Fearsome Critters from Lumberjack Tales

Cleon

Cleon

Legend
Here's a couple of new serpents to add to the Fearsome Critters. The Joint Snake is a classic lumberjack yarn, but the Dart Snake is not a genuine legend but my interpretation of a snake from ancient European legend, the Jaculus, see the notes at the end of the write-up for some details.
 

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Cleon

Cleon

Legend
Fearsome Critters from Lumberjack Tales - The Joint Snake

Joint Snake
Medium Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 4d10+8 (30 hp)[7 hp to sever]
Initiative: +7
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), burrow 10 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.
Armor Class: 18 (+3 Dex, +5 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 15 [head AC 24, touch 19, flat 21]
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+8
Attack: Bite +9 melee (1d4+2 plus poison) or tail +8 melee (1d4+2 to 1d4)
Full Attack: Bite +9 melee (1d4+2 plus poison) and 1-3 tails +6 melee (1d4+2 to 1d4)[see divided attacks]
Space/Reach: 5 ft./ 5 ft.
Special Attacks: Divided attacks, poison
Special Qualities: blindsight 10 ft., divisible body, fast healing 14 [see below], immunities (ability harm, disease, poison, sleep, paralysis, polymorph, stunning and mind-affecting powers), low-light vision, panoramic senses, scent
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +2
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 1, Wis 13, Cha 2
Skills: Balance +11, Climb +12, Hide +10, Listen +7, Spot +7, Swim +12
Feats: Improved InitiativeB, Multiattack, Weapon Focus (bite)
Environment: Temperate or warm forests
Organization: Solitary, nest (1-2 adults plus 2-20 eggs or young)
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 5-7 HD (Medium), 8-12 (Large), 13-16 (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —

This crawling varmint looks a lot like a giant earthworm, but its slit-pupil eyes, fanged jaws and the tiny scales on its baby-smooth skin are undeniable proof that it's a serpent. Its shape has hardly any taper in it at all, the base of its tail is only a mite narrower than the thickness of its body.

A joint snake is a serpent with supernatural autohealing powers, chop a joint snake into pieces and the pieces, or "joints", stay alive and keep on fighting. These serpents look a lot like an oversized slow worm (Anguis fragilis, a type of legless lizard). They have eyelids, unlike true snakes, but do not have visible ears like slow worms or other lizards. An average sized specimen is some twelve feet long and weighs about a hundred pounds.

Damp undergrowth is the preferred habitat of a joint snake. They are most common in humid forests, especially the thick brush found alongside river courses. Although these animals have watertight skins, they have little tolerance of arid conditions, so are never found in dry forests or drought prone brush such as chapparal. Joint snakes are able to burrow like a blindworm through loose material like leaf-litter, mud and sandy soil or extremely thick undergrowth.

A joint snake is a simple-minded beast, operating almost entirely on instinct. Their glimmering of intelligence is barely enough for them to remember the scent and location of places which are rich in prey or offer good shelter.

Joint snakes come in both male and female, and mate in the usual fashion. Like the garter snake (Thamnophis elegans) or green anaconda (Eunectes murinus), joint snakes are viviparous, nourishing unborn offspring inside their bodies via a placenta-like connection, but the form this takes is most unusual. After mating, the female snake sheds a segment of her body filled with young, and this segment is able to live and move by itself over the 3-8 weeks it takes the embryos to mature. This womb-segment will bask in the sun to warm its young, burrow away from danger and even defend itself with tail slaps. Eventually, the segment will give live birth to 5-12 live young and die, the newborn young usually make a meal of the remains. A particularly large female may shed many such womb-segments during a breeding season, maybe as many as ten or twelve after an exceptionally rich year.

For the statistics of a joint snake womb-segment see below, under Joint Snakes of Different Sizes.

Combat
If a joint snake is feeling pugnacious, it will simply slither up and start biting and tail-slapping. They are too stupid to use anything resembling strategy, simply trying to make as many attacks as possible. As a fight progresses, the snake will probably be divided into several joints by the attacks of its opponents. Each joint has its own tail attack, which it uses with little coordination with the other pieces of the snake. Thus, a snake facing several foes who have sliced it into many pieces will divide its attacks amongst its opponents more or less at random.

Joint snakes are incredibly difficult to kill, their Fast Healing and ability to survive vivisection means a joint snake may have to be beaten into mincemeat before it stops moving. Added to this, their strange physiology renders joint snakes immune to many of the ailments that normal flesh suffers from, such as poison and disease.

A joint snake rarely retreats from combat, expecting its amazing self-healing to repair any wounds it suffers. Thus, they usually fight until death, victory or the flight of their foes. The only common occasion a joint snake will withdraw from a fight is when its opponents persist in using area of effect energy attacks, even a joint snake will retreat if faced with multiple fireball and shocking hand spells.

Divisible Body (Su)
All joint snakes larger than infants have Divisible Body, the ability to separate into pieces and still live. A joint snake can theoretically be cut into any number of pieces, but can only control one piece for every Hit Dice it possesses. The snake's life-force is constantly redistributed between the pieces, so it is not necessary to keep track of the hit point score of separate segments, just a running total of the joint snake's hit points and how many pieces it has been divided into.

A joint snake's unnatural biology gives it immunity to all sorts of ability harming effects, disease, poison, sleep, paralysis, polymorph, stunning and mind-affecting powers. Effects which permanently remove Hit Dice, such as energy drain, will cause a joint snake to have its maximum number of segments reduced by a corresponding amount.

Any blow from a slashing weapon will cut a joint snake into two. They will also separate if hit by other targeted attacks, such as a weapon blow or ray, that does damage equaling the mean hit points per die of the snake. (e.g. the snake's hit points divided by its number of hit dice and rounded down, on average this is 5 plus their Con modifier.) Such attacks cannot exceed the damage required to separate the snake. Thus, if an attacker rolls 16 damage hitting a Con 15 snake, the snake only loses 7 hit points from its total. Area effect damage subtracts from the snake's hit point total normally.

A joint snake can also deliberately halve itself by spending a standard action, this does not cause it any damage.

Although a joint snake may operate in multiple pieces, it is always considered one being, with a single set of actions. For example, one half of a joint snake could Aid Another the other half of its body, but this would cost a standard action so the snake could only Aid itself to perform a move action or less. They make grapple attacks as a single creature of its actual size, no matter how many pieces it is in.

A joint snake occupies the normal space of a creature its size, keeping any separated segments in physical contact. If the segments should be separated by an outside force, any segment not in contact with the head will not be able to perform any action except move towards the head. If kept out of contact for more than ten minutes, an isolated segment will start to shrivel and die within an hour or so. The joint snake needs to make a Constitution check every ten minutes (DC 10, +1 for each previous check) or take 1d6 non lethal damage, which can only be restored if the missing segment rejoins the rest. When this damage matches the segment's hit points (i.e. 5+Con modifier) the missing segment dies and the snake loses a Hit Dice.

Divided Attack (Ex)
The more pieces a joint snake is separated into, the more pieces it has to attack its foes with. Each segment of a joint snake can attack once. The front segment has a venomous bite attack, each of the subsequent segments has a tail attack. The bite attack always does the same amount of damage, but the tail attacks inflict less damage the more pieces the snake is divided into, according to the following chart, organized by Hit Dice and how many times the snake has been divided.

Note that both the bite and tail attacks of an intact joint snake use the damage bonus of a secondary attack, thus a joint snake separated into two pieces does the same damage with its attacks as an intact snake.

Example: A lumberjack hits a 9 HD joint snake four times with an axe, the snake is now divided into five pieces, a head with a 1d8+4 damage bite attack and four tails with 1d4+1 damage attacks.

2 HD Snake: 1st cut 1d3+1
3 HD Snake: 1st cut 1d4+1, 2nd cut 1d4
4 HD Snake: 1st cut 1d4+2, 2nd cut 1d4+1, 3rd cut 1d4
5 HD Snake: 1st cut 1d4+2, 2nd-3rd cut 1d4+1, 4th cut 1d4
6 HD Snake: 1st cut 1d6+3, 2nd cut 1d4+2, 3rd-4th cut 1d4+1, 5th cut 1d4
7 HD Snake: 1st cut 1d8+3, 2nd cut 1d4+2, 3rd-4th cut 1d4+1, 5th-6th cut 1d4
8 HD Snake: 1st cut 1d8+4, 2nd cut 1d6+2, 3rd cut 1d4+2, 4th-5th cut 1d4+1, 6th-7th cut 1d4
9 HD Snake: 1st cut 1d8+4, 2nd cut 1d6+3, 3rd cut 1d4+2, 4th-6th cut 1d4+1, 7th-8th cut 1d4
10 HD Snake: 1st cut 1d10+5, 2nd cut 1d6+3, 3rd-4th cut 1d4+2, 5th-7th cut 1d4+1, 8th-9th cut 1d4
11 HD Snake: 1st cut 1d10+5, 2nd cut 1d8+3, 3rd cut 1d6+2, 4th cut 1d4+2, 5th-8th cut 1d4+1, 9th-10th cut 1d4
12 HD Snake: 1st cut 1d10+6, 2nd cut 1d8+4, 3rd cut 1d6+3, 4th-5th cut 1d4+2, 6th-9th cut 1d4+1, 10th-11th cut 1d4
13 HD Snake: 1st cut 2d6+6, 2nd cut 1d8+4, 3rd cut 1d6+3, 4th-5th cut 1d4+2, 6th-9th cut 1d4+1, 10th-12th cut 1d4
14 HD Snake: 1st cut 2d6+7, 2nd cut 1d10+4, 3rd cut 1d8+3, 4th cut 1d6+2, 5th-6th cut 1d4+2, 7th-10th cut 1d4+1, 11th-13th cut 1d4
15 HD Snake: 1st cut 2d6+7, 2nd cut 1d10+5, 3rd cut 1d8+3, 4th cut 1d6+3, 5th-6th cut 1d4+2, 7th-11th cut 1d4+1, 12th-14th cut 1d4
16 HD Snake: 1st cut 2d6+8, 2nd cut 1d10+5, 3rd cut 1d8+4, 4th cut 1d6+3, 5th cut 1d6+2, 6th-7th cut 1d4+2, 8th-12th cut 1d4+1, 13th-15th cut 1d4

Fast Healing (Ex)
A joint snake has fast healing equal to 10 plus twice its Constitution modifier and can heal its severed segments back together. The snake can rejoin a pair of segments with a swift action, or rejoin as many segments as it wishes as a full-round action. Rejoining segments will reduce the joint snake's number of tail attacks and their damage – see Divided Attack.

Panoramic Senses (Ex)
A joint snake can sense and react to objects in all directions with equal faculty, so cannot be flanked.

Poison (Ex)
A joint snake has a poisonous bite that deals initial and secondary damage of 1d6 Con if the victim fails a DC 14 Fortitudesave. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Skills
Snakes have a +4 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, and Spot checks and a +8 racial bonus on Balance and Climb checks. A snake can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened. Snakes use either their Strength modifier or Dexterity modifier for Climb checks, whichever is higher. A snake has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

 Lore Checks
DC 14 - A joint snake is like a big slow-worm. They live in damp places, like riverbanks or deep piles of damp leaves on the forest floor. Funny thing about them is you can cut them into joints and it doesn't faze them - each bit of the snake stays alive and wriggling!
DC 19 - Best not mess with a joint snake, vicious they are. Each joint of the snake can carry on attacking by itself, sometimes they even pulls themselves apart just to get more tail-ends to thwack folks with. Now they don't like dryness, cause they've got moist skins like earthworms, so folks can use fire or lye to drive away a joint snake that's bothering them.
DC 24 - A joint snake can heal up near any wound in a few moments, and join itself back together again after being cut in twain. You can kill one by hitting it, but you might need to pound it to paste before the worm's really dead. Best way to get rid of one is throw the snake into a bonfire or quicklime pit and stop any pieces of it crawling out.

Joint Snakes of Different Sizes
Joint Snakes have a non-standard advancement scheme. A joint snake of Small size or larger (i.e. 2+ HD) has a Strength equal to 10 plus twice its Hit Dice, a Constitution of 11 plus its Hit Dice (with an additional +1 at 16 HD) and a Dexterity of 19 minus one for every further growth stage (at 3HD, 4HD, 6HD, 9HD, 12HD and 16HD). Their natural armour bonus increases by one for every second Hit Dice about 4HD (at 6HD, 8HD, 10HD, 12HD, 14HD and 16HD).

A joint snake still gets standard ability bonuses for its HD. The stat blocks include a +1 Wisdom bonus at 4 HD, a +1 Intelligence bonus at 8 HD, another +1 Wisdom bonus at 12 HD and a +1 Constitution bonus at 16 HD, as mentioned above.

A joint snake womb-segment has the same attributes as a 1 HD Junior Joint Snake (See below), except it has no bite attack, lacks an Int score and has the same Con score as the mother snake it separated from. The higher Constitution does NOT increase the womb-segment's Fast Healing, which remains at Fast Healing 12. The extra vitality is dedicated to speeding the development of the young. The lack of an intelligence score means the womb-segment has no non-bonus feats or skill ranks.

