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Fearsome Critters from Lumberjack Tales
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<blockquote data-quote="Cleon" data-source="post: 4641912" data-attributes="member: 57383"><p><strong>Fearsome Critters from Lumberjack Tales - The Rockdrill Snake</strong></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-size: 15px"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Rockdrill Snake (<em>Mine Worm</em>)</span></strong></span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Medium Magical Beast</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Hit</strong> <strong>Dice:</strong> 3d10+12 (28 hp)</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Initiative:</strong> +7</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Speed:</strong> 30 ft. (6 squares), burrow 30 ft, climb 20 ft., swim 30 ft.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Armor</strong> <strong>Class:</strong> 21 (+3 Dex, +8 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 18</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Base</strong> <strong>Attack/Grapple:</strong> +3/+7</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Attack:</strong> Tail +9 melee (1d8+4/19-20×3) or bite +8 melee (1d4+4 plus poison)</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Full</strong> <strong>Attack:</strong> Tail +9 melee (1d8+4/19-20×3) and bite +3 melee (1d4+2 plus poison) <strong><em>or</em></strong> bite +8 melee (1d4+4 plus poison) and tail +4 melee (1d8+2/19-20×3)</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Space/Reach:</strong> 5 ft./ 5 ft.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Special</strong> <strong>Attacks:</strong> Adamantine weapons, ambush tunnel, fore-and-aft attack, impale, poison, tail-drill</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Special</strong> <strong>Qualities:</strong> Adamantine scales, blindsight 30 ft., damage resistance 3/– plus 10/magic, eyeless, hold breath, scent arcane, tremorsense 120 ft.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Saves:</strong> Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +2</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Abilities:</strong> Str 19, Dex 17, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 2</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Skills:</strong> Balance +11, Climb +12, Jump +12, Hide +7, Listen +7, Move Silently +9, Spot +7, Swim +12</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Feats:</strong> Improved Initiative, Improved SunderB, Weapon Focus (tail)</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Environment:</strong> Subterranean</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Organization:</strong> Solitary, pair or nest (1-2 adults plus 2-20 eggs or young)</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Challenge</strong> <strong>Rating:</strong> 4</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Treasure:</strong> standard coins (90% chance of nuggets instead of coins), standard goods (gems), 100% items (see below)</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Alignment:</strong> Always neutral</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Advancement:</strong> 4-6 HD (Medium), 7-12 (Large)</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Level</strong> <strong>Adjustment:</strong> —</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><em>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.</em></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Combat</span></strong></span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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 <strong>Skills</strong>).</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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, <em>cause fear</em> and similar spells are a useful method of driving away an attacking rockdrill snake.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Adamantine Scales (Su)</strong></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Adamantine Weapons (Su)</strong></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Immature rockdrill snake have less effective adamantine scales and weaponry. See <strong>Different Sizes of Rockdrill Snake</strong>, below, for details.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Ambush Tunnel (Ex)[<em>Su*</em>]</strong></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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).</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">*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 <em>detect magic</em> once completed.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Fore-and-Aft Attack (Ex)</strong></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Eyeless (Ex)</strong></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Since a rockdrill snake has no eyes, it is naturally immune to all vision-based effects such as gaze weapons and optical illusions.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Hold Breath (Ex)</strong></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong></strong>A rockdrill snake can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to 4 × its Constitution score before it risks drowning.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Impale (Ex)</strong></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Poison (Ex)</strong></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Scent Arcane (Su)</strong></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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 <em>detect</em> 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.)