Fearsome Critters from Lumberjack Tales - The Bangle Snake
Hypnotic Hoop Snake (Bangle Snake)
Tiny Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 2d10+2 (13 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 15 ft. (3 squares)[15-60 ft. with rolling speed], climb 15 ft., swim 10 ft.
Armor Class: 21 (+2 size, +4 Dex, +5 natural), touch 16, flat-footed 19
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/-2 [+10 with circle snare]
Attack: Bite +8 melee (1d2 plus poison)
Full Attack: Bite +7 melee (1d2 plus poison)
Space/Reach: 2½ ft./0 ft.;
Special Attacks: Constrict 1d4, circle snare, hypnotic temptation, poison
Special Qualities: low-light vision, mimic jewellery [DC 24], reptilian obstinacy, rolling speed, scent
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +5
Abilities: Str 11, Dex 19, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 15
Skills: Balance +12, Climb +12, Concentration +10, Hide +18, Listen +9, Spot +7, Swim +8
Feats: Improved GrappleB, Weapon FinesseB, Weapon Focus (bite)
Environment: Temperate plains and hills
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 3-4 HD (Small), 5-8 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: —
The colour and pattern of this fat-bodied snake is constantly changing. Its eyes gleam like gems as they shift from sapphire to ruby via emerald green, while the hue of its smooth scales switches between shining silver and gold to flat grey and dull yellow.
A hypnotic hoop snake is more commonly known as a bangle snake. Most of these creatures are small, a typical bangle snake is thirty inches long and weighs about a pound. They are excessively thick-bodied and heavy for a snake, without much tapering of the tail.
Bangle snakes have very fine-scales which are nevertheless extraordinarily tough, matching chain armour in protective quality. They can change the colour of their scales to perfectly match most metals known to man – gold, silver, electrum, steel, brass, et cetera – as well as a good range of bright, enamel-like hues (fire-bucket red, leaf green, turquoise etc) together with dull, inconspicuous colours such as ochre-brown or slate gray, for when they desire stealth. Their eyes can change to a good approximation of a gemstone, or be almost undetectable when the snake shuts its eyelids. A dead bangle snake swiftly loses any bright hue it may have assumed, reverting to a dull and nondescript appearance.
Bangle snakes can grab their tails in their mouths and roll along like a hoop snake or an amphisbaena, but they do not use this ability to pursue prey. Instead, they find a well-travelled spot and change their colour to resemble a piece of jewellery such as a silver armband or a golden neck-torc then just wait in plain view. Any passersby who sees the bangle snake will be struck with an uncanny impulse to try the "jewellery" on and turn it around to admire it. This urge affects any living creature with enough of a mind to understand it. Since most animals lack the means to pick a bangle snake up and put it on their body, the bangle snake will try to prop its ring-curled body up on a stick, bush or other convenient support to make it easier for passing beasts to slip their head or body through the snake. As soon as the snake thinks it's securely around its wearer it snaps shut like a snare and buries venomous fangs in their flesh. Their metal-hard scales allow them to rasp through their victim's flesh as they gyre closed.
These serpents are unnaturally powerful and resilient, and it takes a strong hand to prise one away from its victim. As some compensation, bangle snakes are amongst the most sluggish of serpents, since they rely on their hypnotic powers to lure prey they are slow moving and lack the startling reflexes of most snakes.
Hypnotic hula snakes do grow to larger sizes, popularly known as Hula snakes after the half-elf Ukulele Hula, the first person on record unfortunate enough to have a close encounter with such a specimen. Mr Hula spent the last few moments of his life twirling a three-foot diameter hypnotic hoop snake around his waist, laughing like an idiot.
These snakes have no other noteworthy habits known to sages. A few alchemists and savants will pay for live specimens to try to discover a means of preserving their skin's colour-changing powers, in the hope of marketing bangleskin clothes or jewellery, so far without success. At the moment, the only way to safely turn a bangle snake into colour-changing jewellery is to wear a live one that's somehow been rendered harmless - i.e. used a familiar, paralyzed, magically dominated, drugged insensate and so forth. The risks of this are evident.