Joint Snake Womb-Segment (Tiny Magical Beast, Hit Dice 1d10+2(7hp)[7hp to sever, up to 1d10+9(14hp) with higher Con]; Init: +9; Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.; AC: 22(+2 size, +5 Dex, +5 natural) touch 17, flat-footed 17; Base Attack/Grapple: +1/-7; Attack/Full Attack: tail +8 melee (1d2); Space/Reach: 2½ ft./0 ft.; Special Attacks:—; Special Qualities: blindsight 30 ft., divisible body, fast healing 12, immunities (ability harm, disease, poison, sleep, paralysis, polymorph, stunning and mind-affecting powers), low-light vision, panoramic senses, scent; Saves: Fort +4 [up to +11 with higher Con], Ref +7, Will +1; Abilities: Str 10, Dex 21, Con 15, Int –, Wis 12, Cha 2; Skills: Balance +13, Climb +13, Hide +17, Listen +5, Spot +5, Swim +8; Feats: Improved InitiativeB, Weapon FinesseB; CR: ½)

Baby Joint Snake (Diminutive Magical Beast, Hit Dice ½d10+1(3hp)[3hp to sever]; Init: +10; Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.; AC: 25(+4 size, +6 Dex, +5 natural) touch 13, flat-footed 15; Base Attack/Grapple: +1/-12; Attack: Bite +12 melee (1d2-1 plus poison) or tail +11 melee (1d2-1); Full Attack: Bite +12 melee (1d2-1 plus poison) and tail +6 melee (1d2-1); Space/Reach: 1 ft./0 ft.; Special Attacks: Divided attacks, poison (Fort DC 11, 1d2/1d2 Con); Special Qualities: blindsight 30 ft., divisible body, fast healing 12, immunities (ability harm, disease, poison, sleep, paralysis, polymorph, stunning and mind-affecting powers), low-light vision, panoramic senses, scent; Saves: Fort +3, Ref +8, Will +1; Abilities: Str 8, Dex 23, Con 13, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 2; Skills: Balance +14, Climb +14, Hide +22, Listen +7, Spot +7, Swim +7; Feats: Improved InitiativeB, Weapon FinesseB, Weapon Focus (bite); CR: 1)

Junior Joint Snake (Tiny Magical Beast, Hit Dice 1d10+1(6hp)[6hp to sever]; Init: +9; Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.; AC: 22(+2 size, +5 Dex, +5 natural) touch 17, flat-footed 17; Base Attack/Grapple: +1/-7; Attack: Bite +9 melee (1d2) or tail +8 melee (1d2); Full Attack: Bite +9 melee (1d2) and tail +3 melee (1d2); Space/Reach: 2½ ft./0 ft.; Special Attacks: Divided attacks, poison (Fort DC 11, 1d3/1d3 Con); Special Qualities: blindsight 30 ft., divisible body, fast healing 12, immunities (ability harm, disease, poison, sleep, paralysis, polymorph, stunning and mind-affecting powers), low-light vision, panoramic senses, scent; Saves: Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +1; Abilities: Str 10, Dex 21, Con 13, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 2; Skills: Balance +13, Climb +13, Hide +17, Listen +7, Spot +7, Swim +8; Feats: Improved InitiativeB, Weapon FinesseB, Weapon Focus (bite); CR: 1)

Teenage Joint Snake (Small Magical Beast, Hit Dice 2d10+2(13hp)[6hp to sever]; Init: +8; Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.; AC: 20(+1 size, +4 Dex, +5 natural) touch 15, flat-footed 16 [head AC 25, touch 20, flat 21]; Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+0; Attack: Bite +8 melee (1d3+1 plus poison) or tail +7 melee (1d3+1); Full Attack: Bite +8 melee (1d3+1 plus poison) and tail +2 melee (1d3+1); Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.; Special Attacks: Divided attacks, poison (Fort DC 12, 1d4/1d4 Con); Special Qualities: blindsight 30 ft., divisible body, fast healing 12, immunities (ability harm, disease, poison, sleep, paralysis, polymorph, stunning and mind-affecting powers), low-light vision, panoramic senses, scent; Saves: Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +1; Abilities: Str 14, Dex 19, Con 13, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 2; Skills: Balance +12, Climb +12, Hide +13, Listen +7, Spot +7, Swim +10; Feats: Improved InitiativeB, Weapon FinesseB, Weapon Focus (bite); CR: 2)

Young Adult Joint Snake (Medium Magical Beast, Hit Dice 3d10+6(22hp)[7hp to sever]; Init: +8; Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.; AC: 19(+4 Dex, +5 natural) touch 14, flat-footed 15 [head AC 25, touch 20, flat 21]; Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+6; Attack: Bite +9 melee (1d4+1 plus poison) or tail +8 melee (1d4+1 to 1d4); Full Attack: Bite +9 melee (1d4+1 plus poison) and 1-2 tails +6 melee (1d4+1 to 1d4); Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.; Special Attacks: Divided attacks, poison (Fort DC 13, 1d6/1d6 Con); Special Qualities: blindsight 30 ft., divisible body, fast healing 14, immunities (ability harm, disease, poison, sleep, paralysis, polymorph, stunning and mind-affecting powers), low-light vision, panoramic senses, scent; Saves: Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +2; Abilities: Str 16, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 2; Skills: Balance +12, Climb +12, Hide +10, Listen +7, Spot +7, Swim +11; Feats: Improved InitiativeB, Multiattack, Weapon FinesseB, Weapon Focus (bite); CR: 3)

Grown-Up Joint Snake (Medium Magical Beast, Hit Dice 4d10+8(30hp)[7hp to sever]; Init: +7; Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.; AC: 18(+3 Dex, +5 natural) touch 13, flat-footed 15 [head AC 24, touch 19, flat 21]; Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+8; Attack: Bite +9 melee (1d4+2 plus poison) or tail +8 melee (1d4+2 to 1d4); Full Attack: Bite +9 melee (1d4+2 plus poison) and 1-3 tails +6 melee (1d4+2 to 1d4); Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.; Special Attacks: Divided attacks, poison (Fort DC 14, 1d6/1d6 Con); Special Qualities: blindsight 30 ft., divisible body, fast healing 14, immunities (ability harm, disease, poison, sleep, paralysis, polymorph, stunning and mind-affecting powers), low-light vision, panoramic senses, scent; Saves: Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +2; Abilities: Str 18, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 1, Wis 13, Cha 2; Skills: Balance +11, Climb +12, Hide +10, Listen +7, Spot +7, Swim +12; Feats: Improved InitiativeB, Multiattack, Weapon Focus (bite); CR: 4)

Veteran Joint Snake (Medium Magical Beast, Hit Dice 6d10+18(51hp)[8hp to sever]; Init: +7; Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.; AC: 19(+3 Dex, +6 natural) touch 13, flat-footed 16 [head AC 25, touch 19, flat 22]; Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+12; Attack: Bite +13 melee (1d6+3 plus poison) or tail +12 melee (1d6+3 to 1d4); Full Attack: Bite +13 melee (1d6+3 plus poison) and 1-5 tails +12 melee (1d6+3 to 1d4); Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.; Special Attacks: Divided attacks, poison (Fort DC 16, 1d6/1d6 Con); Special Qualities: blindsight 30 ft., divisible body, fast healing 16, immunities (ability harm, disease, poison, sleep, paralysis, polymorph, stunning and mind-affecting powers), low-light vision, panoramic senses, scent; Saves: Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +3; Abilities: Str 22, Dex 16, Con 17, Int 1, Wis 13, Cha 2; Skills: Balance +11, Climb +14, Hide +11, Listen +8, Spot +7, Swim +14; Feats: Improved InitiativeB, Improved Multiattack, Multiattack, Weapon Focus (bite); CR: 5)

Old 'Un Joint Snake (Large Magical Beast, Hit Dice 9d10+45(94hp)[10hp to sever]; Init: +6; Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.; AC: 18(-1 size, +2 Dex, +7 natural) touch 11, flat-footed 16 [head AC 25, touch 19, flat 23]; Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+22; Attack: Bite +19 melee (1d8+4 plus poison) or tail +18 melee (1d8+4 to 1d4); Full Attack: Bite +19 melee (1d8+4 plus poison) and 1-8 tails +18 melee (1d8+4 to 1d4); Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.; Special Attacks: Divided attacks, poison (Fort DC 19, 1d8/1d8 Con); Special Qualities: blindsight 30 ft., divisible body, fast healing 20, immunities (ability harm, disease, poison, sleep, paralysis, polymorph, stunning and mind-affecting powers), low-light vision, panoramic senses, scent; Saves: Fort +11, Ref +10, Will +4; Abilities: Str 28, Dex 15, Con 20, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 2; Skills: Balance +10, Climb +17, Hide +5, Listen +9, Spot +10, Swim +17; Feats: Improved InitiativeB, , Improved Multiattack, Lightning Reflexes, Multiattack, Weapon Focus (bite); CR: 6)

Antique Joint Snake (Large Magical Beast, Hit Dice 12d10+72(138hp)[11hp to sever]; Init: +6; Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.; AC: 20(-1 size, +2 Dex, +9 natural) touch 11, flat-footed 18 [head AC 27, touch 18, flat 25]; Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+28; Attack: Bite +25 melee (1d10+6 plus poison) or tail +25 melee (1d10+6 to 1d4); Full Attack: Bite +25 melee (1d10+6 plus poison) and 1-11 tails +25 melee (1d10+6 to 1d4); Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.; Special Attacks: Divided attacks, poison (Fort DC 22, 1d8/1d8 Con); Special Qualities: blindsight 30 ft., divisible body, fast healing 22, immunities (ability harm, disease, poison, sleep, paralysis, polymorph, stunning and mind-affecting powers), low-light vision, panoramic senses, scent; Saves: Fort +14, Ref +12, Will +6; Abilities: Str 34, Dex 14, Con 23, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 2; Skills: Balance +10, Climb +20, Hide +5, Listen +12, Spot +12, Swim +20; Feats: Improved InitiativeB, , Improved Multiattack, Lightning Reflexes, Multiattack, Weapon Focus (bite), Weapon Focus (tail); CR: 7)

Great 'Orm Joint Snake (Huge Magical Beast, Hit Dice 16d10+144(232hp)[14hp to sever]; Init: +7; Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.; AC: 20(-2 size, +1 Dex, +11 natural) touch 9, flat-footed 19 [head AC 28, touch 17, flat 27]; Base Attack/Grapple: +16/+40; Attack: Bite +33 melee (2d6+8 plus poison) or tail +33 melee (2d6+8 to 1d4); Full Attack: Bite +33 melee (2d6+8 plus poison) and 1-15 tails +33 melee (2d6+8 to 1d4); Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft.; Special Attacks: Divided attacks, poison (Fort DC 29, 1d10/1d10 Con); Special Qualities: blindsight 30 ft., divisible body, fast healing 28, immunities (ability harm, disease, poison, sleep, paralysis, polymorph, stunning and mind-affecting powers), low-light vision, panoramic senses, scent; Saves: Fort +19, Ref +13, Will +7; Abilities: Str 42, Dex 13, Con 28, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 2; Skills: Balance +9, Climb +24, Hide +0, Listen +14, Spot +14, Swim +24; Feats: Ability Focus (poison), Improved InitiativeB, , Improved Multiattack, Lightning Reflexes, Multiattack, Weapon Focus (bite), Weapon Focus (tail); CR: 9)

Feat Progression: [1HD] Weapon Focus (bite), [3HD] Multiattack, [6HD] Improved Multiattack, [9HD] Lightning Reflexes, [12HD] Weapon Focus (tail), [15HD] Ability Focus (poison)

Abilty Bonus Progression: [4 HD] +1 Wis, [8 HD] +1 Int, [12 HD] +1 Wis, [16 HD] +1 Con.

Notes
The divided attacks and divisible body are a bit complicated, but without them it just ain't a Joint Snake. It should actually be less complex for a DM to run than a Hydra, since they don't need to track the joints' hit points individually, just keep track of the total hps and the number of segments it has been cut into and remember that any single weapon strike can't do more damage than it's segment hp. My first draft of this monster had each segment be a variable size with its own hit points, and the head a "vital spot" that could be targeted separately – but common sense prevailed!
 

Cleon

Cleon

Legend
Fearsome Critters from Lumberjack Tales - The Dart Snake

Dart Snake (Arrowhead Snake)
Diminutive Magical Beast
Hit Dice: ½d10+1 (3 hp)
Initiative: +11
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft., glide 30 ft. (clumsy)[See Gliding Flight and Spring Into Flight]; swim 20 ft.
Armor Class: 24 (+4 size, +7 Dex, +3 natural), touch 21, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/-12
Attack: Head-dart +12 melee (1d3-1/18-20×2 plus poison)
Full Attack: Head-dart +12 melee (1d3-1/18-20×2 plus poison)
Space/Reach: 1 ft./ 0 ft.
Special Attacks: Lancehead charge, poison
Special Qualities: DR 10/slashing or piercing, elastic body[half falling damage], gliding flight, low-light vision, scent, spring into flight
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +9, Will +2
Abilities: Str 9, Dex 25, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 2
Skills: Balance +15, Climb +15, Hide +23*[+27 in foliage], Jump +15, Listen +6, Spot +12, Swim +7
Feats: Improved Initiative, RunB, Weapon FinesseB
Environment: Temperate or warm forests
Organization: Solitary, flight (2-12), sheaf (8-16), or quiver (20-40)
Challenge Rating: 1/3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 1 HD (Tiny), 2 HD (Small), 3 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: —

A slim snake with a flattened body strikingly patterned in greens and browns, its triangular head is shaped just like a barb-less arrowhead, including the sharp edges that taper straight to a pointed tip.

Dart snakes, also called arrowhead snake or javelin snake, are a species very similar to the Jaculi snake of the old world. These are relatively petite for Lumberwood serpents, the above statistics represent the smallest adults (½ HD), who span as little as thirty inches from nose to tail tip and weigh only a couple of ounces. Bigger specimens do exist, nicknamed javelin snakes (1 HD, about 5 feet long and a pound in weight), spear snakes (2 HD, 7-8 feet long, 6-10 pounds in weight) and catapult-bolt snakes (3 HD, 10-12 feet long and 50-80 pounds), although specimens larger than javelin-sized are rare. A typical population of dart snakes is approximately 60% Diminutive dart snakes, 35% Tiny javelin snakes, 4% Small spear snakes and 1% Medium catapult-bolt snakes.

