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<blockquote data-quote="Dr Simon" data-source="post: 8636078" data-attributes="member: 21938"><p>How odd, I could have sworn that I posted the Death Snake last week.</p><p></p><p>In which case, here it is (again). As monsters go, it's pretty straightforward, just a kind of undead giant snake that causes necrotic energy drain damage instead of poison. But there aren't many options in Issue 4, and I think this one has some good utility.</p><p></p><p><strong>Issue 4: Death Snake</strong></p><p></p><p>White Dwarf 3 again has no monster statistics, and the first true “new monsters” column can be found in WD4, an article title “<em>Monsters Mild and Malign</em>” edited by that master of the prolix, Don Turnbull.</p><p></p><p>To begin his column, Don trawls through other magazines such as Paul Jaquays’ <em>Dungeoneer</em>, and White Dwarf’s predecessor <em>Owl and Weasel</em>, and picks out a few of his favourite creatures. Most of these don’t have any stats at all apart from the “Black Monk”, which is kind of like a shadowdancer in terms of its abilities, and the Death Snake, which thankfully is pretty good and is the one that I chose.</p><p></p><p>There isn’t a lot to go on, but there’s enough.</p><p></p><p>“<em>The Death Snake, which looks like a normal Giant Snake in mourning. It has 4d8+1 [Hit Dice] (one pip more than the Giant Snake), AC 7 and moves 50’ per turn. It can be turned away as a Wraith. It has no poison but, like the Giant Snake, attacks in two ways each round – a bite (1-6 plus drain level) and a constriction (2-8 plus drain level). This makes is Monstermark 89.8 – not quite as high as the giant snake because of the poorer armour, but an interesting and surprising beast to meet all the same</em>.”</p><p></p><p>There are a few interesting little nuggets of early D&D style in there – the reference to “turned away” undead implies that the ability is still a little in flux as to nomenclature, and the overall looseness of all of the definitions. The “Monstermark” system was designed by Don Turnbull and features over the first three issues of White Dwarf – essentially a way of deriving a challenge rating (which was not yet a thing) to one or two decimal places. Interesting here that the weaker defensive ability of the Death Snake compared to the Giant Snake is weighted more than two level-draining attacks which, less we forget, would have been permanent and required the hapless adventurer to start accumulating XP all over again.</p><p></p><p>The most obvious thing to do here is to take a giant snake, and turn it into an undead. The original Death Snake is 4HD with “one pip more than the regular giant snake”. However, the 5th Ed giant constrictor snake is 8HD; even the 1st Edition Monster Manual giant constrictor snake is 6HD. First Edition giant snake is Large, 5th Edition is Huge.</p><p></p><p>I think the easiest option is just to take a straight 5th Edition giant constrictor snake and start from there. I’ll bump the Constitution up a couple of points to mimic the “one pip more” effect.</p><p></p><p>I basically used the Wight as a source for the resistances, and also used the 5th Edition equivalent of level drain, which is a reduction in hit point maximum. I removed this effect from the constriction and gave it only to the bite attack (as if it replaced poison), but the snake does get advantage against grappled opponents when biting them. This could be added back easily enough, it just seemed like overkill to me.</p><p></p><p>One could bump up the number of hit dice for a tougher snake, and I pondered giving it immunity to necrotic energy. However, not all undead have that, so I left it.</p><p></p><p><strong>Death Snake</strong></p><p><em>Huge undead, neutral evil</em></p><p><strong>Armor Class</strong> 12</p><p><strong>Hit Points </strong>64 (8d12 + 16)</p><p><strong>Speed</strong> 20 ft., climb 20 ft.