Bangle snakes breed in the conventional serpentine fashion, after which the females lay a dozen or so shiny blue-black eggs in a warm, sandy spot which they then abandon.
Combat
A Bangle snake uses Hypnotic Temptation to try to compel a victim to wear it, then snaps close with Circle Snare, followed by repeated uses of its Constrict attack and Poison bite.
If the prospective victim resists its hypnotic powers, the snake may try to grapple using a normal touch attack, benefiting from its Improved Grapple bonus feat. It will seldom attempt this against opponents bigger than itself.
If a bangle snake fails to get a Circle Snare after one or two attempts, or its victim manages to pry it off afterwards, the creature will usually just give up and roll away. They are smart enough to know they have little change of snaring an opponent who they can't hypnotize into cooperating.
Circle Snare (Ex)
A bangle snake can lock its body around an opponent it has a grappling hold on as a move action. This gives it a +12 competence bonus on its grappling checks against that opponent and against other being's attempts to break its hold. Normally, the snake uses its Hypnotic Temptation power to get a hold of an opponent, but it can start a grapple using a touch attack as per the standard rules.
A bangle snake that has a victim in its Circle Snare can make a bite attack and a Constrict attack against them every round. The snake can only attack the Circle Snared victim, if it wishes to bite any other opponent it must release its Circle Snare first, which it can do at any time as a free action.
Constrict (Ex)
On a successful grapple check, a hypnotic hoop snake deals 1d4 points of damage.
Hypnotic Temptation (Su)
The bangle snake selects one victim within a distance equal to a medium ranged spell (i.e. 100 ft plus 10 feet per hit dice). The victim must succeed at a Will save against DC 13 or act upon the compulsion to put the "bangle" on and turn it admiringly. This is similar to a suggestion spell, being a Enchantment (Compulsion) power, but it is not language dependent and the victim must be able to see the snake to be affected.
A bangle snake must be using Mimic Jewellery to use Hypnotic Temptation. Initiating and maintaining Hypnotic Temptation is a full-round action, the snake can take no other action without breaking the effect. The effects last as long as the bangle snake concentrates, and the victim is considered to be Fascinated (q.v.) until the enchantment is broken. If the target of Hypnotic Temptation manages to put the snake on, the bangle snake can automatically succeed at a grapple check to take hold of the target, and thereafter use its Circle Snare attack.
The save DC is Charisma-based.
Mimic Jewellery (Ex)
A bangle snake can imitate a loop of jewellery, by slightly change its shape and changing the colour and texture of its scales to match metal, enamel or plastic. Characters who examines the snake can detect the ruse with a successful Spot check. The DC of this spot check equals 20 plus the snake's Hit Dice plus its Charisma bonus, so an average bangle snake is DC 24 to spot.
It takes a full-round action for a bangle snake to assume its jewelled disguise, after which it can maintain it indefinitely. While mimicking jewellery a bangle snake can use its Rolling Speed and Hypnotic Temptation without breaking its masquerade.
A character with stonecunning can apply that bonus to their Spot checks to notice a camouflaged bangle snake. If they possess skill ranks in Appraise or Craft (jewellery) they can substitute that bonus for Spot in the check to notice the monster, plus they receive a +2 bonus to the Spot check from skill synergy if they possess 5 ranks in either Craft (jewellery) or Appraise, +4 for 5 ranks in both.
Poison (Ex)
A hypnotic hoop snake has a poisonous bite that deals initial and secondary damage of 1d3 Con if the victim fails a DC 12 Fortitudesave. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Reptilian Obstinacy (Ex)
Unlike a standard Magical Beast, a Bangle snake has good Will saves but only poor Reflex saves. It can add its Charisma bonus to its Will save instead of its Wisdom bonus, whichever is higher.
Rolling Speed (Ex)
A bangle snake can curl itself into a loop and roll along as a full-round movement action. Rolling doubles the bangle snake's land speed to 30 ft., and permits it to make a run action at five times its normal speed, as if it possessed the Run feat. Furthermore, a bangle snake's speed is doubled yet again (i.e. quadrupled to 60 ft) rolling downhill. The snake's rolling speed is halved going uphill and it cannot apply its Run bonus. Since this is no better than its regular land speed, it rarely rolls uphill.