Dart snakes are fast moving snakes that live in and around trees, they can be found in woodlands ranging from warm-temperate to tropical climes. As well as being proficient climbers, dart snakes can use their flattened bodies to glide through the air, both to travel from tree to tree and to attack or flee from other creatures. They are most active in warm weather when the trees are in leaf, since this gives them the benefit of foliage cover and a balmy climate to quicken their cold blood. When the trees are bare and the weather cold, dart snakes will retire to a sheltered spot to enter a state of torpor.

The flattened head of a dart snake is remarkably tough but flexible, with a razor-sharp edge and needlelike point. It requires little work to turn the preserved head of a dart snake into an actual arrowhead or spearhead. These reptiles have venomous fangs, but do not use them to bite their prey, their fangs are set horizontally and protrude from either side of the snake's mouth, so they can inject venom into opponents they slash or stab with their heads. Dart snakes can eat prey larger than they can swallow whole by slicing bits off their victim with the knifelike edges of their head.

These snakes live and hunt communally, a most unusual habit for reptiles. Social position is a simple matter of size, with all the snakes following the lead of the biggest individual. Dart snakes can communicate with each other, mainly through smell and a simple but effective language of body-shape and posture. A colony of dart snakes can number up to two score and cooperates to watch for threats or prey, defend territory and share out kills.

At the end of the spring mating season, the females lay their eggs in communal nests, each of which is guarded by one of the largest snakes. These nests may be close together or far apart, depending on the local terrain and the temperament of their nursemaids, and each may contain anywhere from a dozen to over a hundred eggs. After eight weeks or so, all the eggs in a nest hatch at the same time, and the newborns live under the protection of their nursemaid for a month or so, eating insects and other miniscule prey, before scattering to make their own way in the world.

Juvenile dart snakes lack the specialized leaping muscles and the razor-edged head of the adults, they only acquire these when they grow to a couple of feet in length. Once they reach this size they instinctively seek out others of their kind. They are attracted to the scent of their relatives, so they usually join their parent colony or form a new colony with other near-adults from their mothers' communal laying, whether their own nest or another. Adult dart snakes are quite accepting of strange juveniles, so it's not uncommon for near-adults to bond with neighbouring colonies or pre-adults from alien nests.

Combat
Dart snakes will usually be encountered in trees, even a nursemaid snake will prefer to be on low branches overhanging their nest rather than on the ground. They are constantly on the lookout, as soon as one dart snake Spots the approach of creatures which appear to be potential threats or prey it signals to the rest of its colony, and all the snake will Hide and take a full-round action to prime their bodies to Spring Into Flight.

If they judge the creature to be a threat, they usually wait until the creature gets too close for comfort (about thirty feet), and then all the dart snakes Spring into the air and fly away. However, if there is a nearby nursemaid guarding a nest, they may attack instead – the nursemaid is usually one of the largest snakes, so the rest of the colony will follow its lead if it decides to defend the eggs by attacking the intruder(s).

A colony of dart snakes will judge the prey-worthiness of an approaching creature by its size. A group of 4 or so average sized snakes (typically 2 Tiny and 2 Diminutive) will attack creatures up to Small size, at around 6-8 snakes they will consider attacking Medium sized prey, while 15 or more dart snakes will tackle Large victims. To the snakes' minds, this is more a question of their ability to eat the victim than them being able to kill it. The number of opponents is not an issue.

The snakes follow the lead of the colony's largest member, so they act on that individuals initiative. When the potential prey get within the snakes 120 foot range the alpha snake will Springs Into Flight to make a Lancehead charge against its chosen victim, followed by all the other snakes. The dart snakes may not all attack the same victim, but will concentrate upon a few opponents. Those snakes that miss will glide back into the trees to prime themselves for another attack, those that hit will stay with their victim and repeatedly strike them with their venomous head-darts if the creature puts up little resistance, but will Jump into the air and glide for the trees if they suffer more than 25% or so damage from retaliatory attacks from their prey.

Elastic Body (Ex)
The amazing elasticity of a dart snake's body allows it to take half damage from falls, and gives it a DR 10 against bludgeoning damage. Slashing and piercing weapons injure a dart snake normally. See also Spring Into Flight, below.

Gliding Flight (Ex)
A dart snake glides rather than flies most of the time, hence it is listed with a glide 30 ft (clumsy) movement speed. The snake's gliding flight works like regular flight except that the dark snake can never glide upwards, instead the snake must descend at least 10 feet during each round of gliding. A dart snake can gain altitude while flying when using its Spring Into Flight ability.

Lancehead Charge (Ex)
A dart snake's head-dart attack does double damage (2d3-2) in a charge attack, including an attack made with a dive manoeuvre while gliding or the Spring portion of the snake's Spring Into Flight ability.

Spring Into Flight (Ex)
A dart snake's super-elastic flesh allows it to store energy by curling its body and tail as a living spring, which it can then release to catapult itself through the air. It takes a full-round action for a dart snake to 'prime' its spring, the dart snake is then reduced to half its normal terrestrial and aquatic speed (to 15 ft land & climb, 10 ft. swim) until it releases the tension in its body.

A dart snake that decides it no longer wants to be primed to Spring Into Flight may relax its body back to a normal state of tension by spending a full-round action.

A primed dart snake can Spring Into Flight as a standard action, during which it jumps 120 feet horizontally or 60 feet straight up. The dart snake can end this movement with a charge attack at any point along the jump, it does not require the normal 30 feet distance of a Dive attack. A dart snake Springs as fast as a javelin, moving so rapidly it can not be struck by normal Attacks of Opportunity; only characters with the Deflect Arrows feat or similar abilities may attempt an AoO against a dart snake during the Spring portion of its Spring Into Flight.

If the dart snake has a Move action remaining after its 120 ft Spring, the snake can expend it to fly 60 ft. with clumsy manoeuvrability under the normal Tactical Aerial Movement rules (so it can dive 120 ft. or climb 30 ft. at 45°, and turn 45° per 10 ft it flies et cetera). During this Flight portion of Spring Into Flight, the dart snake is not moving quickly enough to evade opportunity attacks.

Poison (Ex)
If a dart snake hits with a head-dart attack, it delivers a venom which deals initial and secondary damage of 1d2 Con if the victim fails a DC 11 Fortitudesave. The save DC is Constitution-based.

 Skills
Dart snakes have a +4 racial bonus on Hide and Listen checks, a +6 racial bonus on Spot checks and a +8 racial bonus on Balance, Climb and Jump checks. In treetops and other areas covered in leaves the Hide bonus improves to +8. Dart snakes use either their Strength modifier or Dexterity modifier for Climb and Jump checks, whichever is higher. A dart snake can always choose to take 10 on a Jump check, even if rushed or endangered, and never suffers a doubling of Jump DCs when it lacks a running start. A snake can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened. A snake has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

Lore Checks
DC 10 - You've heard of dart snakes, right? Those vipers that fly through the air like arrows? I reckon they aren't real animals at all. Remember that Evil Priest whose staff turned into a giant cobra? I think them forest goblin shamans turned a bunch of poisoned darts into snakes, then scattered them about the woods to turn honest folk into pincushions.
DC 15 - Dart snakes don't really fly you know, they flatten their bodies and glide. However, they can launch themselves through the air as fast as a crossbow bolt to pierce their prey with their heads, which have got edges and a point just like an arrowhead. They've got poison teeth sticking out of the sides of their mouths too, so if a dart snake cuts a victim with its head the wound becomes envenomed.
DC 20 - The worst thing about dart snakes is they attack en masse. We calls a big party of dart snakes a quiver, cause there may be dozens or scores of the cursed beasts, like how many arrows you gets in a quiver. They always follows the biggest snake's lead, so first you'll get a monster as big as a harpoon flying towards ye, then all the other snakes swarming behind 'em in volleys.

Different Sizes of Dart Snake
Here are compact stat-blocks for all sizes of Dart Snake, including the non combat worthy juveniles.

Baby Dart Snake (Fine Magical Beast, Hit Dice: ¼d10+1 (3hp); Init: +12; Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft., glide 30 ft.(clumsy)[See Gliding], swim 20 ft.; AC: 29(+8 size, +8 Dex, +3 natural) touch 26, flat-footed 21; Base Attack/Grapple: +1/-16; Full Attack: Bite +17 melee (1d2-1 plus poison); Space/Reach: ½ ft./0 ft.; Special Attacks: poison [Fort DC11 1/1 Con]; Special Qualities: DR 10/slashing or piercing, elastic body[half falling damage], gliding flight, low-light vision, scent; Saves: Fort +3, Ref +10, Will +2; Abilities: Str 9, Dex 27, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 2; Skills: Balance +16, Climb +16, Hide +28*[+32 in foliage], Jump +16, Listen +6, Spot +12, Swim +7; Feats: Improved Initiative, RunB, Weapon FinesseB; CR: 1/6)

Dart Snake (Diminutive Magical Beast, Hit Dice: ½d10+1 (3hp); Init: +11; Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft., glide 30 ft.(clumsy)[See Gliding and Spring Into Flight], swim 20 ft.; AC: 24(+4 size, +7 Dex, +3 natural) touch 21, flat-footed 17; Base Attack/Grapple: +1/-12; Full Attack: Head-dart +12 melee (1d3-1/18-20×2 plus poison); Space/Reach: 1 ft./0 ft.; Special Attacks: Lancehead charge [2d3-2/18-20×2], poison [Fort DC11 1d2/1d2 Con]; Special Qualities: DR 10/slashing or piercing, elastic body[half falling damage], gliding flight, low-light vision, scent, spring into flight; Saves: Fort +3, Ref +9, Will +2; Abilities: Str 9, Dex 25, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 2; Skills: Balance +15, Climb +15, Hide +23*[+27 in foliage], Jump +15, Listen +6, Spot +12, Swim +7; Feats: Improved Initiative, RunB, Weapon FinesseB; CR: 1/3)

Javelin Snake (Tiny Magical Beast, Hit Dice: 1d10+1 (6hp); Init: +6; Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft., glide 30 ft.(clumsy)[See Gliding and Spring Into Flight], swim 20 ft.; AC: 21(+2 size, +6 Dex, +3 natural) touch 18, flat-footed 15; Base Attack/Grapple: +1/-7; Full Attack: Head-dart +9 melee (1d4/18-20×2 plus poison); Space/Reach: 2½ ft./0 ft.; Special Attacks: Lancehead charge [2d4/18-20×2], poison [Fort DC11 1d3/1d3 Con]; Special Qualities: DR 10/slashing or piercing, elastic body[half falling damage], gliding flight, low-light vision, scent, spring into flight; Saves: Fort +3, Ref +8, Will +2; Abilities: Str 11, Dex 23, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 2; Skills: Balance +14, Climb +14, Hide +18*[+22 in foliage], Jump +14, Listen +6, Spot +12, Swim +8; Feats: Improved Initiative, RunB, Weapon FinesseB; CR: ½)

Spear Snake (Small Magical Beast, Hit Dice: 2d10+2 (13hp); Init: +5; Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft., glide 30 ft.(clumsy)[See Gliding and Spring Into Flight], swim 20 ft.; AC: 19(+1 size, +5 Dex, +3 natural) touch 16, flat-footed 14; Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+0; Full Attack: Head-dart +7 melee (1d6+3/18-20×2 plus poison); Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.; Special Attacks: Lancehead charge [2d6+6/18-20×2], poison [Fort DC12 1d4/1d4 Con]; Special Qualities: DR 10/slashing or piercing, elastic body[half falling damage], gliding flight, low-light vision, scent, spring into flight; Saves: Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +2; Abilities: Str 15, Dex 21, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 2; Skills: Balance +13, Climb +13, Hide +14*[+18 in foliage], Jump +13, Listen +6, Spot +12, Swim +10; Feats: Improved Initiative, RunB, Weapon FinesseB; CR: 1)

Catapult-Bolt Snake (Medium Magical Beast, Hit Dice: 3d10+6 (22hp); Init: +4; Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft., glide 30 ft.(clumsy)[See Gliding and Spring Into Flight], swim 20 ft.; AC: 17(+4 Dex, +3 natural) touch 14, flat-footed 13; Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+7; Full Attack: Head-dart +8 melee (1d8+6/18-20×2 plus poison); Space/Reach: 1 ft./0 ft.; Special Attacks: Lancehead charge [2d8+12/18-20×2], poison [Fort DC13 1d6/1d6 Con]; Special Qualities: DR 10/slashing or piercing, elastic body[half falling damage], gliding flight, low-light vision, scent, spring into flight; Saves: Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +3; Abilities: Str 19, Dex 19, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 2; Skills: Balance +12, Climb +12, Hide +10*[+14 in foliage], Jump +12, Listen +6, Spot +12, Swim +12; Feats: Improved Initiative, RunB, Weapon FinesseB; Weapon Focus (head-dart), CR: 2)

Notes
The Dart Snake is not actually a traditional North American monster, but is my interpretation of a legendary Old World serpent, the Jaculus.

Jaculi seemed such an excellent fit for a Lumberjack monster that I thought I'd throw them in to play. After all, there are tales of tree snakes that hurl themselves from trees like javelins all around the world, so why can't North America have them too?

