Page 92 - Serpent Kingdoms

MONSTERS

1/day—baleful polymorph (DC 19; into snake form only), di- Detect Poison (Sp): A holy guardian can use detect poison as
mensional anchor (DC 15), dimension door (self and equipment the spell (caster level 6th) at will.
only), protection from spells. Caster level 14th. The save DCs are Skills: A mageslayer receives a +8 racial bonus on Climb
Charisma-based. checks and can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even
Spells: A yuan-ti mageslayer casts arcane spells as an 8th- if rushed or threatened.
level sorcerer, but its effective caster level is 14th. It may not A mageslayer has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to
take any spellcasting prestige class. perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always
Typical Sorcerer Spells Known (6/7/7/6/3; save DC 13 + spell choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endan-
level): 0—acid splash, arcane mark, dancing lights, detect magic, gered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it
mage hand, message, open/close, read magic; 1st—alarm, burn- swims in a straight line.
ing hands, disguise self, mage armor, unseen servant; 2nd—bull’s
strength, cat’s grace, invisibility; 3rd—dispel magic, fi reball; In the Realms
4th—scrying.
Venomous Tentacles (Sp): Once per day, a mageslayer can Yuan-ti mageslayers are the “strike leaders” of the Coiled Cabal.
produce an effect that functions like the Evard’s black tentacles Thanks to the wide variety of cabal missions and interests, they
spell, except that the tentacles also deliver poison (contact, For- may be found anywhere in Faerûn. They always
titude DC 21, initial and secondary damage 1d6 Con) during receive the best of intelligence from other
each round of grappling. This ability is the equivalent of yuan-ti about the laws, politics, and
an 8th-level spell. current events of any area they venture
Alternate Form (Sp): A mageslayer can assume the into, and they behave accordingly.
form of a Tiny to Large viper (see the Snake entry Mageslayers often “hide” when
on page 280 of the Monster Manual) wearing plate armor or extensive ban-
they must go among humans by
Illustration by Jeremy Jarvis (caster level 19th), but the mag- Many pretend to be mortally wounded
as a psionic ability. This ability
is similar to a polymorph spell
dages that leave their heads exposed.
heroes kept alive magically so that
eslayer doesn’t regain any lost
hit points by changing form and
they can ride home to die.
can assume only viper shapes.
Mageslayers are often sent to
The mageslayer loses its con-
who are harming or threatening
strict ability in viper form but
vrael olo or their intrigues and
uses its own poison for its bite deal with humanoid spellcasters
attack. businesses. At least one mageslayer
Chameleon Power (Sp): is always present at any open battle
A mageslayer can psionically between humans and yuan-ti in which
change the coloration of itself the scaly side has had time to prepare
and its equipment to match its its forces.
surroundings, gaining a +10 cir-
cumstance bonus on Hide checks.
Mageslayers can control this
power far more precisely than
other yuan-ti, and they often use Yuan-ti mageslayer
it to make a “badge” appear on their scales when
participating in complex battles or missions, or to shift the hues
of their scales so as to give mute signals (agreed-upon beforehand
with their fellows), such as “Enemy near,” or “I sense magic.”

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