Skills
Hypnotic hoop snakes have a +4 racial bonus on Spot checks, a +6 racial bonus on Hide and Listen checks and a +8 racial bonus on Balance, Climb and Concentration 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 11 - I heard a local gal was walking through the bush one day and came upon a silver torc lying on the ground. So, she picked it up and tried it on, then the torc turned into a snake and throttled her! I asked around and a cunning-man told me this was a bangle snake. So if you find some jewellery just lying about, best make sure it's safe before putting it on!
DC 16 - Educated folk call the bangle snake a hypnotic hoop snake, because they can mesmerize people into putting them on. They can also curl themselves in a ring and roll about like a hoop snake. Bangle snakes have venomous fangs, but don't have a deadly tail-spike like a true hoop snake. They're not always the size of armbands or neck-rings, some of them grow big enough to whirl around your waist. I hear these are called Hula snakes, after some fellow who discovered them.
DC 21 - A bangle snake can only hypnotize one person at a time, and they've got to look at the ring-coiled serpent to be affected. They're pretty lazy, so if a hypnotic hoop snake can't hypnotize a victim into putting it on it'll usually just roll away rather than try to fight it out.
Nugget Snake
A nugget snake is either a very close relative of a bangle snake or a breed that has learned a specialized hunting strategy, their statistics are identical to bangle snakes.
Nugget snakes live in streams, where they bury themselves under the silt except for their heads. The snake then uses its Mimic Jewellery power to make its head appear to be a gold nugget, or one of its eyes a sparkling gemstone. This acts as a Hypnotic Temptation to any animals coming down to drink, plus passing fish and prospectors.
Advanced and Juvenile Bangle Snakes
The following stat-blocks cover bangle snakes of all size categories. Fine and Diminutive bangle snakes are included in the stat-blocks to represent juvenile animals, but such are highly unlikely to attack adventurers; their grapple checks are way too low for them to effectively Constrict most humanoids.
Fine Bangle Snake (Fine Magical Beast, Hit Dice: ½d10+1 (3hp); Init: +6; Speed: 15 ft. (3 squares)[15-60 ft. with rolling speed], climb 15 ft., swim 10 ft.; AC: 29(+8 size, +6 Dex, +5 natural), touch 24, flat-footed 23; Base Attack/Grapple: +1/-12 [+0 with circle snare]; Full Attack: Bite +16 melee (1 plus poison); Space/Reach: ½ ft./0 ft.; Special Attacks: Constrict 1d2-1, circle snare, hypnotic temptation (Will DC 12), poison (Fort DC 11 1/1 Con); Special Qualities: low-light vision, mimic jewellery [DC 22], reptilian obstinacy, rolling speed, scent; Saves: Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +4; Abilities: Str 9, Dex 23, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 15; Skills: Balance +14, Climb +14, Concentration +10, Hide +28, Listen +8, Spot +7, Swim +7; Feats: Improved GrappleB, Weapon FinesseB, Weapon Focus (bite); CR: ¼)
Diminutive Bangle Snake (Diminutive Magical Beast, Hit Dice: 1d10+1 (6hp); Init: +5; Speed: 15 ft. (3 squares)[15-60 ft. with rolling speed], climb 15 ft., swim 10 ft.; AC: 24(+4 size, +5 Dex, +5 natural), touch 19, flat-footed 19; Base Attack/Grapple: +1/-8 [+4 with circle snare]; Full Attack: Bite +11 melee (1 plus poison); Space/Reach: 1 ft./0 ft.; Special Attacks: Constrict 1d3-1, circle snare, hypnotic temptation (Will DC 12), poison (Fort DC 11 1d2/1d2 Con); Special Qualities: low-light vision, mimic jewellery [DC 23], reptilian obstinacy, rolling speed, scent; Saves: Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +4; Abilities: Str 9, Dex 21, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 15; Skills: Balance +13, Climb +13, Concentration +10, Hide +23, Listen +8, Spot +7, Swim +7; Feats: Improved GrappleB, Weapon FinesseB, Weapon Focus (bite); CR: ½)
Tiny Bangle Snake (Tiny Magical Beast, Hit Dice: 2d10+2 (13hp); Init: +4; Speed: 15 ft. (3 squares)[15-60 ft. with rolling speed], climb 15 ft., swim 10 ft.; AC: 21(+2 size, +4 Dex, +5 natural), touch 16, flat-footed 17; Base Attack/Grapple: +2/-2 [+10 with circle snare]; Full Attack: Bite +9 melee (1d2 plus poison); Space/Reach: 2½ ft./0 ft.; Special Attacks: Constrict 1d4, circle snare, hypnotic temptation (Will DC 13), poison (Fort DC 12 1d3/1d3 Con); Special Qualities: low-light vision, mimic jewellery [DC 24], reptilian obstinacy, rolling speed, scent; Saves: Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +5; Abilities: Str 11, Dex 19, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 15; Skills: Balance +12, Climb +12, Concentration +10, Hide +18, Listen +9, Spot +7, Swim +8; Feats: Improved GrappleB, Weapon FinesseB, Weapon Focus (bite); CR: 1)
