Converting Al-Qadim creatures

[demiurge1138]

I'd like to keep them Gargantuan. It's not a terribly common size category.

 

[freyar]

That's a good enough reason for me. I'll vote for Gargantuan, too.

 

[Shade]

Added to Homebrews.

I added the usual size modifiers to Cleon's proposed Huge ability scores to make it Gargantuan.

Anyone else find it odd that the serpent lord resembles a cobra, yet functions as a constrictor snake?

 

[freyar]

And it's quite a constriction, 8 people! It's kind of like swallow whole in that way (unless you can always constrict multiple critters, I've never thought about that).

Their brains are poisonous, maybe that makes them like a cobra?

 

[demiurge1138]

I think it's because the hood looks cool.

 

[Shade]

And it's quite a constriction, 8 people! It's kind of like swallow whole in that way (unless you can always constrict multiple critters, I've never thought about that).

That's an excellent question. I thought I remembered a creature with an ability similar to this, but the ones I suspected (sea serpents, sea drake, deathcoils) don't have such an ability.

 

[Cleon]

Added to Homebrews.

I added the usual size modifiers to Cleon's proposed Huge ability scores to make it Gargantuan.

Anyone else find it odd that the serpent lord resembles a cobra, yet functions as a constrictor snake?

Gargantuan is OK by me, but I'd rather add half the usual size mods (Str 33, Con 25) since I was aiming its stats for the Huge/Gargantuan border. That would put it just under the much larger Purple Worm (Str 35, Con 25), which is 80 feet to the Serpent Lord's 50, and it's also closer Strength-wise to a Giant Constrictor Snake (Str 25, Con 13) advanced to Gargantuan (Str 33, Con 17).

 

[Cleon]

That's an excellent question. I thought I remembered a creature with an ability similar to this, but the ones I suspected (sea serpents, sea drake, deathcoils) don't have such an ability.

I don't recall any monsters per se that could do that, but I believe AD&D ropes of entanglement could bind up to eight man-sized targets simultaneously.

 

[freyar]

I'd be ok with reducing the abilities a little.

Why don't we just put in some text about constricting up to X number of X-sized opponents?

 

[Shade]

Sounds good.

Updated.

The serpent lord is endowed with strong magical powers. Each has the abilities of a 16th-level cleric with an 18 Wisdom, able to turn undead, and memorize the following number of spells: nine 1st level, nine 2nd level, eight 3rd level, seven 4th level, four 5th level, three 6th level, and one 7th level. They typically choose spells from the healing, necromantic, divination, protection, and charm spheres, but have been known to memorize combat spells as well. Their strong magical resistance protects them from the effects of most spells used against them.

Spells: A serpent lord casts spells as a 16th-level cleric.

Typical Cleric Spells Prepared (6/7+1/6+1/6+1/5+1/5+1/3+1/3+1/2+1; save DC 15 + spell level):
0—x;
1st—x;
2nd—x;
3rd—x;
4th—x;
5th—x;
6th—x;
7th—x;
8th—x.
*Domain spell. Domains: x and x.

Choose from Charm, Healing, Protection, and Scalykind domains?