There are old stories in Virginia about the Horn Snake, a serpent with a horn on its nose that hurls itself at foes. However that snake is quite different from the Dart Snake I've statted up - a Horn Snake's horn is deadly venomous, and it cannot fly or glide. Furthermore, a Horn Snake often has the horn on its tail-tip instead of its nose, and is often identified as a Hoop Snake, including the ability to roll in a hoop.

There are many different versions of a Jaculus's appearance - many accounts give them wings, others add a single pair of legs like a wyvern, while a few say they have the arrowhead on the tip of their tail and fly backwards to strike their prey. I had to choose one of these options. Legs and wings was too "dragon-ey" (e.g. a common medieval bestiary version of a Jaculus), I wanted something that was unmistakeably a snake, so that left the question of which end the blade went on, which was far trickier. I was very tempted to put the blade on the tail-tip, since I've got a lot of Lumberjack Serpents with tail-tip weapons and one more would fit in the "family", but I just didn't like the idea of it flying about back-to-front , plus I liked the picture of the Jaculi in the original Fiend Folio, so I opted to make it an arrowhead snake.

It doesn't make any mechanical difference, it's easy enough to call the Head-Dart attack a Tail-Dart instead, with a Lancetail Special Attack, and winged and legged variants are simple enough:

Winged Dart Snake: Increase climb speed to 30 ft., change glide 30 ft. (clumsy) to fly 40 ft. (average), reduce swim speed to 10 ft., remove Gliding Flight, distances & aerial manoeuvrability of Spring Into Flight remain unchanged.

Winged Bipedal Dart Snake: Increase land speed and climb speed to 30 ft., change glide 30 ft. (clumsy) to fly 40 ft. (average), reduce swim speed to 10 ft., remove Gliding Flight, distances & aerial manoeuvrability of Spring Into Flight remain unchanged.
 
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Cleon

Cleon

Legend
Oh by the way, I forgot to mention that somefolks identify the species Farancia erytrogramma as being the Hoop Snake, 'cause its got a sharp scale on its tail-tip. It's quite a pretty snake with a black back with red stripes and a pink/red/cream belly. There's a handy li'l webpage with some nice pictures here.
 

Cleon

Cleon

Legend
Here's the last of the Lumberwood serpents. None of them are based on traditional tall tales, being sourced from modern-day yarns and my own deranged imagination.

Next up I'll be returning to some interpretations of old-fashioned Fearsome Critters.
 

Cleon

Cleon

Legend
Fearsome Critters from Lumberjack Tales - The Bedspring Snake

Bedspring Snake (Pogo Snake)
Medium Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 3d10+6 (22 hp)
Initiative: +7
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)[40-120 ft. with bouncing speed], climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.[20-60 ft. with bouncing speed]
Armor Class: 18 (+3 Dex, +5 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 15 [+2 dodge when using bouncing speed, giving it AC 20, touch 15, flat-footed 15]
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+7
Attack: Tail +8 melee (1d8+4) or bite +7 melee (1d4+4 plus poison)
Full Attack: Tail +8 melee (1d8+4) and bite +3 melee (1d4+2 plus poison) or bite +7 melee (1d4+4 plus poison) and tail +3 melee (1d8+2)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./ 5 ft.
Special Attacks: Constrict 1d8+6 or 1d8+2, fore-and-aft attack, improved grab, poison
Special Qualities: Bouncing speed, DR 10/slashing or piercing, elastic body[half falling damage], low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +6[+8 with bouncing speed], Will +2
Abilities: Str 19, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 2
Skills: Balance +11, Climb +12, Jump +16[+20/36/52 when bouncing, +10/+20/+24 if swimming], Hide +10, Listen +5, Spot +8, Swim +12
Feats: Improved Initiative, MobilityB*, RunB*, Spring AttackB*, Weapon Focus (tail) [*these bonus feats only apply when using bouncing speed]
Environment: Warm deserts and hills
Organization: Solitary, pair, nest (1-2 adults plus 2-20 eggs or young), mattress (2-12) or hostelry (4-40)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 4-6 HD (Medium), 7-12 (Large)
Level Adjustment: —

Moving towards you in a most peculiar fashion is a big snake patterned like a diamondback rattler but very different in shape. The varmint is twisted like a corkscrew, and seems to prefer bouncing about like a spring rather than slithering on its belly like the gods intended serpents!

Bedspring snakes, also known as bouncing snakes, springing rattlers or corkscrew snakes (although the latter properly refers to a related species), are sometimes called Pogo snakes after their discover, the halfling adventurer-explorer Fabio Manuel Pogo. Like its relative, the hoop snake, a bedspring snake has a peculiar mode of motion, uses its tail as its primary weapon, and can kill and eat sizeable animals, which it swallows piecemeal after cutting into manageable chunks using most un-snake like slicing teeth. A bedspring snake's reflexes are not as amazingly swift as a hoop snake's, but still quick as a viper's, although they compensate for this deficit by being remarkably strong and tough, with tight-meshed scales that rival bronze in hardness.

These reptiles come in fifty or so varieties, most of which are too small to be much threat to humanity. The above stats represent the largest, most dangerous species. On average, such monsters weigh around sixty pounds and measure ten feet from nose to tail. A bedspring snake almost never stretches to its full length, for their bodies naturally curl into a helix or spiral; adopting a linear posture requires an immense muscular effort to untwist itself, which bars the snake from doing much else at the same time. A 10' long snake is most comfortable curled across a span of 2'-5' in either height or length, stretching out to 8' when it needs to reach a distant or tall point. Bedspring snakes spend a lot of time balanced on their tails, both to move about and scout around, they will also balance on their heads, usually as a defensive stance with their erect tail shielding their vulnerable head.

Bedspring snakes get their name from their preferred means of travel. Using specialized sinews and muscles of enormous elasticity, the snake twists itself into a tight helix then unleashes the stored energy to bounce across the landscape like a hyperactive kangaroo. A bedspring snake can amplify the frequency and power of its springing until it's moving twice as fast as a racehorse – over sixty miles per hour! – and can keep up this speed for long periods, due to the efficiency with which its elastic body stores and releases energy. They use their fantastic speed to chase down victims, who they leap upon and enwrap in their coils, which then contract with the terrible force of a steel garrote.

Like many desert animals, bedspring snakes are surprising good swimmers and have no trouble navigating the temporary pools or rivers that litter the desert after flash floods. They can use their peculiar musculature to spin through the water, a most peculiar means of travel that is quite baffling to observe, but evidently efficient going by the remarkable swimming speed such snakes can attain.

Bedspring snakes are the most sociable serpents in the lumberjack's bestiary, congregating together to breed and to sleep through winter or other lean seasons. When a female is ready to mate, it produces a scent that brings eager males from far and wide. Groups of females often gather often when in season, so a veritable snake orgy may result. Once they've sighted each other, a bedspring snake will indicate its amorous interest by emitting high-pitched metallic squeaks. The males then compete for the favour of the choicest females by bouncing up and down while whistling like love-struck teakettles. The females judge their suitors by the height and stamina of their jumps, which gives them a good idea of their fitness. Bedspring snakes use the same basic technique to settle other challenges, mainly disputes over territory, while voicing different pitches of whistle and hisses and without the passionate squeaks. Such quarrels are far more likely to end in violence than a courtship contest, since instead of female observers being the arbitrator the opponents are their own judges.

After making their selection, the female and her chosen mate coil around each other so their helical bodies have a common axis and begin to couple, which can continue for an hour or more. Some druids who have experienced such a pairing via shape-shifting or telepathy report it was a truly transcendental experience, leading to the formation of a number of small snake-worshipping cults that revere the double helix as the symbol and origin of life. Clearly, this belief has no scholarly justification, so every knowledgeable sage spurns this unscientific superstition.

What happens next is most unusual, for the two snakes form a pair bond such as is found amongst birds and mammals, rather than going their separate ways as is the common reptilian custom. Bedspring snakes are not notable for fidelity, many mated pair split up before the young leave the nest, and there's a good chance one or both partners have gone slithering away for illicit liaisons with other serpents.

Bedspring snakes are highly aggressive and show no compunctions about attacking humanoids if angered or hungry. The best time to observe them safely is during their mating rites, when they have other things on their minds.

Combat
Unlike regular snakes, a bedspring snake is considered a tall creature in combat, since it can stand on its head or tail to strike at foes.

A bedspring snake won't take the offensive against creatures larger than itself. It can't get its tail around such opponents, so can only bite them in self defence or flee. They'll enthusiastically attack opponents it's own size or less, which it considers prey-sized.

The snake closes with its selected victim as fast as it can, probably using Bouncing Speed, then whips its tail around them in an Improved Grab, trying to set up a Constrict attack. Bedspring snakes usually reserve their bite attack and Poison to subdue prey who put up a strong resistance to their initial tail attack, or other opponents who seek to interfere with their attacks upon their chosen prey.

Although it's a vicious and persistent combatant, a bedspring snake is not foolish enough to fight to the end, and their incredible Bouncing Speed is a great aid for escaping from a battle which turns against it.

Bouncing Speed (Ex)
A bedspring snake can increase its land and swim speeds by bouncing. First, the snake must spend a standard action storing elastic energy in its body. A bedspring snake can store such energy for up to a day and it does not otherwise affect its activities. Thus, an encountered bedspring snake will almost always be primed to Bounce. Thereafter, the bedspring snake can initiate Bouncing Speed as a move action, which increases the snake's land speed to 40 ft. – the move action includes a movement at the snake's boosted speed. The snake can use another standard action on any subsequent round to increase its speed to a double bounce speed of 80 ft. on land or 40 ft swimming, then another standard action to move at triple bounce rate of 120 ft. or 60 ft. swim. The standard actions include a movement at the snake's previous speed – e.g. A bedspring snake performing a double bounce moves 40 ft (or swim 20 ft.) during the standard action, but may use its move action that round to move 40 ft before the speed-switching standard move or 80 ft. (or swim 40 ft.) after the acceleration.

While using Bouncing Speed a bedspring snake receives a +2 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves, but it must make a move action every round its Bouncing Speed is active, so a Bouncing snake is unable to make a full attack. Decelerating from Bouncing Speed costs a move action for every speed stage reduced, thus it needs three move actions to switch from triple bounce to a conventional serpentine slither. The snake can choose either speed to move during the deceleration move action – e.g. a bedspring snake decelerating from double bounce to basic bouncing speed may move from 80 ft. to 40 ft. during that move action, or swim 20-40 ft.

Whenever it is using Bouncing Speed, a bedspring snake gains the use of the Mobility, Run and Spring Attack feats as bonus feats.

Constrict (Ex)
On a successful grapple check, a bedspring snake deals 1d8+6 points of damage assuming the Constrict is the primary or the sole attack. See Fore-and-Aft Attack, below, for further details.

Elastic Body (Ex)
The amazing elasticity of a Bedspring snake's body allows it to take half damage from falls, and gives it a DR 10 against bludgeoning damage. Slashing and piercing weapons injure a bedspring snake normally.

Fore-and-Aft Attack (Ex)
A bedspring snake can make a Constrict attack and a bite attack as a full attack action, with one attack being considered a primary attack and the other a secondary attack. If the Constrict is the secondary attack it has a -5 to the grapple check and does only 1d8+2 damage. The attacks need not be at the same target. The snake still needs a victim grappled within its tail to use Constrict.

Improved Grab (Ex)
To use this ability, a bedspring snake must hit an opponent its own size or smaller with its tail attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can Constrict.

Poison (Ex)
A bedspring snake has a poisonous bite that deals initial and secondary damage of 1d6 Con if the victim fails a DC 13 Fortitudesave. The save DC is Constitution-based.

 Skills
Bedspring snakes have a +4 racial bonus on Hide, Listen and Spot checks, a +8 racial bonus on Balance and Climb checks and a +12 racial bonus on Jump checks. A bedspring snake suffers no penalty to Jump checks when its speed is lower than 30 ft, although it still receives a bonus for higher speeds, nor does it suffer a doubling of Jump DCs when it lacks a running start, they also have the same vertical reach for high jumps as a biped. Bedspring snakes use either their Strength modifier or Dexterity modifier for Climb and Jump checks, whichever is higher, and can always choose to take 10 on Climb and Jump check, even if rushed or threatened. A snake has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

Lore Checks
DC 13 - Sure I can tell you about the bedspring snake. They looks like a rattlesnake that's been twisted into a bedspring, and they hops about on their tails. Them snakes' got poison teeth just like a rattler, but don't have a rattle. They can hopalong real fast, twice as fast as a horse I reckon.
DC 18 - Now a bedspring snake may have a poisonous mouth like a rattler, but it catches prey with its tail. The snake jumps up to settle its coils around a victim, then squeezes tight as a wire snare. They's so strong they sometimes twist their prey's head off or pinches them in half. Course, being as how their bodies are curled like a spring only the big snakes can get their tails around a man-sized victim, so you don't need to worry much about the little ones you's most likely to meet, they ain't big enough to fancy eating folks. Still, even a little bedspring snake's a tough customer, for they's got scales so hard it's like they's wearing a coat of mail.
DC 23 - If you meet one bedspring snake, keep an eye out for others. These snakes mostly move in with their mates, they don't just love 'em and leave 'em. They pick their mates anew each year at snake jamborees, where snakes gather from miles around, wound up with passion. I've seen it meself and it's quite a sight, all them snakes hopping about like crazy. They also gather together in caves to wait out droughts and winters. Best I can tell, the higher a bedspring snake can jump the higher its authority over other snakes. I knew a bloke once who said he'd walked into a passel of enormous bedspring snakes a-lairing in a gulch, and he jumped so high from terror it really impressed the snakes, who then left him in peace. Course he was crazy, so you might not want to try that yourself.