Small Bangle Snake (Hula Snake) (Small Magical Beast, Hit Dice: 3d10+3 (19hp); Init: +3; Speed: 15 ft. (3 squares)[15-60 ft. with rolling speed], climb 15 ft., swim 10 ft.; AC: 19(+1 size, +3 Dex, +5 natural) touch 14, flat-footed 16; Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+5[+17 with circle snare]; Full Attack: Bite +8 melee (1d3+2 plus poison); Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.; Special Attacks: Constrict 1d6+3, circle snare, hypnotic temptation (Will DC 15), poison (Fort DC 12 1d4/1d4 Con); Special Qualities: low-light vision, mimic jewellery [DC 25], reptilian obstinacy, rolling speed, scent; Saves: Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +5; Abilities: Str 15, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 15; Skills: Balance +11, Climb +11, Concentration +10; Hide +14, Listen +9, Spot +7, Swim +10; Feats: Ability Focus (hypnotic temptation), Improved GrappleB, Weapon FinesseB, Weapon Focus (bite); CR: 2)
Medium Bangle Snake (Hula Snake) (Medium Magical Beast, Hit Dice: 5d10+10 (37hp); Init: +2; Speed: 15 ft. (3 squares)[15-60 ft. with rolling speed], climb 15 ft., swim 10 ft.; AC: 17(+2 Dex, +5 natural) touch 12, flat-footed 15; Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+13[+25 with circle snare]; Full Attack: Bite +10 melee (1d4+4 plus poison); Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.; Special Attacks: Constrict 1d8+6, circle snare, hypnotic temptation (Will DC 17), poison (Fort DC 14 1d6/1d6 Con); Special Qualities: low-light vision, mimic jewellery [DC 28], reptilian obstinacy, rolling speed, scent; Saves: Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +7; Abilities: Str 19, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 16; Skills: Balance +10, Climb +12, Concentration +12, Hide +10, Listen +9, Spot +7, Swim +12; Feats: Ability Focus (hypnotic temptation), Improved GrappleB, Weapon Focus (bite); CR: 3)
Maximized Bangle Snake (Hula Snake) (Medium Magical Beast, Hit Dice: 8d10+24 (68hp); Init: +2; Speed: 15 ft. (3 squares)[15-60 ft. with rolling speed], climb 15 ft., swim 10 ft.; AC: 17(+2 Dex, +5 natural) touch 12, flat-footed 15; Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+16[+28 with circle snare]; Full Attack: Bite +13 melee (1d4+4 plus poison); Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.; Special Attacks: Constrict 2d6+6, circle snare, hypnotic temptation (Will DC 19), poison (Fort DC 17 1d6/1d6 Con); Special Qualities: low-light vision, mimic jewellery [DC 31], reptilian obstinacy, rolling speed, scent; Saves: Fort +9, Ref +5, Will +9; Abilities: Str 19, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 16; Skills: Balance +10, Climb +12, Concentration +13, Hide +10, Listen +10, Spot +9, Swim +12; Feats: Ability Focus (hypnotic temptation), Improved GrappleB, Improved Natural Attack (constrict), Weapon Focus (bite); CR: 4)
Giant Bangle Snakes (Golden Arch Snake)
The notorious bard Roland clanRonald has spread tales of encountering a pair of giant hula snakes big enough to crush a mastodon into mincemeat. While these serpents could roll around the landscape like living ferris wheels, they spend most of their time using the strength of their body to prop their body in a single giant loop above the ground. In this shape they appear as a golden gateway or triumphal arch, and mesmerize passing prey, mostly migrating mastodons, into walking into the snare of their arcing body. These snakes, so clanRonald claims, were worshipped by a local tribe of goblins, who'd wait until the snakes had finished eating and then scavenge the mastodon's carcass for meat, which they'd eat in patties placed between two flat pieces of bread or biscuit which allegedly could last a remarkably long time without deteriorating. clanRonald claims to have repeatedly tried to bring back proof of his tail back to civilization, including these mastodon-burgers, but was thwarted every time by having his evidence burgled away by a masterful goblin rogue who acted as some kind of tribal hero.
