Converting Al-Qadim creatures

[Cleon]

Teak Serpent Working Draft

Snake, Teak Serpent
Huge Animal
Hit Dice: 16d8+48 (120 hp)
Initiative: +7
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.
Armor Class: 20 (-2 size, +3 Dex, +9 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+29
Attack: Bite +20 melee (1d8+13)
Full Attack: Bite +20 melee (1d8+13)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./ 10 ft.
Special Attacks: Constrict 2d6+13, improved grab, multiconstrict
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 6/—, scent
Saves: Fort +13, Ref +13, Will +8
Abilities: Str 29, Dex 17, Con 17, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 2
Skills: Balance +11, Climb +17, Hide +12*, Move Silently +10, Listen +10, Spot +10, Swim +17
Feats: Alertness, Endurance, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Stealthy, Weapon Focus (bite)
Environment: Warm forests
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 8
Treasure: Standard coins, double items (gems and jewelery only), 25% items
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 17–20 HD (Huge); 21-48 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: —

A vast snake resembling a small crawling teak tree, with craggy gray-brown hide like bark.

Teak serpents are a type of huge constrictor snake that inhabit forests of tropical hardwoods such as teak or ironwood. They look very much like a thick hardwood tree branch, excellent camouflage for when they're waiting patiently beside a jungle path for prey to pass them by. Teak serpents are much feared by locals for their prodigious size and ferocity. These reptiles usually eat large jungle animals, but will attack smaller victims. They have no hesitancy about attacking small groups of humanoids. A teak serpent's favorite meal is a baby elephant.

A teak serpent is typically 30 feet long and weighs around 1200 pounds.

Combat
Teak serpents normally hide in trees and drop upon prey that pass underneath, but may ambush opponents by hiding in undergrowth or water sources. The serpent constricts as many victims as possible and bites at any others that remain within reach.

Constrict (Ex): On a successful grapple check, a teak serpent deals 2d6+13 points of damage.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a teak serpent must hit with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.

Multiconstrict (Ex): A teak serpent can constrict several opponents simultaneously as a standard action. The teak serpent may use multiconstrict against as many opponents as its Dexterity bonus (minimum 1), as long as none are larger than two size categories smaller than the serpent. The serpent rolls separate grapple checks against each multiconstricted opponent with a -5 penalty on its grapple checks. If it chooses to remain ungrappled itself, the serpent takes a -10 penalty on its grapple checks instead of the normal –20 penalty.

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

*A teak serpent’s racial bonus to Hide checks improves to +8 when the snake is in a forested area.

Originally appeared in Al-Qadim: Ruined Kingdoms (1994).

 

[freyar]

I'll go along with all that.

To make this a little more interesting, I think we could justify doing a "multi-constrict," so it can grab and constrict several victims at once. Or is a monster with imp grab normally allowed to do that if it takes the -20 penalty to be considered not grappling?

 

[Cleon]

I'll go along with all that.

To make this a little more interesting, I think we could justify doing a "multi-constrict," so it can grab and constrict several victims at once. Or is a monster with imp grab normally allowed to do that if it takes the -20 penalty to be considered not grappling?

I'd be fine with that, do you want to use the same three Medium-size victim limit? How does it change if the serpent gets bigger or littler?

The RAW are pretty weird about grappling multiple opponents. You can attempt to secure a hold on a single opponent per attack you can make, but there's no set limit as to how many opponents you can hold simultaneously.

You must move into an opponent's space to maintain a grapple, so I suppose the limit is however many opponent's will fit into the grappler's space - our Teak Serpent is Huge, so that would be nine Small or Medium opponents.

Regardless, a standard Constrict attack affects a single target, since the RAW say "an opponent" per grapple check.

 

[freyar]

You know, this is one case where I don't mind spelling things out to avoid confusion. Why don't we say it can grapple and constrict up to 1 victim per 3 squares of its space?

 

[Cleon]

You know, this is one case where I don't mind spelling things out to avoid confusion. Why don't we say it can grapple and constrict up to 1 victim per 3 squares of its space?

Seems a bit odd, what about with bigger or smaller victims?

A simple 1 victim per 3 squares means it could multi-constrict 3 victims up to Gargantuan size (its max grapple limit), it needs an additional criteria.

I suppose we could make it victims who occupy a total space up to one third the serpent's space, but that would mean it can grapple 4 Tiny opponents instead of a Medium foe.