</p><p></p><table style='width: 100%'><tr><td><p style="text-align: center"><strong>STR</strong></p> </td><td><p style="text-align: center"><strong>DEX</strong></p> </td><td><p style="text-align: center"><strong>CON</strong></p> </td><td><p style="text-align: center"><strong>INT</strong></p> </td><td><p style="text-align: center"><strong>WIS</strong></p> </td><td><p style="text-align: center"><strong>CHA</strong></p> </td></tr><tr><td><p style="text-align: center">19 (+4)</p> </td><td><p style="text-align: center">14 (+2)</p> </td><td><p style="text-align: center">14 (+2)</p> </td><td><p style="text-align: center">1 (-5)</p> </td><td><p style="text-align: center">10 (+0)</p> </td><td><p style="text-align: center">3 (–4)</p> </td></tr></table><p></p><p><strong>Skills</strong> Perception +2</p><p><strong>Saving Throws</strong> Wis +2</p><p><strong>Damage Immunities</strong> poison</p><p><strong>Condition Immunities</strong> exhaustion, poisoned</p><p><strong>Senses</strong> blindsight 10 ft., passive Perception 12</p><p><strong>Languages</strong> –</p><p><strong>Challenge</strong> 4 (1,100 XP) <strong>Proficiency Bonus</strong> +2</p><p></p><p><strong>Undead Fortitude</strong>: If damage reduces the snake to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, the snake drops to 1 hit point instead.</p><p></p><p>Actions</p><p></p><p><strong><em>Multiattack.</em></strong> The death snake makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its constrict.</p><p></p><p><strong><em>Bite.</em></strong><em> Melee Weapon Attack</em>: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. <em>Hit</em>: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage, plus 9 (2d8) necrotic damage. The target must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken. This reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.</p><p></p><p><strong><em>Constrict.</em></strong><em> Melee Weapon Attack</em>: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. <em>Hit</em>: 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 16). Until the grapple ends, the target is restrained and the snake can’t constrict another target. The snake can bite at advantage on a grappled creature.</p><p></p><p><strong>Description</strong></p><p>The Death Snake looks like a giant snake in mourning.</p><p></p><p> <strong><em>Subsection.</em></strong> ???.</p><p> ???.</p><p> <strong><em>Subsection.</em></strong> ???.</p><p> ???.</p><p></p><p>(Originally creator unkown; appeared in <em>White Dwarf Magazine #4</em> (Dec/Jan 1977) as part of "Monsters Mild and Malign", edited by Don Turnbull.)</p><p></p><p><strong> Edit:</strong> Forgot to add the link to the blog post for pictures and more on the other creatures in the issue.</p><p>[URL unfurl="true"]https://drsimonreads.blogspot.com/2022/01/fiend-factory-5e-issue-4-death-snake.html[/URL]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Dr Simon, post: 8636078, member: 21938"] How odd, I could have sworn that I posted the Death Snake last week. In which case, here it is (again). As monsters go, it's pretty straightforward, just a kind of undead giant snake that causes necrotic energy drain damage instead of poison. But there aren't many options in Issue 4, and I think this one has some good utility. [B]Issue 4: Death Snake[/B] White Dwarf 3 again has no monster statistics, and the first true “new monsters” column can be found in WD4, an article title “[I]Monsters Mild and Malign[/I]” edited by that master of the prolix, Don Turnbull. To begin his column, Don trawls through other magazines such as Paul Jaquays’ [I]Dungeoneer[/I], and White Dwarf’s predecessor [I]Owl and Weasel[/I], and picks out a few of his favourite creatures. Most of these don’t have any stats at all apart from the “Black Monk”, which is kind of like a shadowdancer in terms of its abilities, and the Death Snake, which thankfully is pretty good and is the one that I chose. There isn’t a lot to go on, but there’s enough. “[I]The Death Snake, which looks like a normal Giant Snake in mourning. It has 4d8+1 [Hit Dice] (one pip more than the Giant Snake), AC 7 and moves 50’ per turn. It can be turned away as a Wraith. It has no poison but, like the Giant Snake, attacks in two ways each round – a bite (1-6 plus drain level) and a constriction (2-8 plus drain level). This makes is Monstermark 89.8 – not quite as high as the giant snake because of the poorer armour, but an interesting and surprising beast to meet all the same[/I].” There are a few interesting little nuggets of early D&D style in there – the reference to “turned away” undead implies that the ability is still a little in flux as to nomenclature, and the overall looseness of all of the definitions. The “Monstermark” system was designed by Don Turnbull and features over the first three issues of White Dwarf – essentially a way of deriving a challenge rating (which was not yet a thing) to one or two decimal places. Interesting here that the weaker defensive ability of the Death Snake compared to the Giant Snake is weighted more than two level-draining attacks which, less we forget, would have been permanent and required the hapless adventurer to start accumulating XP all over again. The most obvious thing to do here is to take a giant snake, and turn it into an undead. The original Death Snake is 4HD with “one pip more than the regular giant snake”. However, the 5th Ed giant constrictor snake is 8HD; even the 1st Edition Monster Manual giant constrictor snake is 6HD. First Edition giant snake is Large, 5th Edition is Huge. I think the easiest option is just to take a straight 5th Edition giant constrictor snake and start from there. I’ll bump the Constitution up a couple of points to mimic the “one pip more” effect. I basically used the Wight as a source for the resistances, and also used the 5th Edition equivalent of level drain, which is a reduction in hit point maximum. I removed this effect from the constriction and gave it only to the bite attack (as if it replaced poison), but the snake does get advantage against grappled opponents when biting them. This could be added back easily enough, it just seemed like overkill to me. One could bump up the number of hit dice for a tougher snake, and I pondered giving it immunity to necrotic energy. However, not all undead have that, so I left it. [B]Death Snake[/B] [I]Huge undead, neutral evil[/I] [B]Armor Class[/B] 12 [B]Hit Points [/B]64 (8d12 + 16) [B]Speed[/B] 20 ft., climb 20 ft. [TABLE] [TR] [TD][CENTER][B]STR[/B][/CENTER][/TD] [TD][CENTER][B]DEX[/B][/CENTER][/TD] [TD][CENTER][B]CON[/B][/CENTER][/TD] [TD][CENTER][B]INT[/B][/CENTER][/TD] [TD][CENTER][B]WIS[/B][/CENTER][/TD] [TD][CENTER][B]CHA[/B][/CENTER][/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD][CENTER]19 (+4)[/CENTER][/TD] [TD][CENTER]14 (+2)[/CENTER][/TD] [TD][CENTER]14 (+2)[/CENTER][/TD] [TD][CENTER]1 (-5)[/CENTER][/TD] [TD][CENTER]10 (+0)[/CENTER][/TD] [TD][CENTER]3 (–4)[/CENTER][/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [B]Skills[/B] Perception +2 [B]Saving Throws[/B] Wis +2 [B]Damage Immunities[/B] poison [B]Condition Immunities[/B] exhaustion, poisoned [B]Senses[/B] blindsight 10 ft., passive Perception 12 [B]Languages[/B] – [B]Challenge[/B] 4 (1,100 XP) [B]Proficiency Bonus[/B] +2 [B]Undead Fortitude[/B]: If damage reduces the snake to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, the snake drops to 1 hit point instead. Actions [B][I]Multiattack.[/I][/B] The death snake makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its constrict. [B][I]Bite.[/I][/B][I] Melee Weapon Attack[/I]: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. [I]Hit[/I]: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage, plus 9 (2d8) necrotic damage. The target must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken. This reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0. [B][I]Constrict.[/I][/B][I] Melee Weapon Attack[/I]: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. [I]Hit[/I]: 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 16). Until the grapple ends, the target is restrained and the snake can’t constrict another target. The snake can bite at advantage on a grappled creature. [B]Description[/B] The Death Snake looks like a giant snake in mourning. [B][I]Subsection.[/I][/B] ???. ???. [B][I]Subsection.[/I][/B] ???. ???. (Originally creator unkown; appeared in [I]White Dwarf Magazine #4[/I] (Dec/Jan 1977) as part of "Monsters Mild and Malign", edited by Don Turnbull.) [B] Edit:[/B] Forgot to add the link to the blog post for pictures and more on the other creatures in the issue. [URL unfurl="true"]https://drsimonreads.blogspot.com/2022/01/fiend-factory-5e-issue-4-death-snake.html[/URL] [/QUOTE]
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