Snake

Snakes live in every corner of the world, even the frozen arctic, and come in two broad kinds: smaller venomous snakes and larger constrictors that crush prey. Both sleep for days after a big meal and shed their skins several times a year. All snakes fear fire, backing away from open flame and suffering a -6 morale penalty when it is used against them.

The amphisbaena has a venomous head at each end and travels by biting one neck and rolling along like a hoop. Each head can attack a different target, any bite forces a save vs. poison or instant death, and it is immune to cold attacks.

Boalisks are constrictors of the tropics that bite and squeezes like others but can also turn its gaze on one victim per round. Anyone meeting its eyes who fails a save vs. petrification contracts the same magical rot a mummy inflicts. Averting one's eyes avoids the gaze at a -4 AC penalty, and surprised victims meet it automatically with no save.

Constrictors lurk in tree branches, then lower themselves slowly or drop suddenly onto prey, coiling around it automatically and dealing damage every round. A humanoid can break free of an ordinary constrictor with an open doors roll at -1. Anyone hacking at the snake to help has a 20% chance of hitting the captive instead, who takes the normal damage. Area spells such as fireball catch both, while targeted spells like magic missile or charm monster can single out the snake. Anacondas, boas and reticulated pythons all reach 30 feet, and a flawless skin can sell for 100 gp.

Birdcharmers are naturally magical constrictors that sway steadily while staring at prey. Creatures of animal intelligence or lower must save vs. paralyzation or stand transfixed as long as the swaying continues and 2d6 rounds after.

Giant constrictors are far stronger; freeing a victim takes a combined 60 points of Strength between the captive and any helpers. Their hides are too stiff for decoration and are useful only as armor, fetching 20 gp uncured. The snow serpent is an especially huge, white-furred giant constrictor of subarctic lands that hides its 100-foot body under snow, then bursts up and coils around passersby. Victims are helpless in its loops and take an automatic 2d10 bite each round. These very rare beasts have 10 Hit Dice, THAC0 11, AC 6, movement 9, average morale (8-10) and gargantuan size, and are worth 2,000 XP; a pelt brings 2,000 gp. Otherwise it is a typical giant constrictor.

This intelligent, cowardly snake poisons wells and oases by swimming in them for hours to shed toxin from its slimy skin, then slips away to await its prey. Drinking the water calls for a save vs. poison at +2; failure means 30 damage within 3d6 minutes plus 1d6 hours of paralysis, while success still costs 15. Animals surviving the dose often die of thirst later. Touching the skin is harmless; the poison works only when swallowed.

Its bite is weak and nonvenomous and it prefers small carrion, but its hypnotic stare protects it from the many who attack it on sight. A creature failing a save vs. paralyzation follows the heway home and lets itself be eaten, or, if the snake just wants to escape, stands frozen for 1d6 turns while it leaves.

Ordinary venomous snakes inject poison with every bite; choose or roll the poison type. Examples include asps, cobras, copperheads, coral snakes, death adders, kraits, mambas, puff adders, rattlesnakes, sidewinders and water moccasins. Some night-hunting cobras and sidewinders sense body heat as 30-foot infravision, and black mambas can race across open ground at MR 30.

Giant venomous snakes kill in one round on a failed save vs. poison, and some deal 3-18 damage even on a success. The giant cobra's venom kills 2-8 rounds after a bite, or deals only 10 damage if the victim saves at -2. It mesmerizes prey like a birdcharmer and can swallow a goat or a halfling or gnome. Certain giant weasels hunt it, and jungle giants and some elven tribes consider it a delicacy.

The giant sea snake of tropical waters is the only snake that both constricts and poisons; its bite kills in 1-4 rounds, and its coils can crush a small ship in 10 rounds, though it attacks ships only when hungry (20% chance). It dives deep, sealing the membranes over its upward-facing nostrils. Sometimes hundreds or thousands mass into floating rafts up to 30 miles in length and a hundred yards across, perhaps to mate or migrate.

Spitting snakes bite normally and can also spit standard snake venom at one target within 30 feet. The African spitting cobra reaches 15 feet, and its spittle blinds for 2-12 hours on a failed save vs. poison.

Jaculi are tree-dwelling forms of the land snakes above, camouflaged like chameleons. They launch themselves at prey from as high as 50 feet, imposing -4 on surprise. Some have flat, spiked or barbed heads that double their bite damage on that first leap; afterward they must bite, constrict or climb back up to jump again. The boomslang and emerald tree boa are examples, and many jaculi eat other snakes.

Snakes that grow ancient are said to become elder serpents with Intelligence 2-7 (semi to low), an extra Hit Die and the power of lisping speech. Their venom is stronger (death within 1-4 rounds at most, saves at -4), they take no morale penalty from flame, and they collect shiny things as treasure type W. They paralyze prey like birdcharmers and their stare works on humans and demihumans, not just beasts; an elder boalisk's gaze carries both effects at once, so victims save twice. Legend tells of an immortal greatest elder, the Eldest Coil, whose shed skin supposedly heals and grants wisdom to those who eat it, but as no one has ever seen it, the stories are doubtful.