Deathgrip Constrictor (Titanoboa)

If you’re a paleontology buff like me, then news of a new species discovered previously unknown to science is like Christmas and your birthday all rolled into one. It’s even better when this new discovery sets new size records for a particular type of critter, as is the case with the recently discovered Titanoboa, a super-sized boa constrictor that lived during the very early Paleocene epoch.

So, as you can imagine, the geeky game designer in me was compelled to stat up ol’ Titanoboa mere seconds after reading the news of its discovery. However, I didn’t want to just take the crushgrip constrictor from the Monster Manual and scale it up. I wanted to make my “deathgrip constrictor” unique, and create it with at least a nod to how actual pythons and boas operate.

First, I made the deathgrip constrictor a lurker rather than a brute or soldier. Since pythons and boas are almost exclusively ambush predators this made perfect sense to me. Second, after watching a pair of seven-foot red tail boas I used to own at feeding time, I knew that a boa’s strike and constriction happen almost simultaneously; the snake strikes, grabs its prey, and then wraps its coils around it, all in one lightning-fast motion. This was the impetus behind the quickgrip strike ability. Lastly, just for a little pizzazz, I threw in coils of death…well, because I’m a bastard, and I can’t help but snicker when I think of some hapless PC getting his brains squeezed out by a giant snake his buddies have already hacked to pieces.

So there you have it, the murky, convoluted design process behind the deathgrip constrictor detailed below.

BD
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Deathgrip Constrictor (Titanoboa)

Deathgrip constrictors are gigantic constrictor snakes found in deep, primeval jungles. Although neither intelligent nor malevolent, their sheer size and predatory instincts makes deathgrip constrictors incredibly dangerous to even well armed bands of humans and humanoids.

Deathgrip Constrictor Lore

A character knows the following information with a successful Nature check.

DC 20: Deathgrip constrictors are a species of super-sized constrictor snake found in hot, tropical jungles. At nearly 50 feet in length, these massive serpents can and do attack animals as large and ferocious as vicejaw crocodiles, and even behemoths that wander into striking range. Deathgrip constrictors are infamous among jungle-dwelling humanoids for their stealth, a lightning-fast strike, and a mighty crushing grip that not even death can loosen.

Deathgrip Constrictor (Titanoboa), Level 13 Elite Lurker
Huge natural beast (reptile), XP 1,600
Initiative +14 Senses Perception +15; low-light vision
HP 206; Bloodied 103
AC 29; Fortitude 27, Reflex 24, Will 22
Saving Throws +2
Speed 7, climb 7, swim 7
Action Points 1
Bite (standard; at-will)
Reach 2; +18 vs. AC; 2d8+7 damage, and the target is grabbed (until escape).
Constrict (standard; at-will)
Affects a target the deathgrip constrictor has grabbed; +16 vs. Fortitude; 2d8+14 damage, and the target is dazed until the end of the deathgrip constrictor’s next turn.
Quickgrip Strike (standard; recharge 5,6)
Requires combat advantage; the deathgrip constrictor makes a bite attack against the target. If the bite attack hits, the deathgrip constrictor can make a constrict attack against the same target as a free action
Coils of Death
A deathgrip constrictor continues to constrict a grabbed foe for 1d4 rounds after it is reduced to 0 hit points or less. This is the only action the deathgrip constrictor can take while at or below 0 hit points, and the grabbed target still has the normal chance to escape the grab.
Alignment Unaligned; Languages –
Skills Stealth +15
Str 25 (+13), Dex 18 (+10), Wis 19 (+10)
Con 19 (+10), Int 2 (+2), Cha 10 (+6)
Description This titanic snake has dull black scales and is nearly 50 feet long. Its body is thick and robust, and its massive head is a blunt wedge some 3 feet in width.

Deathgrip Constrictor Tactics

A deathgrip constrictor hides in the tree canopy or lies half-submerged in a jungle lake or river, waiting for prey to wander into striking range. When a target comes close enough, the huge snake uses quickgrip strike to bite and then immediately constrict its prey, often spending an action point to make a second constrict attack.

Encounter Groups

Deathgrip constrictors are solitary predators that hunt large game in deep jungles and tropical rainforests. However, human cultists worshipping snake gods often keep deathgrip constrictors in their temples to serve as guardians and objects of worship. In addition, the serpent folk know as the drakon* often keep deathgrip constrictors as pets.

Level 13 Encounter (XP 4,050)

• 1 deathgrip constrictor (level 13 elite lurker)
• 2 darkvenom drakon (level 12 soldier)
• 3 mongrel drakon (level 8 skirmisher)

*see Blackdirge's Dungeon Denizens