MONSTERS; BLOOD NAGA

author: Ian Turner (Soltares)
email: not revealed
date: 2003-07-25
status: finished

I was reading the Vargouille description in the MM and decided that I wanted something similar, but more 'Scarred Lands-ish' for an upcoming encounter.

So I combined the Medium Constrictor and the Vargouille into a beastie I called the Blood Naga, which fit the mood I was looking for in a Hornsaw encounter better than any traditional Naga encounter.

Blood Naga

Medium Magical Beast

Hit Dice: 3d10+3 (16 hp)

Initiative: +3 (Dex)

Speed: 20 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.

AC: 15 (+2 natural, +3 Dex)

Attacks: Bite +7 melee

Damage: Bite 1d4+3 and poison

Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft. (coiled)/5 ft.

Special Attacks: Improved grab, constrict 1d3+3, dance, poison, kiss

Special Qualities: Scent, 60 ft. darkvision

Saves: Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +4

Abilities: Str 17, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 5, Wis 12, Cha 8

Skills: Balance +11, Climb +14, Hide +11, Listen +9, Spot +9

Feats: Lightning Reflexes

Climate/Terrain: Temperate and warm land and underground

Organization: Solitary

Challenge Rating: 1 (small), 3 (medium), 5 (large)

Treasure: Standard

Alignment: Always chaotic evil

Advancement: 1-2 HD (Small), 3-5 HD (Medium), 6-10 HD (Large)

These vile creatures have slithered the Hornsaw since the death of Mormo and are a threat to all humanoid life, for they can only reproduce by infecting a humanoid creature with their own tainted blood.

Blood naga have an initial affinity for each other, with the 'parent' being almost protective of its 'children' for a few days or weeks, but it inevitably ends with violent disagreement (they are immune to each others poison and dance) and the parent driving off the child, the child driving away the parent, or the death of one of the above.

So, other than for a few days after spawning, they are solitary, but they don't really like being alone, craving companionship, even if only of creatures as tormented as themselves, so soon after being alone again, a blood naga will feel the urge to make more 'children,' forgetting that it never ends well...

An 'adult' blood naga is dark in color, almost blackish-red, with recent 'children' being bright crimson with black patterns. Occasionally one will still bear signs of facial tattoos, jewelry or other distinctive features from before their transformation, but they have no memory of these times and will not recognize things from their previous lives.

The only part of a blood naga that remains essentially unchanged are their eyes. Instead of reptilian slits, they still have the same eyes they had in life, and those eyes roll crazily around in their head, as if trapped inside their twisted skulls and trying to get out.

Blood naga understand occasional words of Titan Speech, regardless of what languages they knew in life, but cannot be relied upon to act on any words that they do recognize. The pain and trauma of their initial transformation never seems to end for them, and they remain insane and malevolent as a result of this. Even the hags of Mormo find them untrainable and best avoided.

Skills: Blood naga receive a +4 racial bonus to Hide, Listen and Spot checks and a +8 racial bonus to Balance checks. They can use either their Strength or Dexterity modifier for Climb checks.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the naga must hit with its bite attack. If it gets a hold, it gains an automatic grapple and can constrict any creature of Medium-size or smaller on the following round without requiring an attack roll. [A Small blood naga can only constrict a Small or smaller opponent, a Large blood naga can constrict any foe of Large or smaller size.]

Constriction (Ex): A blood naga inflicts 1d3+3 damage each round to any Medium-sized or smaller creature it constricts.

Dance (Su): A blood naga can spend an action weaving in a hypnotic dance that affects all who can see it within 60 ft., requiring a Will save (DC 14) to avoid being paralyzed with fear (effectively stunned) until the creature attacks them, moves out of sight or leaves range. A creature that is frozen in horror can be affected by the naga's kiss attack (which breaks the entrancement for the victim, but not any entranced companions). If the save is made (or the affect is broken by an attack or successful kiss), the opponent cannot be affected by that naga's dance again for one day.