 All Sizes of Bedspring Snakes
Here are stats covering all known varieties of bedspring snakes up to the maximum size, including the small relatively harmless species and immature specimens of the largest species.

Diminutive Bedspring Snake (Diminutive Magical Beast, Hit Dice: ½d10+1 (3hp); Init: +10; Speed: 15 ft. (3 squares)[30-90 ft. if bouncing], climb 15 ft., swim 15 ft.[15-45 ft. if bouncing]; AC: 25(+4 size, +6 Dex, +5 natural) touch 20, flat-footed 19 [+2 dodge for AC 27 touch 22 flat 21 if bouncing]; Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+-12; Attack: Tail +11 melee (1d3-1) or bite +11 melee (1 plus poison); Full Attack: Tail +11 melee (1d3-1) and bite +6 melee (1 plus poison) or bite +11 melee (1 plus poison) and tail +6 melee (1d3-1); Space/Reach: 1 ft./0 ft.; Special Attacks: Constrict 1d3-1, fore-and-aft attack, improved grab, poison[bite, DC11 or 1d4/1d4 Con]; Special Qualities: Bouncing speed, DR 10/slashing or piercing, elastic body[half falling damage], low-light vision, scent; Saves: Fort +3, Ref +8[+10 if bouncing], Will +1; Abilities: Str 9, Dex 23, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 2; Skills: Balance +14, Climb +14, Jump +18[+18/30/42 when bouncing, +12/+22/+26 if swimming], Hide +23, Listen +5, Spot +8, Swim +7; Feats: Improved Initiative, MobilityB*, RunB*, Spring AttackB*, Weapon FinesseB [*only usable bouncing]; CR: ½)

Tiny Bedspring Snake (Tiny Magical Beast, Hit Dice: 1d10+1 (6hp); Init: +9; Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)[40-120 ft. if bouncing], climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.[20-60 ft. if bouncing]; AC: 22(+2 size, +5 Dex, +5 natural) touch 17, flat-footed 17 [+2 dodge for AC 24 touch 19 flat 17 if bouncing]; Base Attack/Grapple: +1/-7; Attack: Tail +8 melee (1d4) or bite +8 melee (1d2 plus poison); Full Attack: Tail +8 melee (1d4) and bite +3 melee (1d2 plus poison) or bite +8 melee (1d2 plus poison) and tail +3 melee (1d4); Space/Reach: 2½ ft./0 ft.; Special Attacks: Constrict 1d4, fore-and-aft attack, improved grab, poison[bite, DC11 or 1d4/1d4 Con]; Special Qualities: Bouncing speed, DR 10/slashing or piercing, elastic body[half falling damage], low-light vision, scent; Saves: Fort +3, Ref +7[+9 if bouncing], Will +1; Abilities: Str 11, Dex 21, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 2; Skills: Balance +13, Climb +13, Jump +17[+21/37/53 when bouncing, +11/+21/+25 if swimming], Hide +18, Listen +5, Spot +8, Swim +8; Feats: Improved Initiative, MobilityB*, RunB*, Spring AttackB*, Weapon FinesseB [*only usable bouncing]; CR: 1)

Small Bedspring Snake (Small Magical Beast, Hit Dice: 2d10+4 (15hp); Init: +8; Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)[40-120 ft. if bouncing], climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.[20-60 ft. if bouncing]; AC: 20(+1 size, +4 Dex, +5 natural) touch 15, flat-footed 16 [+2 dodge for AC 22 touch 17 flat 16 if bouncing]; Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+0; Attack: Tail +7 melee (1d6+2) or bite +7 melee (1d3+2 plus poison); Full Attack: Tail +7 melee (1d6+2) and bite +2 melee (1d3+1 plus poison) or bite +7 melee (1d3+4 plus poison) and tail +2 melee (1d6+2); Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.; Special Attacks: Constrict 1d6+3 or 1d6+1, fore-and-aft attack, improved grab, poison[bite, DC12 or 1d4/1d4 Con]; Special Qualities: Bouncing speed, DR 10/slashing or piercing, elastic body[half falling damage], low-light vision, scent; Saves: Fort +4, Ref +7[+9 if bouncing], Will +1; Abilities: Str 15, Dex 19, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 2; Skills: Balance +12, Climb +12, Jump +16[+20/36/52 when bouncing, +10/+20/+24 if swimming], Hide +16, Listen +5, Spot +8, Swim +10; Feats: Improved Initiative, MobilityB*, RunB*, Spring AttackB*, Weapon FinesseB [*only usable bouncing]; CR: 2)

Medium Bedspring Snake (Medium Magical Beast, Hit Dice: 3d10+6 (22hp); Init: +7; Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)[40-120 ft. if bouncing], climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.[20-60 ft. if bouncing]; AC: 18(+3 Dex, +5 natural) touch 13, flat-footed 15 [+2 dodge if bouncing for AC 20 touch 15 flat 15]; Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+7; Attack: Tail +8 melee (1d8+4) or bite +7 melee (1d4+4 plus poison); Full Attack: Tail +8 melee (1d8+4) and bite +2 melee (1d4+2 plus poison) or bite +7 melee (1d4+4 plus poison) and tail +3 melee (1d8+2); Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.; Special Attacks: Constrict 1d8+6 or 1d8+2, fore-and-aft attack, improved grab, poison[bite, DC13 or 1d6/1d6 Con]; Special Qualities: Bouncing speed, DR 10/slashing or piercing, elastic body[half falling damage], low-light vision, scent; Saves: Fort +5, Ref +6[+8 if bouncing], Will +2; Abilities: Str 19, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 2; Skills: Balance +11, Climb +12, Jump +16[+20/36/52 when bouncing, +10/+20/+24 if swimming], Hide +10, Listen +5, Spot +8, Swim +12; Feats: Improved Initiative, MobilityB*, RunB*, Spring AttackB*, Weapon Focus (tail) [*only usable bouncing]; CR: 3)

Large Bedspring Snake (Large Magical Beast, Hit Dice: 7d10+35 (73hp); Init: +6; Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)[40-120 ft. if bouncing], climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.[20-60 ft. if bouncing]; AC: 18(-1 size, +2 Dex, +7 natural) touch 11, flat-footed 16 [+2 dodge if bouncing for AC 20 touch 13 flat 16]; Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+19; Attack: Tail +15 melee (2d6+8) or bite +14 melee (1d6+8 plus poison); Full Attack: Tail +15 melee (2d6+8) and bite +9 melee (1d6+4 plus poison) or bite +14 melee (1d6+8 plus poison) and tail +10 melee (2d6+4); Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.; Special Attacks: Constrict 2d6+12 or 2d6+4, fore-and-aft attack, improved grab, poison[bite, DC18 or 1d8/1d8 Con]; Special Qualities: Bouncing speed, DR 10/slashing or piercing, elastic body[half falling damage], low-light vision, scent; Saves: Fort +10, Ref +7[+9 if bouncing], Will +3; Abilities: Str 27, Dex 15, Con 20, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 2; Skills: Balance +10, Climb +16, Jump +20[+24/40/56 when bouncing, +14/+24/+28 if swimming], Hide +9, Listen +5, Spot +8, Swim +16; Feats: Improved Initiative, MobilityB*, Power Attack, RunB*, Spring AttackB*, Weapon Focus (tail) [*only usable bouncing]; CR: 6)

Maximized Bedspring Snake (Large Magical Beast, Hit Dice: 12d10+60(126hp); Init: +7; Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)[40-120 ft. if bouncing], climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.[20-60 ft. if bouncing]; AC: 19(-1 size, +3 Dex, +7 natural) touch 12, flat-footed 16 [+2 dodge if bouncing for AC 21 touch 14 flat 16]; Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+25; Attack: Tail +21 melee (2d6+9) or bite +20 melee (1d6+9 plus poison); Full Attack: Tail +21 melee (2d6+9) and bite +15 melee (1d6+4 plus poison) or bite +20 melee (1d6+9 plus poison) and tail +16 melee (2d6+4); Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.; Special Attacks: Constrict 2d6+13 or 2d6+4, fore-and-aft attack, improved grab, poison[bite, DC21 or 1d8/1d8 Con]; Special Qualities: Bouncing speed, DR 10/slashing or piercing, elastic body[half falling damage], low-light vision, scent; Saves: Fort +13, Ref +13[+15 if bouncing], Will +7; Abilities: Str 28, Dex 16, Con 20, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 2; Skills: Balance +11, Climb +17, Jump +22[+26/42/58 when bouncing, +16/+26/+30 if swimming], Hide +12, Listen +5, Spot +10, Swim +17; Feats: Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, MobilityB*, Power Attack, RunB*, Spring AttackB*, Weapon Focus (tail) [*only usable bouncing]; CR: 8)

Feat Progression: [1HD] Improved Initiative, MobilityB*, RunB*, Spring AttackB*, Weapon FinesseB, [3HD] Weapon Focus (tail), [6HD] Power Attack, [9HD] Iron Will, [12HD] Lightning Reflexes
 

Cleon

Cleon

Legend
Fearsome Critters from Lumberjack Tales - The Corkscrew Snake

Corkscrew Snake (Screw Worm)
Medium Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 3d10+6 (22 hp)
Initiative: +7
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), burrow 5 ft, climb 20 ft., swim 60 ft.
Armor Class: 18 (+3 Dex, +5 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+7
Attack: Tail +8 melee (1d8+4) or bite +7 melee (1d4+4 plus poison)
Full Attack: Tail +8 melee (1d8+4) and bite +3 melee (1d4+2 plus poison) or bite +7 melee (1d4+4 plus poison) and tail +3 melee (1d8+2)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./ 5 ft.
Special Attacks: Corkscrew, fore-and-aft attack, impale, poison
Special Qualities: DR 10/slashing or piercing, elastic body[half falling damage], hold breath, low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +2
Abilities: Str 19, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 2
Skills: Balance +11, Climb +12, Jump +16 [+24 swimming], Hide +10, Listen +5, Spot +8, Swim +12
Feats: Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus (tail)
Environment: Temperate forests, swamps and freshwater
Organization: Solitary, pair or nest (1-2 adults plus 2-20 eggs or young)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 4-6 HD (Medium), 7-12 (Large)
Level Adjustment: —

The tail of this sizeable snake is shaped just like a woodscrew, with a twisted, sharpened edge running its entire length, to end in a dagger-like point. It curls like a corkscrew when it moves, rather than slithering from side-to-side like a normal snake.

A close relative of the bedspring snake is the corkscrew snake, sometimes called the screw worm. Rather than strangling its prey, this serpent impales them with the bladed tip of its tail and then twists its helical body into the wound. A typical specimen is ten feet in length and 60 pounds in weight.

Corkscrew snakes are not desert-dwellers like the bedspring snake, indeed they prefer areas with plenty of water and tree cover. They often lair on the banks of freshwater bodies of inside small isles or hollowed-out logs in swampy areas.

While corkscrew snakes can't bounce along like a bedspring snake, they can slither faster by rapidly straightening and coiling their bodies and swim at great speed by literally screwing their way through the water. In addition, they can burrow tail-first through earth and soft wood, and use this ability to excavate lairs.

A corkscrew snake normally travels with tail pointing forward, ready to attack or fight off any creature it encounters. They are one of the most vicious serpents known to Lumberjack Lore, a screw worm would rather assault a perceived threat than flee it.

These serpents form pair bonds like a bedspring snake, but do not socialize in larger groups. Encounters between corkscrew snakes that are not mated or courting often end in bloodshed when ritualized threats and tail-menacing fail.

Combat
A corkscrew snake usually initiates an attack by charging or jumping from cover and trying to Impale an opponent with its tail. If successful, it will then start a Corkscrew attack as soon as possible. A corkscrew snake facing multiple opponents tries to use Fore-and-Aft Attack to engage two foes at once, normally it uses its tail as its primary attack if it has yet to Impale a victim, and its bite as its primary attack if it's already Corkscrewing.

These reptiles are pugnacious, so rarely consider retreat unless they've taken serious damage (half hit points or more), or their foe is obviously overwhelming.

Note that corkscrew snakes, like their cousins the bedspring, shipborer and rockdrill snake, have the Reach of a tall creature, not a long one.

Corkscrew (Ex)
A corkscrew snake can automatically inflict its tail damage (1d8+4) at the start of its turn to a any creature it is impaling. The snake can double its tail damage (to 2d8+8) by making a successful grapple check (see Impale, below).

Elastic Body (Ex)
The amazing elasticity of a corkscrew snake's body allows it to take half damage from falls, and gives it a DR 10 against bludgeoning damage. Slashing and piercing weapons injure a corkscrew snake normally.

Fore-and-Aft Attack (Ex)
A corkscrew snake can make a Corkscrew attack and a bite attack as a full attack action, with one attack being considered a primary attack and the other a secondary attack. If the Corkscrew is the secondary attack it has a -5 to the grapple check and does only 1d8+2 damage. The attacks need not be at the same target. The snake still needs a victim grappled within its tail to use Corkscrew.

Hold Breath (Ex)
A corkscrew snake can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to 4 × its Constitution score before it risks drowning.

Impale (Ex)
To use this ability, a corkscrew snake must hit an opponent with its tail attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can Corkscrew.

A corkscrew snake can automatically extract its tail from an impalement by spending a Move action. Another creature can twist a corkscrew snake out of its victim as a standard action by succeeding in a grapple check against a DC of 20 or the snake's grapple check, whichever is greater. The tail of a dead or incapacitated snake can be extracted from the victim with a DC 15 Heal check.

Every time a creature makes a grapple or Heal check to extract the snake's tail, the impaled victim takes the snake's normal tail damage (1d8+4) unless the attempt succeeds by a margin of 10 or more.