How about it can multi-constrict multiple victims if they're up to 2 sizes smaller than itself, but can not constrict more victims simultaneously than its Dexterity bonus (minimum 1).

So, three Medium for an average +3 Dex bonus Teak Constrictor.

 

[freyar]

Hmm, so normal imp grab on up to 1 size smaller, multi-grab/constrict up to 2 sizes smaller? That works out nicely. Let's see how it looks:

Multiconstrict (Ex): A teak serpent can hold and constrict several victims simultaneously as long as all are no larger than 2 size categories smaller than the serpent, even though it has only one natural attack. The teak serpent can constrict one opponent per point of Dexterity bonus (minimum 1). In order to grapple an opponent, the teak serpent must not be considered to be grappled.

By the way, here's about multiple grapples. Interesting.

 

[Cleon]

Hmm, so normal imp grab on up to 1 size smaller, multi-grab/constrict up to 2 sizes smaller? That works out nicely. Let's see how it looks:

Multiconstrict (Ex): A teak serpent can hold and constrict several victims simultaneously as long as all are no larger than 2 size categories smaller than the serpent, even though it has only one natural attack. The teak serpent can constrict one opponent per point of Dexterity bonus (minimum 1). In order to grapple an opponent, the teak serpent must not be considered to be grappled.

By the way, here's about multiple grapples. Interesting.

Needs work. For a start, the wording doesn't seem very clear.

How about something like the "Master Grappler" ability some Grell have that allow them to reduce the "stay in a grapple and do something else" penalty from -20 to -10.

I'll have to look that one up.

 

[freyar]

Revising (don't have my grells with me, but making a guess at master grappler)...

Multiconstrict (Ex): A teak serpent can hold and constrict several victims simultaneously. The teak serpent may constrict up to one opponent per point of the serpent's Dexterity bonus (minimum 1) as long as none is larger than two size categories smaller than the serpent.

Master Grappler (Ex): If a teak serpent chooses to hold an opponent, it takes a -10 penalty to grapple checks but is not considered to be grappled (in contrast to the normal -20 penalty).

 

[Cleon]

Revising (don't have my grells with me, but making a guess at master grappler)...

Multiconstrict (Ex): A teak serpent can hold and constrict several victims simultaneously. The teak serpent may constrict up to one opponent per point of the serpent's Dexterity bonus (minimum 1) as long as none is larger than two size categories smaller than the serpent.

That wording stills seems a bit unclear. How about:

Multiconstrict 2 (Ex): A teak serpent can constrict several opponents simultaneously as a standard action. The teak serpent may constrict as many opponents as its Dexterity bonus (minimum 1), as long as none are larger than two size categories smaller than the serpent.

Master Grappler (Ex): If a teak serpent chooses to hold an opponent, it takes a -10 penalty to grapple checks but is not considered to be grappled (in contrast to the normal -20 penalty).

Hold on, I'll try to find it.

Ah, here we are:

Expert Grappler (Ex) A grell that chooses to grapple with one tentacle and remain ungrappled itself takes only a –10 penalty on its grapple checks instead of the normal –20 penalty.

Which would become something like:

Expert Grappler 2 (Ex) A teak serpent that chooses to grapple opponents and remain ungrappled itself takes only a –10 penalty on its grapple checks instead of the normal –20 penalty.

Speaking of grapple checks, does the Teak Serpent roll separate grapple checks for each multiconstricted opponent, or just a single grapple check?

You know, upon reflection we don't really need a separate "Expert Grappler" SA, we can just fold it into Multiconstrict:

Multiconstrict 3 (Ex): A teak serpent can constrict several opponents simultaneously as a standard action. The teak serpent may constrict as many opponents as its Dexterity bonus (minimum 1), as long as none are larger than two size categories smaller than the serpent. The serpent rolls seperate grapple checks against each constricted opponent, with a -10 penalty on its grapple checks instead of the normal –20 penalty.

Will that do?

 

[freyar]

Almost!

Take 4:
Multiconstrict (Ex): A teak serpent can constrict several opponents simultaneously as a standard action. The teak serpent may constrict as many opponents as its Dexterity bonus (minimum 1), as long as none are larger than two size categories smaller than the serpent. The serpent rolls seperate grapple checks against each constricted opponent. If it chooses to remain ungrappled itself, the serpent takes a -10 penalty on its grapple checks instead of the normal –20 penalty.