Poison (Ex): Fortitude save (DC 14) or be unable to heal the bite damage, naturally or magically. A neutralize poison or heal spell removes the effect and restores damage, while a delay poison allows magical healing. [per MM p 6 add +2 to the poison DC when increasing a creature to size Medium, apply this modifier to a blood nagas entrancing dance as well. A size Small blood naga would have DC 12 to resist poison and dance, a size Large blood naga would have DC 16.] The area around the bite grows inflamed and reddish, eventually with black streaks traveling up and down the affected area, in line with the victims veins. Nearby body hair falls out and the skin grows hot and dry, feeling bumpy and almost scaly to the touch, but this change in appearance is cosmetic until the damage is cured.

Kiss (Su): A blood naga can 'kiss' an entranced or helpless target with a successful melee touch attack, opening its disjointed maw wide and locking over the mouth of its victim, vomiting forth a quantity of its own vile blood and beginning a terrible transformation. The affected target must make a Fortitude save (DC 19) or begin changing into a blood naga, losing his hair and turning red, as if feverish, over the next 1d6 hours. After another 1d6 hours, the skin on his face will grow scaly, and most of his teeth fall out. He will also be treated as fatigued during this point, and feel flush and sore all over, with a numbness in his arms and legs. Over the next 1d6 hours, he will be treated as exhausted and suffer 1d6 points of permanent Intelligence and Charisma drain. 1d6 hours later, the transformation will be complete, and with a wet ripping sound, his head and spinal cord will tear from his shoulders, leaving his arms, legs and eviscerated torso lying in a discarded heap as the new blood naga slithers away in a trail of blood and gore. This transformation is interrupted by sunlight, and even a daylight spell can delay death, but to reverse the transformation before it is complete requires a remove disease. (After it is complete, only a wish or miracle can restore a blood naga to the original subject.) A blood naga created in this fashion retains no features from it's original creature type (save cosmetic details), although a size Small humanoid will form a Small blood naga and a size Large humanoid will form a Large blood naga. Blood naga do not otherwise grow in size, or reproduce naturally. No blood naga of smaller or larger sizes have been reported, and a blood naga can only use its kiss attack on a humanoid within one size class of its own size. A blood naga can only use its kiss attack a number of times per day equal to its Constitution modifier (at least once). [The average size Medium blood naga can therefore use this attack three times per day. Regardless of size of naga or victim, the DC is always 19.]

Scent: SRD 3.5, Special Abilities & Conditions, Special Abilities, Scent.

Darkvision: As a magical beast, blood naga have 60 ft. darkvision.

Size Medium Stat block

Blood Naga: SZ Medium Monstrous Beast; HD 3d10+3; hp 16, Init +3 (Dex); Spd 20 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.; AC 15 (+2 natural, +3 Dex); Atk +7 melee (1d4+3 bite plus poison); SA constrict (1d3+3), poison (DC 14), dance (DC 14), kiss (DC 19), improved grab; SQ scent; AL CE; SV Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +4; Str 17, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 5, Wis 12, Cha 8.

Skills: Balance +11, Climb +14, Hide +11, Listen +9, Spot +9.

Feats: Lightning Reflexes.

Size Small Stat block

Blood Naga: SZ Small Monstrous Beast; HD 1d10; hp 6, Init +4 (Dex); Spd 20 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.; AC 17 (+1 size, +2 natural, +4 Dex); Atk +6 melee (1d3+1 bite plus poison); SA constrict 1d2+1, poison (DC 12), dance (DC 12), kiss (DC 19), improved grab; SQ scent; AL CE; SV Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +3; Str 13, Dex 19, Con 11, Int 5, Wis 12, Cha 8.

Skills: Balance +11, Climb +15, Hide +15, Listen +9, Spot +9.

Feats: Weapon Finesse (bite).

Size Large Stat block

Blood Naga: SZ Large Monstrous Beast; HD 6d10+18; hp 54, Init +2 (Dex); Spd 20 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.; AC 15 (-1 size, +4 natural, +2 Dex); Atk +12 melee (1d6+7 bite plus poison); SA constrict (1d4+7), poison (DC 16), dance (DC 16), kiss (DC 19), improved grab; SQ scent; AL CE; SV Fort +8, Ref +9, Will +6; Str 25, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 5, Wis 12, Cha 8.

Skills: Balance +11, Climb +18, Hide +7, Listen +11, Spot +11.

Feats: Alertness, Lightning Reflexes.