Poison (Ex)
A corkscrew snake has a poisonous bite that deals initial and secondary damage of 1d6 Con if the victim fails a DC 13 Fortitudesave. The save DC is Constitution-based.

 Skills
Corkscrew snakes have a +4 racial bonus on Hide, Listen and Spot checks, a +8 racial bonus on Balance and Climb checks and a +12 racial bonus on Jump checks. A corkscrew snake suffers no penalty to Jump checks when its speed is lower than 30 ft, although it still receives a bonus for higher speeds, nor does it suffer a doubling of Jump DCs when it lacks a running start, they also have the same vertical reach for high jumps as a biped. Corkscrew snakes use either their Strength modifier or Dexterity modifier for Climb and Jump checks, whichever is higher. A snake can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened. A snake has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

 Lore Checks
DC 13 - Let me tell you a tale. I was with a posse chasing Swampy Pete in the woods. We'd just about caught up with him when a corkscrew snake leapt from a pile of brush to skewer Pete in the belly with its tail. We ran up as Pete started yelling cause the snake'd begun spinning round to drill into Pete's guts. I grabbed hold of the corkscrew snake to pull it out, but it just wrapped its tail deep in Pete's insides and made him yell like his soul was afire, and then the damn thing bit me! But then Big Oscar – you know Oscar, the blacksmith? –came up and took hold of that snake, and pulled it between his hands so hard it stretched out straight as a poker, and he got it out of Pete smooth as anything. It was too late for Swampy Pete by then, he bled to death like a stuck pig. We all felt real sorry for Pete, even a dirty rotten horse-thief who smelt worse than a skunk like him didn't deserve to be fatally screwed like that.
DC 18 - Corkscrew snakes are no faster than a man on foot, so if you spot one before it's close enough to leap at you – say thirty feet or so – it's easy enough to escape by taking to your heels. However, they can spin through water faster than a torpedo fish can swim. and often leap out of lakes and such to attack fishermen standing on the shore or in their boats. I heard tell of corkscrew snake sinking a punt by drilling holes in its hull, but never saw that myself.
DC 23 - Knew a fellow once who had a corkscrew snake as a familiar. Told me they can tunnel through stuff if its soft enough by drilling in with their tails, and they do this to dig out lairs in the ground or softwood trees. They mate in pairs like birds, he said, and are right vicious when defending their mates and eggs. Course, them screw worms is vicious enough at the best of times. Worst of all, he told me, is if them eggs have hatched, then you risk getting drilled by a dozen or two baby screw worms and their mammy and pappy! Last I heard he's a waiter now, and uses his familiar to open wine bottles.

Different Sizes of Corkscrew Snakes
It's an easy matter to convert the sample stat blocks of bedspring snakes into corkscrew snakes. Increase its land speed to 30 ft (6 squares) and its swim speed to 60 ft, remove Bouncing Speed, Constrict and Improved Grab, plus all the abilities derived from them, and add Corkscrew, Hold Breath and Impale. The snake has the same skills and feats, except for losing the bonus feats from Bouncing Speed. Its Jump skill bonus while swimming is equal to a bedspring snake's Jump skill bonus when swimming with bouncing speed at maximum.

Shipborer Snake
Shipborer snakes are marine cousins to the corkscrew snake. They are very similar in appearance and habits to regular screw worms, but grow far bigger in size; an average-sized individual being around 20' in length (7HD Large-sized) and 500 pounds in weight, while record specimens can reach over 60 feet in length.. These serpents are a coastal species, for they have few adaptations to a saltwater life. While they have special glands to excrete excess salt from their bodies, they lack a true sea-snakes ability to snatch sleep between breaths of air, so must land on a bank or return to land to rest.

Shipborer snakes earn their name, for they can hole even a sturdy ship with a few moments work with their tailscrews. Fortunately, such attacks are rare since these reptiles are seldom aggressive unless provoked. Shipborer snakes hunt large aquatic animals, with a particular taste for marine mammals such as dugongs, seals, porpoises or even whales.

Use the same stats as a Corkscrew snake, except for the following changes:

Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), burrow 5 ft, climb 20 ft, swim 60 ft.
Environment: Temperate or warm aquatic
Skills: Reduce basic Jump bonus by 4, its Jump bonus while swimming does not change. A shipborer snake suffers normal penalties to Jump checks for low speed or a stationary start. It only gains a vertical jump reach equal to a biped when jumping from the water.
Advancement: 3-6 HD (Medium), 7-12 HD (Large), 13-21HD (Huge)

Huge Shipborer Snake (Huge Magical Beast, Hit Dice: 13d10+91(162hp); Init: +6; Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), burrow 5 ft, climb 20 ft., swim 60 ft.; AC: 21(-2 size, +3 Dex, +10 natural) touch 11, flat-footed 18; Base Attack/Grapple: +13/+34; Attack: Tail +25 melee (3d6+13) or bite +24 melee (1d8+13 plus poison); Full Attack: Tail +25 melee (3d6+13) and bite +19 melee (1d8+6 plus poison) or bite +24 melee (1d8+13 plus poison) and tail +20 melee (3d6+6); Space/Reach: 15 ft./15 ft.; Special Attacks: Corkscrew, fore-and-aft attack, impale, poison[bite, DC23 or 1d10/1d10 Con]; Special Qualities: DR 10/slashing or piercing, elastic body[half falling damage], hold breath, low-light vision, scent; Saves: Fort +15, Ref +12, Will +7; Abilities: Str 36, Dex 14, Con 24, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 2; Skills: Balance +10, Climb +21, Jump +22[+34 if swimming], Hide +8, Listen +5, Spot +10, Swim +21; Feats: Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (tail); CR: 8)

Maximized Shipborer Snake (Huge Magical Beast, Hit Dice: 21d10+168(283hp); Init: +6; Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), burrow 5 ft, climb 20 ft., swim 60 ft.; AC: 21(-2 size, +3 Dex, +10 natural) touch 11, flat-footed 18; Base Attack/Grapple: +21/+42; Attack: Tail +25 melee (4d6+13) or bite +24 melee (2d6+13 plus poison); Full Attack: Tail +25 melee (4d6+13) and bite +19 melee (2d6+6 plus poison) or bite +24 melee (2d6+13 plus poison) and tail +20 melee (4d6+6); Space/Reach: 15 ft./15 ft.; Special Attacks: Corkscrew, fore-and-aft attack, impale, poison[bite, DC25 or 1d10/1d10 Con]; Special Qualities: DR 10/slashing or piercing, elastic body[half falling damage], hold breath, low-light vision, scent; Saves: Fort +15, Ref +12, Will +7; Abilities: Str 36, Dex 14, Con 26, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 2; Skills: Balance +10, Climb +21, Jump +22[+34 if swimming], Hide +16, Listen +5, Spot +14, Swim +21; Feats: Ability Focus (poison), Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack (tail), Improved Natural Attack (bite), Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (tail); CR: 11)

Feat Progression: [1HD] Improved Initiative, Weapon FinesseB, [3HD] Weapon Focus (tail), [6HD] Power Attack, [9HD] Iron Will, [12HD] Lightning Reflexes, [15HD] Improved Natural Attack (tail), [18HD] Ability Focus (poison), [21HD] Improved Natural Attack (bite)
 

Cleon

Cleon

Legend
Fearsome Critters from Lumberjack Tales - The Rockdrill Snake

Rockdrill Snake (Mine Worm)
Medium Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 3d10+12 (28 hp)
Initiative: +7
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), burrow 30 ft, climb 20 ft., swim 30 ft.
Armor Class: 21 (+3 Dex, +8 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 18
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+7
Attack: Tail +9 melee (1d8+4/19-20×3) or bite +8 melee (1d4+4 plus poison)
Full Attack: Tail +9 melee (1d8+4/19-20×3) and bite +3 melee (1d4+2 plus poison) or bite +8 melee (1d4+4 plus poison) and tail +4 melee (1d8+2/19-20×3)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./ 5 ft.
Special Attacks: Adamantine weapons, ambush tunnel, fore-and-aft attack, impale, poison, tail-drill
Special Qualities: Adamantine scales, blindsight 30 ft., damage resistance 3/– plus 10/magic, eyeless, hold breath, scent arcane, tremorsense 120 ft.
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +2
Abilities: Str 19, Dex 17, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 2
Skills: Balance +11, Climb +12, Jump +12, Hide +7, Listen +7, Move Silently +9, Spot +7, Swim +12
Feats: Improved Initiative, Improved SunderB, Weapon Focus (tail)
Environment: Subterranean
Organization: Solitary, pair or nest (1-2 adults plus 2-20 eggs or young)
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: standard coins (90% chance of nuggets instead of coins), standard goods (gems), 100% items (see below)
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 4-6 HD (Medium), 7-12 (Large)
Level Adjustment: —

A horrible serpent like an eyeless worm with granite skin, its tail bears a spiralling mass of sharp points and cutting ridges that bear an uncanny resemblance to a drill bit.

Rockdrill snakes, or mine worms as they're also called, are a mysterious breed of subterranean serpent that can bore through solid stone as fast as a man can run. An average individual is some ten feet long, and weighs a hundred and twenty pounds.

These mining worms appear to be related to the fearsome corkscrew snake, but are even more dangerous. Rockdrill snakes have unnaturally tough and dense flesh, that is almost as heavy as the rock they drill through, which makes them exceedingly difficult to damage with non-magical weapons. They can propel themselves through water by spinning like a screw-propeller, similar to a corkscrew snake but not as fast, but sink like a stone when they make no effort to swim.

The burrowing ability of a rockdrill snake is as much supernatural as mechanical, they can excavate an open tunnel through solid stone or close the rock behind them as solidly as if they'd never passed through, leaving only an odd, melted-looking scar on the rock.

Rockdrill snakes are eyeless and thus completely blind, but more than make up for this lack by possessing a suite of uncanny senses, including blindsight and tremorsense. The most incredible of these senses is the ability to literally smell metal, mineral deposits and magical auras through solid rock, using their tongue and arcane scent-pits in the roof of their mouth.

Combat
Note that the Space/Reach of a Rockdrill snakes uses the superior Reach of a tall creature, not a long one, like all serpents of the bedspring and corkscrew snake family.

A rockdrill snake usually attacks from an Ambush Tunnel in the wall of a cavern or passage, where they've been waiting for a victim to pass by. The snake leaps out and tries to impale their prey with their tail, their Jump DC is not doubled for leaping from a "standing start", since the snake will have coiled themselves in preparation (see under Skills).

If they succeed in Impaling the target they will strive to Tail-Drill them until the poor sod perishes, only using their bite in a Fore-and-Aft Attack if they experience resistance.

Many rockdrill snakes are so secure in their adamantine toughness that they make little effort to avoid attacks. If slightly injured, the offended snake's first instinct is to attack whatever creature or object wounded them; their Improved Sunder bonus feat allows them to destroy most weapons with terrifying ease. A significantly wounded rockdrill snake (say, 25-50% damage) usually flees unless it is defending its mate or young. Since a mine worm can flee a combat by tunneling into the rock, they rarely fail to escape.

It may seem odd that such a tough monster will flee upon suffering only moderate injuries. Partly this is simple survival, but another factor is the rockdrill snake's adamantine skin means that it is not accustomed to combat injuries, so the unusual experience of pain by itself may be enough to demoralize it. Certainly, cause fear and similar spells are a useful method of driving away an attacking rockdrill snake.

A few veteran rockdrill snakes have learned that magical weapons represent a threat that penetrates their damage resistance more easily, and will single out such weapons or their bearers as the first target of their attacks. Particularly cunning ones will even pick off dangerous foes with hit-and-run attacks from out of the very rock their enemies are standing upon. Such crafty specimens are understandably widely feared by the underdark's denizens.

Adamantine Scales (Su)
A rockdrill snake's scales are of supernatural hardness, giving it a damage reduction of 3/– plus 10/magic (i.e. reduce the damage of magical weapons by 3 points, non-magical weapons by 10 points). Rockdrill snakes of different sizes have different values for this damage resistance. This quality only lasts while the snake is alive, within minutes of a rockdrill snake dying its scales lose all their Damage Resistance and their natural armour bonus is reduced by 3 points, to +5.

Adamantine Weapons (Su)
A rockdrill snake's bite and tail attacks both strikes as an adamantine weapon, with a +1 enhancement bonus to attack and ignoring hardness less than 20. The snake's jaws and tail-drill lose these properties within minutes of the creature's death.

Immature rockdrill snake have less effective adamantine scales and weaponry. See Different Sizes of Rockdrill Snake, below, for details.

Ambush Tunnel (Ex)[Su*]
Rockdrill snakes have a supernatural power to mould rock with their tails. As well as augmenting their tunneling ability, they use this ability to prepare ambush position, by forming a thin skin of rock to conceal a lair or hunting cyst in the rockface, from which they can leap upon their prey. Noticing such an Ambush Tunnel requires a DC 25 spot check (The DC equals 18 plus the serpent's Hide bonus, based on the snake "taking 10" and gaining a +8 competence bonus). This only notices the odd-looking scar on the rock, it does not identify the nature of the threat (which requires a DC14 Knowledge check in an appropriate field) or determine whether there is actually a rockdrill snake waiting in the Ambush Tunnel (which would require a Listen check or excavation, both of which run the risk of an attack).

A character with stonecunning can apply that bonus to their Spot checks to notice a mine worm's Ambush Tunnel. If they possess skill ranks in Knowledge (geology) or Knowledge (mining) they can substitute that bonus for Spot in the check to notice the scar of the ambush point.

*While the ability to mould an Ambush Tunnel is primarily Supernatural, the ambush position and its concealment is an Extraordinary feature and not in itself magical, so it does not register on detect magic once completed.

