Snow Serpent
Not a snake at all but a legless, white-furred hunting mammal of the frozen north that ambushes travelers from the snow and sprays a corrosive breath.
Appearance
Despite the name, this is a limbless mammal whose white coat blends perfectly into ice and snowfields.
Combat
A hidden snow serpent is hard to find: even a character deliberately searching for concealed things has just a 15% chance. If it goes unnoticed, it gains automatic surprise and opens with a vicious bite for 1d10 points of damage.
It can also exhale a corrosive cone 10 feet long, 1 foot wide at the mouth and 8 feet wide at the far end, dealing 1d8 points of damage to everyone inside. Each target also saves vs. breath weapon; a failure adds 1d6 more damage, while success means no extra harm.
Habitat and Society
Solitary carnivores of remote corners of the frozen northern wastes, they menace travelers. By day they lurk in ambush, and at night they sleep curled in snow caves or cracks. In late spring, when the wastes partly thaw, they move to higher ground where they stay camouflaged and mate. The 2d4 young of each litter arrive in a cave or burrow and pose no danger until they grow up in early fall.
Ecology
Bold hunters prize their pelts, worth 100-600 gp by condition, but only adults have the luxuriant fur that makes them valuable.
More: Monsters starting with S · Lankhmar monsters · All monsters A-Z
Statistics
| Climate/Terrain | Arctic/tundra/mountains (a towering northern peak) |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Rare |
| Organization | Solitary |
| Activity Cycle | Day |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Intelligence | Animal (1) |
| Treasure | Nil |
| Alignment | Neutral |
| No. Appearing | 1 |
| Armor Class | 6 |
| Movement | 9 |
| Hit Dice | 10 |
| THAC0 | 11 |
| No. of Attacks | 1 |
| Damage/Attack | 1-10 |
| Special Attacks | Poison breath |
| Special Defenses | Camouflage |
| Magic Resistance | Nil |
| Size | G (30' long) |
| Morale | Steady (11-12) |
| XP Value | 2,000 |