Shade
Monster Junkie
Well shiver me quivers!
So, we just need flavor text and weight?
-
The VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
Converting "Real World" Animals and Vermin
- Thread starter Shade
- Start date
Well shiver me quivers!
So, we just need flavor text and weight?
Cleon
Legend
Yup.
Arguably we don't need the weight, since the SRD Snakes don't have it.
Anyhow, a typical King Cobra is about 3 to 4 metres long and weighs ~6 kilos (or 10-13 feet and ~13 pounds). The largest King Cobras grow up to 18 feet, but rarely exceed 45 pounds in weight. Here's a King Cobra the text says is 12 foot 3 inches long and weighs 16 kilograms. However, I suspect it might be 16 pounds, since (a) the length is in UK/US measurements and (b).
So, if we assume 12 feet and 15 pounds for biggish King Cobra, then an 18 foot Giant Cobra would weigh 50 pounds if it has the same proportions.
A 12'3", 16 kg cobra would weigh 111 lbs if scaled up to 18 feet.
Hmm, both of those weights seem mighty low for a Large animal.
Still, king cobras are slim snakes. If it had a thick body like a diamondback rattlesnake it would weigh somewhere around 400 pounds when upscaled to 18 feet long.
Alternatively, we could increase the average length to 24 feet for an average Giant Cobra. That's a better match to the lengths of a standard snake/worm shaped creature (e.g. Purple Worm is 80 ft. & Gargantuan => 20 ft. & Large).
I think I prefer the "make it longer" solution. How about:
Giant cobras are usually between 12 and 30 feet long, but they can grow considerable bigger than that. A typical specimen is 24 feet from nose to tail and weighs 500 pounds.
Cleon
Legend
How's this then:
An enormous cobra, as long and heavy as a large python.
A giant cobra is a larger, slightly magical version of an ordinary cobra that is able to mesmerize animals by performing a swaying, hypnotic "dance". A giant cobra only hunts during the day, it will normally try to flee if encountered at night. They prefer warm-blooded prey up to the size of a gnome or roe deer, and have no compunctions against eating humanoids.
A giant cobra is intelligent enough to be trained by someone willing to brave its deadly venom. Snake-charmers, serpent cults and assassins occasionally keep these snakes. Giant cobras are most commonly trained as guards, sacred animals, or to milk them of their venom. Even "tame" giant cobras always remain dangerous and should be handled carefully.
Giant cobras lair in burrows they steal from other animals. They mate once a year, then the female builds a nest and guards her clutch off eggs until they hatch. A single female usually lays between a dozen and a score of eggs. Giant cobra eggs are prized as delicacies by some wild elves and jungle giants, and are also sought after by people wanting to hatch the young snakes and raise them.
Giant cobras are usually between 12 and 30 feet long, but they can grow considerably bigger than that. A typical specimen is 24 feet from nose to tail and weighs 500 pounds.
COMBAT
Giant cobras try to use their poison bite as often as they can. They often retreat into undergrowth or a burrow to give their poison time to work, then return to eat any victims who fall to their venom.
A giant cobra can swallow a creature up to two size categories smaller than itself, but this is a slow process requiring at least a minute of time and a non-resisting meal, not an action it can perform in combat.
Last edited:
Cleon
Legend
Cleon
Legend
Cleon
Legend
It wouldn't hurt.
