it away too: freshly made scryxulls have glossy, pure black eyes that dry and dull after about six months and eventually fall out.

Scryxulls attack on sight, never retreat and fight to the death unless their master calls them off with a command word. They open with a bite, rearing up like a cobra to strike at face height, a sight that can unnerve the timid: the chance of fear is 50% for non-adventurers, 10% at 0 level, 5% at 1st and 2% at 2nd. Each bite deals 2-8 damage and saps 1-3 Strength points.

If wounded or unable to bite, it spits instead, once every four rounds, with THAC0 15. The oily, dusty glob is aimed at bare skin, preferably the face. The spittle is a strong numbing agent that gradually paralyzes the area struck unless the victim saves vs. paralysis. Washing it off with water halts the progression where it stands; holy water removes the effects completely. Gear is unharmed. A hit to the torso progresses like one to the face, numbing the chest and making breathing hard.

Spellcasters suffer badly. A caster hit in the face cannot cast at all, though he may speak a magic item's command word in the first round only. One whose hand is struck cannot use somatic spells after the first round, and the DM decides whether material components can still be reached.

Poison, cold, death magic, fear, hold, charm and sleep cannot touch them. Holy water burns them for 2-8 damage, and priests turn them as zombies.

Any snake body can be made into one. They usually guard evil temples but also lurk in dungeons and evil wizards' laboratories, obeying up to six short commands such as attack, halt or be still.

Being artificial, scryxulls have no place in nature.