These snakes have the statistics of a regular bangle snakes advanced to Large or Huge size, as follows:
Advancement: 9-14 HD (Large), 15-20 HD (Huge)
Large Golden Arch Snake (Hula Snake) (Large Magical Beast, Hit Dice: 9d10+45 (85hp); Init: +1; Speed: 15 ft. (3 squares)[15-60 ft. with rolling speed], climb 15 ft., swim 10 ft.; AC: 17(-1 size, +1 Dex, +7 natural) touch 10, flat-footed 16; Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+25[+37 with circle snare]; Full Attack: Bite +17 melee (1d6+8 plus poison); Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.; Special Attacks: Constrict 3d6+12, circle snare, hypnotic temptation (Will DC 19), poison (Fort DC 19 1d8/1d8 Con); Special Qualities: low-light vision, mimic jewellery [DC 32], reptilian obstinacy, rolling speed, scent; Saves: Fort +11, Ref +6, Will +9; Abilities: Str 27, Dex 13, Con 20, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 16; Skills: Balance +9, Climb +16, Concentration +15, Hide +5, Listen +11, Spot +9, Swim +16; Feats: Ability Focus (hypnotic temptation), Improved GrappleB, Improved Natural Attack (constrict), Lightning Reflexes, Weapon Focus (bite); CR: 5)
Huge Golden Arch Snake (Hula Snake) (Huge Magical Beast, Hit Dice: 15d10+105 (187hp); Init: +1; Speed: 15 ft. (3 squares)[15-60 ft. with rolling speed], climb 15 ft., swim 10 ft.; AC: 19(-2 size, +1 Dex, +10 natural) touch 9, flat-footed 18; Base Attack/Grapple: +15/+39[+51 with circle snare]; Full Attack: Bite +26 melee (2d6+12 plus poison); Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft.; Special Attacks: Constrict 4d6+18, circle snare, hypnotic temptation (Will DC 22), poison (Fort DC 24 1d10/1d10 Con); Special Qualities: low-light vision, mimic jewellery [DC 38], reptilian obstinacy, rolling speed, scent; Saves: Fort +16, Ref +6, Will +12; Abilities: Str 35, Dex 12, Con 24, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 16; Skills: Balance +9, Climb +20, Concentration +17, Hide +1, Listen +14, Spot +12, Swim +20; Feats: Ability Focus (hypnotic temptation), Improved GrappleB, Improved Natural Attack (bite), Improved Natural Attack (constrict), Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (bite); CR: 7)
Feat Progression: [1 HD] Improved GrappleB, Weapon FinesseB, Weapon Focus (bite), [3 HD] Ability Focus (hypnotic temptation), [6 HD] Improved Natural Attack (constrict), [9 HD] Lightning Reflexes, [12 HD] Power Attack, [15 HD] Improved Natural Attack (bite), [18 HD] Iron Will
Ability Increases: [4 HD] +1 Cha, [8 HD] +1 Con, [12 HD] +1 Dex, [16 HD] +1 Cha, [20 HD] +1 Cha