Fore-and-Aft Attack (Ex)
A rockdrill snake can make a Tail-Drill attack and a bite attack as a full attack action, with one attack being considered a primary attack and the other a secondary attack. If the Tail-Drill is the secondary attack it has a -5 to the grapple check and does only 1d8+2 damage. The attacks need not be at the same target. The snake still needs a victim grappled within its tail to use Tail-Drill.

Eyeless (Ex)
Since a rockdrill snake has no eyes, it is naturally immune to all vision-based effects such as gaze weapons and optical illusions.

Hold Breath (Ex)
A rockdrill snake can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to 4 × its Constitution score before it risks drowning.

Impale (Ex)
To use this ability, a rockdrill snake must hit an opponent with its tail attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can Tail-Drill.

A rockdrill snake can automatically extract its tail from an impalement by spending a Move action. Another creature can twist a rockdrill snake out of its victim as a standard action by succeeding in a grapple check against a DC of 20 or the snake's grapple check, whichever is greater. The tail of a dead or incapacitated snake can be extracted from the victim with a DC 15 Heal check.

Every time a creature makes a grapple or Heal check to extract the snake's tail, the impaled victim takes the snake's normal tail damage (1d8+4) unless the attempt succeeds by a margin of 10 or more.

Poison (Ex)
A rockdrill snake has a poisonous bite that deals initial and secondary damage of 1d6 Con if the victim fails a DC 15 Fortitudesave. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Scent Arcane (Su)
A rockdrill snake possesses a supernatural version of the scent special quality. This gives it all the benefits of the regular scent ability, plus allowing the snake to smell the presence and type of magical auras, metal and mineral deposits within a 60 foot long cone, even through intervening rock, but not beyond heavy metals such as lead or gold. A rockdrill snake can detect the Arcane Scent of metal, minerals or magic with a Wisdom or Survival check, the typical DC is 10 for a Moderate source, ranging between DC 5-20 for the scent of Faint or Strong sources. If this check is successful, The rockdrill snake receives information similar to a detect spell (on the first round it detects the presence or absence of metals/pure minerals/magic and the aura type (e.g. gold ore, Corundum gemstones, Alteration) of the strongest source, on the second round it detect the power/quantity and location of all sources within range, and on the third round it determines the type of these secondary sources.)

Magic auras give off a much stronger "odour" to a rockdrill snake than minerals or metals, and the scent of the latter depends greatly upon purity - a dozen gold coins and a hundred pounds of low-grade gold ore both give off a Faint scent, even though the ore may contain twenty to fifty times as much gold by weight. Typically, 10 coins weight of a pure metal is a Faint scent, 250 coins (5 lbs) is a Moderate scent and 5000 coins (100 lbs) a Strong scent. If 100,000+ coins are present (i.e. 2000 lbs, such as a short ton of pure copper!) the scent is Overwhelming, and the snake can detect it at twice the standard distance (e,g, 120 feet) with a DC10 check, or automatically within its normal 60 ft. range.

Tail-Drill (Ex)
A rockdrill snake can automatically inflict its tail damage (1d8+4) at the start of its turn to a any creature it is impaling. The snake can double its tail damage (to 2d8+8) by making a successful grapple check (see Impale, above).

Skills
Rockdrill snakes have a +4 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, Move Silently and Spot checks and a +8 racial bonus on Balance, Climb and Jump checks. A rockdrill snake does not suffer a doubling of Jump DCs when it lacks a running start, provided it spends a move action coiling itself beforehand, they also have the same vertical reach for high jumps as a biped. Rockdrill snakes use either their Strength modifier or Dexterity modifier for Climb and Jump checks, whichever is higher. A snake can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened. A snake has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

Ecology
Not much is known about these creatures, who usually dwell in the rock around those eldritch subterranean worlds known as underdarks, only occasionally venturing up from the depth to plague surface folk in mine shafts. A rockdrill snake eats both meat and minerals, and also requires certain magical radiations to thrive. Thus, these serpents live in strata with lesser subterranean life forms for them to feed upon that are also rich in minerals, especially precious metals from copper to adamantine, and are most common around caverns limned by mysterious "rock lights", such as the Vaults of the Drow.

Even with their adamantine tails, burrowing through bedrock is hard work, so rockdrill snakes don't burrow far unless they have to. They prefer to find a well travelled spot, such as a salt-lick, drinking hole or an underdark merchant's trail or migratory route, and excavate a lair in the nearby rockface from which they strike out at passing prey. Some snakes maintain a small network of tunnels around a lair, and may dig a number of "hunting cysts" to allow them to easily attack prey across a wider territory.

Rockdrill snakes have an instinct to collect treasure, although whether they cache valuables mainly for sustenance or to attract and impress other rockdrill snakes is not clear. The lair of a mine worm usually contains valuable nuggets of precious metal, and maybe a few gems, alchemical items or a magical object. This magpie-like instinct extends to goods the snake has no apparent use for – a rockdrill snake's lair may contain such items as a bullseye lantern, spyglass or thieves' tools. The main limit to a rockdrill snake's treasure is that its contents must be small enough for the snake to carry in its mouth as it burrows, an average sized rockdrill snake only leaves a tunnel 7-8 inches in diameter, which it usually collapses a few feet after its passage.

Rockdrill snakes form mated pairs to breed, like their distant relatives on the surface. Obviously, their reproduction is not timed to the surface seasons, but is keyed to the cycles of subterranean life and geomantic forces. How a pair of snakes find each other is a mystery to surface folk: A rockdrill snake can produce a mystic fragrance that their Arcane Scent can track from an impressive distance, as well as emitting subsonic vibrations that their tremorsense can register from miles away. They use these forms of communication to lay claim to a territory as well as woo mates, although some of predators, such as those fearsome subterranean Hulks no one dare speak the name off, can hear the rockdrill snakes' subsonic calls and prey upon them.

A mated pair of rockdrills only stays together long enough to raise a clutch of young to independence and then breaks up. A rockdrill snake normally couples with a different mate in a subsequent breeding season, but it is not that uncommon for the same two snakes to pair up with each repeatedly time after time, this often occurs when both adult snakes are large and experienced individuals.

The female lays a clutch of 10-20 eggs resembling emeralds the size of small apples. These mature much slower than do eggs laid by surface members of the Tail-Leaping Snake Family, for a rockdrill snake's eggs must spend a long time absorbing geomantic radiations to ripen, so can take from three months to several years to hatch. depending on local conditions. The parent snakes often move their clutch to spots where the Earth's magical flux is particularly strong in order to speed their development, usually moving the eggs again just before they hatch to a spot more suitable for the young. Rockdrill snake eggs have a hard shell but are rather brittle (hardness 3, hp 1), making them easy to break.

Experienced rockdrill parents sometimes keep their eggs in a nursery chamber burrowed out of the rock until they begin to hatch, then open a tunnel to adjoining caves to free their offspring. They do not bother with this precaution if the nursery site appears free of predatory threats to their infants.

The commonest hatchery sites used by rockdrill snakes are caves filled with pools full of bacterial mats. Such places are teeming with miniscule animals which form an excellent food source for the hatchlings, who can use their speed in the water to evade danger. Such locations are not always available or convenient, and rockdrill snakes often must raise their young in other subterranean environments, such as fungus forests or bat roosts. Bat roosts are a preferred nursery ground, since they tend to have few large predators the parent snakes can't deal with and infants have plenty of guano-fauna to eat, plus any bats who fall from the ceiling. These are one of the few sites where a rockdrill snake will time its breeding to the surface seasons, for the pickings are richest when the bats are raising young in spring and summer. Not only do they produce the greatest quantities of guano to feed the teeming insect life below, but lots of weak, sickly or plain unlucky baby bats will plummet to the cave floor.

A newly hatched rockdrill snake is a Diminutive creature only a foot or so long. Their scales, tail and jaws are no tougher than regular snakes, making them as soft as tissue paper compared to their parents; consequently they lack a tail attack or the ability to burrow through soil, let alone rock. There sole compensation is that they are much faster swimmers than mature rockdrill snakes, being less dense of flesh and with tails fashioned to sculling.

Parent rockdrills do not feed their young, but loiter near the nest while the hatchlings hunt their own food, swiftly coming to their hatchlings' aid should they be threatened by a predator. Both mother and father snakes are extremely protective of their vulnerable eggs and hatchlings, usually taking turns to guard them while the other parent rests or hunts. Rockdrill snakes have been known to track down creatures who have destroyed their eggs or newborn young in order to inflict a vicious revenge.

The baby snakes eat any tiny animals they can catch, vertebrate or invertebrate, and nip bits off any larger carcasses they come across. As they grow they roam farther from the nest and the protection of their parents. By the time the young snakes have grown to Tiny juveniles 4-5' long their tails will have hardened enough to tunnel through soft rock, at which time the parents' protective instincts begin to fade. When the youngsters are 7' long Small adolescents capable of tunneling through hard rock their parents will have lose all affection for them, to be replaced by hostility or even hunger, thus forcing all the surviving adolescent snakes to scatter and make their own way in the underworld.

Their duty done, the mating bond of the parents breaks and they go their separate ways. After a few years the female will begin to call for a mate and the whole process begins again.

Lore Checks
DC 14 - I've heard old miners talk 'bout rockdrill snakes. Dey's jus' like their name says, snakes dat drill through solid rock. Dey can drills right through a feller in an eyeblink. It stands to reason dat a snake dat can tunnel through solid granite fast as a man can run will stab through flesh and bone like a red-hot poker through cheese-curds. Don't try fightin' one of dem underground devil-snakes, jus' run for it. Der bodies is hard as diamond – you could chop one wit an ax an' it won't mind none.
DC 19 - Look out for strange scars on de rock like it's been melted, dat may mark where a rockdrill snake's covered up a tunnel to lie in wait. A rockdrill snake lies up within de walls or floor of a cave or mine-gallery see, 'til it hears somefolk a-walkin' by, then hit busts out o' de rock an' stabs 'em wit' hits drill-bit tail. Dem snakes offen don't jus' drills clean through a feller. Oh no, they's not that nice! If'n dey gets der tail in some poor sap dey twists de tail around inside 'em and chops up der insides somethin' 'orrible.
Dey is smarter dan your average snake, too. If you infuriates one by killin' hit's mate or young hit'll track you down fer revenge. I've also heard tell de craftier ones sometimes try wreckin' weapons dey've been hurt wit, der tails and teeth be so hard dey can chop thru a steel swordblade or breastplate like hit was nothin' but rotten punk.
DC 24 - Want to know a secret? Heard about that big disaster, when some miners broke up the eggs in a rockdrill snake nest and Ma and Pa snake collapsed the whole mine? Well they caught anew-hatched baby snake when that happened, and the mine owner's raisin' it. See, a rockdrill snake don't just eat flesh, it eats precious metals and magic ores too, and it can sniff such things out through solid rock – that's why they attacks miners carrying sunrods more often than those with regular lanterns, they can smell the magic in a sunrod. So, that mine owner's got the damn fool idea of training that thing to find veins of gold or orichalcum and drill them out for him. Spent a fortune on it already he has, buying an adamantine pen so it can't tunnel away through the ground an' escape.

Different Sizes of Rockdrill Snake
The following are stat-blocks for the different sizes of Rockdrill Snake. Immature snakes do not follow the regular (Reverse) Advancement scheme, since they are not simply smaller versions of an adult. A Large rockdrill snake also has an increased Damage Resistance.

Fine Hatchling Rockdrill Snake (Fine Magical Beast, Magical Beast, Hit Dice: ¼d10+3(4hp); Init: +11; Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), climb 20 ft., swim 60 ft.; AC: 28(+8 size, +7 Dex, +3 natural) touch 25, flat-footed 21; Base Attack/Grapple: +1/-16; Full Attack: Bite +16 melee (1 plus poison); Space/Reach: 1 ft./ 0 ft.; Special Attacks: Poison [Fort DC13 or 1d4/1d4 Con], tail-drill; Special Qualities: blindsight 30 ft., eyeless, hold breath, scent arcane, tremorsense 120 ft.; Saves: Fort +5, Ref +8, Will +1; Abilities: Str 9, Dex 23, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 2; Skills: Balance +15, Climb +15, Jump +15, Hide +27, Listen +7, Move Silently +9, Spot +5, Swim +7; Feats: Improved Initiative, Weapon FinesseB; CR: ¼)

Diminutive Infant Rockdrill Snake (Diminutive Magical Beast, Hit Dice: ½d10+3(5hp); Init: +10; Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), climb 20 ft., swim 50 ft.; AC: 23(+4 size, +6 Dex, +3 natural) touch 20, flat-footed 17; Base Attack/Grapple: +1/-12; Attack: Tail +12 melee (1d3-1) or bite +12 melee (1 plus poison); Full Attack: Tail +12 melee (1d3-1) and bite +7 melee (1 plus poison) or bite +12 melee (1 plus poison) and tail +7 melee (1d3-1); Space/Reach: 1 ft./ 0 ft.; Special Attacks: Adamantine weapons [+1 enhancement to bite & tail attack], fore-and-aft attack, impale, poison [Fort DC13 or 1d4/1d4 Con], tail-drill; Special Qualities: blindsight 30 ft., eyeless, hold breath, scent arcane, tremorsense 120 ft.; Saves: Fort +5, Ref +8, Will +1; Abilities: Str 9, Dex 23, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 2; Skills: Balance +14, Climb +14, Jump +14, Hide +22, Listen +7, Move Silently +9, Spot +5, Swim +7; Feats: Improved Initiative, Weapon FinesseB; CR: ½)