</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Tail-Drill (Ex)</strong></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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).</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Skills</span></strong></span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Ecology</span></strong></span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Lore Checks</span></strong></span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>DC 14</strong> - 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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>DC 19</strong> - 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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>DC 24</strong> - 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 <em>sunrods</em> more often than those with regular lanterns, they can smell the magic in a <em>sunrod</em>. 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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Different Sizes of Rockdrill Snake</span></strong></span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Fine Hatchling Rockdrill Snake</strong> (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 [<em>Fort DC13 or 1d4/1d4 Con</em>], 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)</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Diminutive Infant Rockdrill Snake</strong> (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) <strong><em>or</em></strong> bite +12 melee (1 plus poison) and tail +7 melee (1d3-1); Space/Reach: 1 ft./ 0 ft.; Special Attacks: Adamantine weapons [<em>+1 enhancement to bite & tail attack</em>], fore-and-aft attack, impale, poison [<em>Fort DC13 or 1d4/1d4 Con</em>], 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)</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Tiny Juvenile Rockdrill Snake</strong> (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) <strong><em>or</em></strong> bite +9 melee (1d2 plus poison) and tail +4 melee (1d4/×3); Space/Reach: 2½ ft./ 0 ft.; Special Attacks: Adamantine weapons [<em>+1 enhancement to bite & tail attack, pierces hardness 5</em>], ambush tunnel [<em>DC 35 to Spot</em>], fore-and-aft attack, impale, poison [<em>Fort DC13 or 1d4/1d4 Con</em>], 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)</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Small Adolescent Rockdrill Snake</strong> (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) <strong><em>or</em></strong> 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 [<em>+1 enhancement to bite & tail attack, pierces hardness 10</em>], ambush tunnel [<em>DC 30 to Spot</em>], fore-and-aft attack, impale, poison [<em>Fort DC13 or 1d4/1d4 Con</em>], 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)</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Medium Adult Rockdrill Snake </strong>(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) <strong><em>or</em></strong> 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 [<em>+1 enhancement to bite & tail attack, pierces hardness 20</em>], ambush tunnel [<em>DC 25 to Spot</em>], fore-and-aft attack, impale, poison [<em>Fort DC15 or 1d6/1d6 Con</em>], 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)</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Medium Veteran Rockdrill Snake </strong>(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) <strong><em>or</em></strong> 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 [<em>+1 enhancement to bite & tail attack, pierces hardness 20</em>], ambush tunnel [<em>DC 27 to Spot</em>], fore-and-aft attack, impale, poison [<em>Fort DC18 or 1d6/1d6 Con</em>], 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)</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Large Old Rockdrill Snake</strong> (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) <strong><em>or</em></strong> 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 [<em>+1 enhancement to bite & tail attack, pierces hardness 20</em>], ambush tunnel [<em>DC 24 to Spot</em>], fore-and-aft attack, impale, poison [<em>Fort DC20 or 1d8/1d8 Con</em>], 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)</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Large Ancient Rockdrill Snake</strong> <strong>(Maximum Advancement)</strong> (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) <strong><em>or</em></strong> 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 [<em>+1 enhancement to bite & tail attack, pierces hardness 20</em>], ambush tunnel [<em>DC 27 to Spot</em>], fore-and-aft attack, impale, poison [<em>Fort DC23 or 1d8/1d8 Con</em>], 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)</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Feat Progression: </strong>[1HD] Improved Initiative, Weapon FinesseB, [3HD] Weapon Focus (tail), [6HD] Power Attack, [9HD] Iron Will, [12HD] Improved Natural Attack (tail)</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><strong>Abilty Bonus Progression:</strong> [4 HD] +1 Con, [8 HD] +1 Dex, [12 HD] +1 Int</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span><span style="font-size: 15px"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">The Hawkworth Mine Story</span></strong></span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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:</span></span></span></p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span><p style="margin-left: 20px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><em><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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.