Tiny Juvenile Rockdrill Snake (Tiny Magical Beast, Hit Dice: 1d10+3(8hp); Init: +9; Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), burrow 10 ft, climb 20 ft., swim 40 ft.; AC: 22(+2 size, +5 Dex, +5 natural) touch 17, flat-footed 17; Base Attack/Grapple: +1/-7; Attack: Tail +9 melee (1d4/×3) or bite +9 melee (1d2 plus poison); Full Attack: Tail +9 melee (1d4/×3) and bite +4 melee (1d2 plus poison) or bite +9 melee (1d2 plus poison) and tail +4 melee (1d4/×3); Space/Reach: 2½ ft./ 0 ft.; Special Attacks: Adamantine weapons [+1 enhancement to bite & tail attack, pierces hardness 5], ambush tunnel [DC 35 to Spot], fore-and-aft attack, impale, poison [Fort DC13 or 1d4/1d4 Con], tail-drill; Special Qualities: Adamantine scales, blindsight 30 ft., damage resistance 1/– plus 3/magic, eyeless, hold breath, scent arcane, tremorsense 120 ft.; Saves: Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +1; Abilities: Str 11, Dex 21, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 2; Skills: Balance +13, Climb +13, Jump +13, Hide +17, Listen +7, Move Silently +9, Spot +5, Swim +8; Feats: Improved Initiative, Weapon FinesseB; CR: 1)

Small Adolescent Rockdrill Snake (Small Magical Beast, Hit Dice: 2d10+6(17hp); Init: +8; Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), burrow 20 ft, climb 20 ft., swim 30 ft.; AC: 21(+1 size, +4 Dex, +6 natural) touch 15, flat-footed 17; Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+0; Attack: Tail +8 melee (1d6+2/19-20×3) or bite +8 melee (1d3+2 plus poison); Full Attack: Tail +8 melee (1d6+2/19-20×3) and bite +3 melee (1d3+1 plus poison) or bite +8 melee (1d3+2 plus poison) and tail +3 melee (1d6+1/19-20×3); Space/Reach: 5 ft./ 5 ft.; Special Attacks: Adamantine weapons [+1 enhancement to bite & tail attack, pierces hardness 10], ambush tunnel [DC 30 to Spot], fore-and-aft attack, impale, poison [Fort DC13 or 1d4/1d4 Con], tail-drill; Special Qualities: Adamantine scales, blindsight 30 ft., damage resistance 2/– plus 6/magic, eyeless, hold breath, scent arcane, tremorsense 120 ft.; Saves: Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +1; Abilities: Str 15, Dex 19, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 2; Skills: Balance +12, Climb +12, Jump +12, Hide +12, Listen +7, Move Silently +9, Spot +6, Swim +10; Feats: Improved Initiative, Improved SunderB, Weapon FinesseB; CR: 2)

Medium Adult Rockdrill Snake (Medium Magical Beast, Hit Dice: 3d10+12(28hp); Init: +7; Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), burrow 30 ft, climb 20 ft., swim 30 ft.; AC: 21(+3 Dex, +8 natural) touch 13, flat-footed 18; Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+7; Attack: Tail +9 melee (1d8+4/19-20×3) or bite +8 melee (1d4+4 plus poison); Full Attack: Tail +9 melee (1d8+4/19-20×3) and bite +3 melee (1d4+2 plus poison) or bite +8 melee (1d4+4 plus poison) and tail +4 melee (1d8+2/19-20×3); Space/Reach: 5 ft./ 5 ft.; Special Attacks: Adamantine weapons [+1 enhancement to bite & tail attack, pierces hardness 20], ambush tunnel [DC 25 to Spot], fore-and-aft attack, impale, poison [Fort DC15 or 1d6/1d6 Con], tail-drill; Special Qualities: Adamantine scales, blindsight 30 ft., damage resistance 3/– plus 10/magic, eyeless, hold breath, scent arcane, tremorsense 120 ft.; Saves: Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +2; Abilities: Str 19, Dex 17, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 2; Skills: Balance +11, Climb +12, Jump +12, Hide +7, Listen +7, Move Silently +9, Spot +7, Swim +12; Feats: Improved Initiative, Improved SunderB, Weapon Focus (tail); CR: 4)

Medium Veteran Rockdrill Snake (Medium Magical Beast, Hit Dice: 5d10+30(57hp); Init: +7; Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), burrow 30 ft, climb 20 ft., swim 30 ft.; AC: 22(+3 Dex, +9 natural) touch 13, flat-footed 19; Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+11; Attack: Tail +13 melee (1d8+6/19-20×3) or bite +12 melee (1d4+6 plus poison); Full Attack: Tail +13 melee (1d8+6/19-20×3) and bite +7 melee (1d4+3 plus poison) or bite +12 melee (1d4+6 plus poison) and tail +8 melee (1d8+3/19-20×3); Space/Reach: 5 ft./ 5 ft.; Special Attacks: Adamantine weapons [+1 enhancement to bite & tail attack, pierces hardness 20], ambush tunnel [DC 27 to Spot], fore-and-aft attack, impale, poison [Fort DC18 or 1d6/1d6 Con], tail-drill; Special Qualities: Adamantine scales, blindsight 30 ft., damage resistance 4/– plus 12/magic, eyeless, hold breath, scent arcane, tremorsense 120 ft.; Saves: Fort +10, Ref +7, Will +2; Abilities: Str 23, Dex 16, Con 22, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 2; Skills: Balance +11, Climb +14, Jump +14, Hide +9, Listen +7, Move Silently +9, Spot +7, Swim +14; Feats: Improved Initiative, Improved SunderB, Weapon Focus (tail); CR: 5)

Large Old Rockdrill Snake (Large Magical Beast, Hit Dice: 7d10+49(87hp); Init: +6; Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), burrow 30 ft, climb 20 ft., swim 30 ft.; AC: 21(-1 size, +2 Dex, +10 natural) touch 11, flat-footed 19; Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+19; Attack: Tail +16 melee (2d6+8/19-20×3) or bite +15 melee (1d6+8 plus poison); Full Attack: Tail +16 melee (2d6+8/19-20×3) and bite +10 melee (1d6+4 plus poison) or bite +15 melee (1d6+8 plus poison) and tail +11 melee (2d6+4/19-20×3); Space/Reach: 10 ft./ 10 ft.; Special Attacks: Adamantine weapons [+1 enhancement to bite & tail attack, pierces hardness 20], ambush tunnel [DC 24 to Spot], fore-and-aft attack, impale, poison [Fort DC20 or 1d8/1d8 Con], tail-drill; Special Qualities: Adamantine scales, blindsight 30 ft., damage resistance 5/– plus 15/magic, eyeless, hold breath, scent arcane, tremorsense 120 ft.; Saves: Fort +12, Ref +7, Will +3; Abilities: Str 27, Dex 15, Con 24, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 2; Skills: Balance +10, Climb +16, Jump +16, Hide +6, Listen +7, Move Silently +8, Spot +7, Swim +16; Feats: Improved Initiative, Improved SunderB, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (tail); CR: 6)

Large Ancient Rockdrill Snake (Maximum Advancement) (Large Magical Beast, Hit Dice: 12d10+84(150hp); Init: +7; Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), burrow 30 ft, climb 20 ft., swim 30 ft.; AC: 22(-1 size, +3 Dex, +10 natural) touch 12, flat-footed 19; Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+24; Attack: Tail +22 melee (3d6+8/19-20×3) or bite +21 melee (1d6+8 plus poison); Full Attack: Tail +22 melee (3d6+8/19-20×3) and bite +16 melee (1d6+4 plus poison) or bite +21 melee (1d6+8 plus poison) and tail +17 melee (3d6+4/19-20×3); Space/Reach: 10 ft./ 10 ft.; Special Attacks: Adamantine weapons [+1 enhancement to bite & tail attack, pierces hardness 20], ambush tunnel [DC 27 to Spot], fore-and-aft attack, impale, poison [Fort DC23 or 1d8/1d8 Con], tail-drill; Special Qualities: Adamantine scales, blindsight 30 ft., damage resistance 5/– plus 15/magic, eyeless, hold breath, scent arcane, tremorsense 120 ft.; Saves: Fort +15, Ref +11, Will +7; Abilities: Str 27, Dex 16, Con 24, Int 3, Wis 12, Cha 2; Skills: Balance +11, Climb +16, Jump +16, Hide +9, Listen +8, Move Silently +9, Spot +9, Swim +16; Feats: Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack (tail), Improved SunderB, Iron Will, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (tail); CR: 8)

Feat Progression: [1HD] Improved Initiative, Weapon FinesseB, [3HD] Weapon Focus (tail), [6HD] Power Attack, [9HD] Iron Will, [12HD] Improved Natural Attack (tail)

Abilty Bonus Progression: [4 HD] +1 Con, [8 HD] +1 Dex, [12 HD] +1 Int

The Hawkworth Mine Story
Most of what sages know of the rockdrill snake comes from the records of the Hawkworth Mining Company. Under the directorship of Erasmus Hawkworth, this firm had discovered a new seam which proved to be exceptionally rich in Silver, Palladium and other precious metals. Unfortunately, the miners soon began to suffer murderous attacks by "drill worms" between four and seven feet long, resulting in five deaths and thirteen serious injuries.

Undaunted, Mr Hawkworth resorted to that native ingenuity of which his countrymen are renowned and purchased a dozen sheep, whose wool coats he soaked in laudanum before he drove them into the worm-infested mineshaft. The mine worms killed and ate four of the sheep and were promptly rendered comatose by the opiates they'd ingested at the same time. Rather than slaying the helpless serpents, the resourceful Mr Hawkworth gathered them up and fitted each into a steel tube of his design. A handle could be screwed over one end of this tube to close it tight, inside this end the mine worm's head was securely fastened by a leather harness, while the worm's drill-bit tail protruded from the other end. This device proved to be a very handy and valuable piece of mining equipment, the operator need but push the tail-end against the rock and the outraged serpent would drill through it like a buzz-saw through marzipan. The only maintenance required was periodically unscrewing the handle to check and adjust the harness and feed the snake pieces of meat, the frugal Mr Hawkworth having already secured an ample supply of mutton.

Using these new "worm drills" the Hawkworth company expanded the mine many times faster than conventional equipment. Five weeks later a tunnel broke into a void... This turned out to be a series of wet caverns thriving with subterranean life: pools and streams full of slime and tadpole-like fish, masses of cave-lichen and innumerable insects ranging up to hand-sized, but harmless, albino cockroaches. Of more concern were several worms, similar in form to the "drill worms" but smoother of tail and smaller, between a cubit to two feet in length. These proved to be easy to kill and would flee any miner who approached them, the only creatures these worms dared to attack were the caves' native insects. The veins of precious metal followed the line of the caves, which offered a convenient path for further mining. The next part of this story is only known from the account of one Morgan "Shotglass" Axansky, a redacted version of which follows hereinafter:

So, we was headin' North to see if the Platinum seam continued when Mickie clanDurmot yells out he'd found a pile of emeralds. Sure enough, he'd found a dozen big green stones scattered about in a cyst in the rock. Course, we laughed our heads of at the dang fool, thinkin' ye could find emeralds in a Palladium mine, and then tol' him they was just geode crystals that had been polished by water.

Well Mickie got sore about lookin' the fool, so he calls us a bunch of ***** sons of ******* who ******** their sister and her donkey and then pitches' the crystal he's holdin' at us. That Durmot was as bad a shot as he were a miner, cause he missed all five of us and his "emerald" cracked to pieces on the wall behind us.

Guess we must have all been dang fools too, cause what I saw fall out of that broken stone was some ooze and a little wiggly worm.

No sooner than I saw that, then their was a head-splittin' grindin' sound, like the noise our worm drills make but a hundred times worse, and out from the rockface tunneled a pair of giant drill-worms. I swear them things where as big as telegraph poles!

Them phoney emeralds must have been their eggs, for mama and papa worm were angrier than a ******* ******* who'd run out of emulsion. One of them stuck its whirrin' tail through Mickie and spattered him all around the cave, he died quicker than a ***** ******** a ****** ****. Ernie the goblin runs up and smacks that snake right on the noggin with 'is pickaxe and **** ** if the pick end didn't bounce of that worm's skull with no more effect than if it were thistledown. Then that snake just bit clean through the pickax head, and the other one snapped Ernie's head off like a dandelion.

I'm no fool, I was out of that cave before Ernie fell over, and the other three lads were right behind me. But we had to go through the caves and tunnels, scramblin' over rocks and squeezin' through crawlways and those damn worm could just tunnel straight after us. They got my three pals by the time I got back to the main shaft, and kept on following me. I could only holler to the night shift to run for their lives as I sprinted past them.

The poor damn fools didn't listen to me, and I could heard them screamin' when I started up to the lift. I was a quarter of the way up when I heard the smashin' sound of a cave in – I reckon those worms must have started drillin' through the supports.

When the rescue crew went down there the whole mine had collapsed. I was the only one with the wit to get out in time, and they all blamed me. Nobody believed me about the giant drill-worms, the ******* idiots. They wouldn't know the truth if it ******* their *********.
​

Learned sages who have studied Mr Axansky's account have deduced that the caverns he discovered was similar to a "nursery reef" which some fish move to lay their eggs and raise their young, a place where the baby snakes can grow through the early stages of their life in relative safety before they must risk the bizarre predators of the wider underdark. The albino cockroaches were enough food to sustain the baby rockdrill snakes, who scattered into the surrounding rock as soon as they'd grown large enough. The sound of mining in Hawkworth's nearby excavations must have sounded like a dinner gong to the adventurous young serpents.
 

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