</span></em></span></span></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><em><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> 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.</span></em></span></span></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><em><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> 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.</span></em></span></span></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><em><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> 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!</span></em></span></span></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><em><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> 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.</span></em></span></span></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><em><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> 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.</span></em></span></span></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><em><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> 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.</span></em></span></span></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><em><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> 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 *********.</span></em></span></span></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">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.</span></span></span></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Cleon, post: 4641912, member: 57383"] [b]Fearsome Critters from Lumberjack Tales - The Rockdrill Snake[/b] [FONT=Arial][SIZE=2][SIZE=4][B][FONT=Arial]Rockdrill Snake ([I]Mine Worm[/I])[/FONT][/B][/SIZE][FONT=Arial] Medium Magical Beast [B]Hit[/B] [B]Dice:[/B] 3d10+12 (28 hp) [B]Initiative:[/B] +7 [B]Speed:[/B] 30 ft. (6 squares), burrow 30 ft, climb 20 ft., swim 30 ft. [B]Armor[/B] [B]Class:[/B] 21 (+3 Dex, +8 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 18 [B]Base[/B] [B]Attack/Grapple:[/B] +3/+7 [B]Attack:[/B] Tail +9 melee (1d8+4/19-20×3) or bite +8 melee (1d4+4 plus poison) [B]Full[/B] [B]Attack:[/B] Tail +9 melee (1d8+4/19-20×3) and bite +3 melee (1d4+2 plus poison) [B][I]or[/I][/B] bite +8 melee (1d4+4 plus poison) and tail +4 melee (1d8+2/19-20×3) [B]Space/Reach:[/B] 5 ft./ 5 ft. [B]Special[/B] [B]Attacks:[/B] Adamantine weapons, ambush tunnel, fore-and-aft attack, impale, poison, tail-drill [B]Special[/B] [B]Qualities:[/B] Adamantine scales, blindsight 30 ft., damage resistance 3/– plus 10/magic, eyeless, hold breath, scent arcane, tremorsense 120 ft. [B]Saves:[/B] Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +2 [B]Abilities:[/B] Str 19, Dex 17, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 2 [B]Skills:[/B] Balance +11, Climb +12, Jump +12, Hide +7, Listen +7, Move Silently +9, Spot +7, Swim +12 [B]Feats:[/B] Improved Initiative, Improved SunderB, Weapon Focus (tail) [B]Environment:[/B] Subterranean [B]Organization:[/B] Solitary, pair or nest (1-2 adults plus 2-20 eggs or young) [B]Challenge[/B] [B]Rating:[/B] 4 [B]Treasure:[/B] standard coins (90% chance of nuggets instead of coins), standard goods (gems), 100% items (see below) [B]Alignment:[/B] Always neutral [B]Advancement:[/B] 4-6 HD (Medium), 7-12 (Large) [B]Level[/B] [B]Adjustment:[/B] — [I]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.[/I] 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. [/FONT][SIZE=3][B][FONT=Arial]Combat[/FONT][/B][/SIZE][FONT=Arial] 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 [B]Skills[/B]). 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, [I]cause fear[/I] 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. [B]Adamantine Scales (Su)[/B] 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. [B]Adamantine Weapons (Su)[/B] 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 [B]Different Sizes of Rockdrill Snake[/B], below, for details. [B]Ambush Tunnel (Ex)[[I]Su*[/I]][/B] 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 [I]detect magic[/I] once completed. [B]Fore-and-Aft Attack (Ex)[/B] 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. [B]Eyeless (Ex)[/B] Since a rockdrill snake has no eyes, it is naturally immune to all vision-based effects such as gaze weapons and optical illusions. [B]Hold Breath (Ex) [/B]A rockdrill snake can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to 4 × its Constitution score before it risks drowning. [B]Impale (Ex)[/B] 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. [B]Poison (Ex)[/B] 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. [B]Scent Arcane (Su)[/B] 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 [I]detect[/I] 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. [B]Tail-Drill (Ex)[/B] 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). [/FONT][SIZE=3][B][FONT=Arial]Skills[/FONT][/B][/SIZE][FONT=Arial] 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. [/FONT][SIZE=3][B][FONT=Arial]Ecology[/FONT][/B][/SIZE][FONT=Arial] 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. [/FONT][SIZE=3][B][FONT=Arial]Lore Checks[/FONT][/B][/SIZE][FONT=Arial] [B]DC 14[/B] - 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. [B]DC 19[/B] - 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. [B]DC 24[/B] - 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 [I]sunrods[/I] more often than those with regular lanterns, they can smell the magic in a [I]sunrod[/I]. 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. [/FONT][SIZE=3][B][FONT=Arial]Different Sizes of Rockdrill Snake[/FONT][/B][/SIZE][FONT=Arial] 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. [B]Fine Hatchling Rockdrill Snake[/B] (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 [[I]Fort DC13 or 1d4/1d4 Con[/I]], 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) [B]Diminutive Infant Rockdrill Snake[/B] (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) [B][I]or[/I][/B] bite +12 melee (1 plus poison) and tail +7 melee (1d3-1); Space/Reach: 1 ft./ 0 ft.; Special Attacks: Adamantine weapons [[I]+1 enhancement to bite & tail attack[/I]], fore-and-aft attack, impale, poison [[I]Fort DC13 or 1d4/1d4 Con[/I]], 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) [B]Tiny Juvenile Rockdrill Snake[/B] (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) [B][I]or[/I][/B] bite +9 melee (1d2 plus poison) and tail +4 melee (1d4/×3); Space/Reach: 2½ ft./ 0 ft.; Special Attacks: Adamantine weapons [[I]+1 enhancement to bite & tail attack, pierces hardness 5[/I]], ambush tunnel [[I]DC 35 to Spot[/I]], fore-and-aft attack, impale, poison [[I]Fort DC13 or 1d4/1d4 Con[/I]], 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) [B]Small Adolescent Rockdrill Snake[/B] (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) [B][I]or[/I][/B] 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 [[I]+1 enhancement to bite & tail attack, pierces hardness 10[/I]], ambush tunnel [[I]DC 30 to Spot[/I]], fore-and-aft attack, impale, poison [[I]Fort DC13 or 1d4/1d4 Con[/I]], 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) [B]Medium Adult Rockdrill Snake [/B](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) [B][I]or[/I][/B] 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 [[I]+1 enhancement to bite & tail attack, pierces hardness 20[/I]], ambush tunnel [[I]DC 25 to Spot[/I]], fore-and-aft attack, impale, poison [[I]Fort DC15 or 1d6/1d6 Con[/I]], 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) [B]Medium Veteran Rockdrill Snake [/B](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) [B][I]or[/I][/B] 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 [[I]+1 enhancement to bite & tail attack, pierces hardness 20[/I]], ambush tunnel [[I]DC 27 to Spot[/I]], fore-and-aft attack, impale, poison [[I]Fort DC18 or 1d6/1d6 Con[/I]], 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) [B]Large Old Rockdrill Snake[/B] (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) [B][I]or[/I][/B] 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 [[I]+1 enhancement to bite & tail attack, pierces hardness 20[/I]], ambush tunnel [[I]DC 24 to Spot[/I]], fore-and-aft attack, impale, poison [[I]Fort DC20 or 1d8/1d8 Con[/I]], 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) [B]Large Ancient Rockdrill Snake[/B] [B](Maximum Advancement)[/B] (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) [B][I]or[/I][/B] 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 [[I]+1 enhancement to bite & tail attack, pierces hardness 20[/I]], ambush tunnel [[I]DC 27 to Spot[/I]], fore-and-aft attack, impale, poison [[I]Fort DC23 or 1d8/1d8 Con[/I]], 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) [B]Feat Progression: [/B][1HD] Improved Initiative, Weapon FinesseB, [3HD] Weapon Focus (tail), [6HD] Power Attack, [9HD] Iron Will, [12HD] Improved Natural Attack (tail) [B]Abilty Bonus Progression:[/B] [4 HD] +1 Con, [8 HD] +1 Dex, [12 HD] +1 Int [/FONT][SIZE=4][B][FONT=Arial]The Hawkworth Mine Story[/FONT][/B][/SIZE][FONT=Arial] 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: [/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][INDENT][FONT=Arial][SIZE=2][I][FONT=Arial]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.[/FONT][/I][/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Arial][SIZE=2][I][FONT=Arial] 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.[/FONT][/I][/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Arial][SIZE=2][I][FONT=Arial] 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.[/FONT][/I][/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Arial][SIZE=2][I][FONT=Arial] 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![/FONT][/I][/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Arial][SIZE=2][I][FONT=Arial] 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.[/FONT][/I][/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Arial][SIZE=2][I][FONT=Arial] 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.[/FONT][/I][/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Arial][SIZE=2][I][FONT=Arial] 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.[/FONT][/I][/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Arial][SIZE=2][I][FONT=Arial] 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 *********.[/FONT][/I][/SIZE][/FONT] [/INDENT][FONT=Arial][SIZE=2][FONT=Arial] 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.[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT] [/QUOTE]
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