Need a monster that fits this...

[Selyss]

For my next setting, I'm looking for a massive serpent-like creature that lives in woods... kind of like the old "Craw Wurm" from Magic the Gathering. I couldn't remember any such thing off the top of my head, and browsing through my materials didn't help either.

CR should be around 10-14, doesn't need to be able to cast spells, but some special abilities would be neat. Also, I'm prefectly willing to grab and re-skin a different monster for this, but even then I'd still like to have a halfway appropriate starting point. (i.e. some sort of massive scaly thing living in forests)

Any suggestions/insipirations?

[Venger]

try a naga (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/naga.htm)

[VariSami]

How about a Giant Constrictor snake advanced to Gargantuan (17-33HD) and given some templates like Draconic and/or Mineral Warrior? The end result would be a really big, somewhat draconic serpent than can burrow but not fly.

[Thurbane]

Advanced Huge Viper or Constrictor with templates? Maybe Monster of Legend or something similar.

But yes, as Venger points out, Nagas are a solid option for this.

You can always add casting class levels that stack with their innate casting to pump up their CR.

Here's a bit of an expanded list: http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/lists/monsters&tablefilter=naga&tablesort=5

[badgerman]

Maybe Deathcoil (FR: SK p.63) only CR7 but as a platform....

[Uncle Pine]

What about a PurpleGreen Worm (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/purpleWorm.htm)? If you feel particularly evil, a two-headed Laernan Purple Worm is a CR 14 with swallow whole and an invulnerable body (a deadly combination), but the result would look like a Craw Wurm on steroids.

[Selyss]

Maybe Deathcoil (FR: SK p.63) only CR7 but as a platform....
Hmm, will have to look that up. *noted for later*


How about a Giant Constrictor snake advanced to Gargantuan (17-33HD) and given some templates like Draconic and/or Mineral Warrior?
*nods* Pumping up a Constrictor had been my first idea, but to be honest it didn't quite feel like the right thing. (Though I must admit the Mineral Warrior template takes it a lot closer to what I had in mind, as burrow would be sweet in the specific context)


try a naga (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/naga.htm)
Ah, interesting suggestion. So good in fact, that I immediately launched into tinkering with Nagas upon reading it. That is, until...


What about a PurpleGreen Worm (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/purpleWorm.htm)?
That... is glorious. I may have to deflate it a tiny bit (as it's fully possible that they come across several of them), but it makes for an excellent starting point. Very close to what I had in mind - since the more I think about it: I'm basically looking for a serpentine, burrowing, neutral beast/animal rather than something capapble of speech/spellcasting.

Thanks to all so far, great input there. :smallsmile:

[Elandris Kajar]

Maybe you could homebrew a lesser version of the Fiendworm. A forest version that spits other large snakes instead of demons would be memorable, and it can have whatever other abilities you deem interesting. It might be hard, but I'm sure others would be able to offer suggestions.

As an aside, I think that a Craw Wurm would be awesome to fight. They are very cool in the game, if not all that OP a card. Let this be your chance to make the monster stronger than the card.

[Venger]

Maybe you could homebrew a lesser version of the Fiendworm. A forest version that spits other large snakes instead of demons would be memorable, and it can have whatever other abilities you deem interesting. It might be hard, but I'm sure others would be able to offer suggestions.

As an aside, I think that a Craw Wurm would be awesome to fight. They are very cool in the game, if not all that OP a card. Let this be your chance to make the monster stronger than the card.
*fiendwurm

is craw wurm a pf monster? I've never heard of it before.

[Morof Stonehands]

Century Worm, Fiend Folio, CR 19 40 HD

Titanic or Monster of Legend (Both MM2) template also could be applied to a snake.

[nedz]

A Green Dragon — or is that too obvious ?

[jiriku]

Forest Landwyrm, Draconomicon p.170. It is CR 10, and you can advance or template it as needed.



is craw wurm a pf monster? I've never heard of it before.

If memory serves it is a 6/4 common green creature from the earliest editions of the Magic: the Gathering card game. Ah, that takes me back down memory lane, indeed it does.

[BioCharge]

Alternatively, you could take a Couatl from the standard monster manual and advance as needed. If you need something evil, you can give it the Corrupted template from Book of Vile Darkness. You could also throw in a Yuan-Ti Ignan (MM IV, p. 188), though you'll have to give it class levels to make the CR target. If you want an undead, a Boneyard (Libris Mortis p.89) is at the upper CR limit at CR 14; this is mostly due to an ability that does 2d4 damage to all Ability stats and if it successfully pins someone in a grapple, it is an instant kill. There's probably more, but these are the ones off the top of my head.

[Elandris Kajar]

If memory serves it is a 6/4 common green creature from the earliest editions of the Magic: the Gathering card game. Ah, that takes me back down memory lane, indeed it does.


That is exactly right, although I do believe they reprinted it in 7th edition core set or something.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a263/lemuelrocksalot/DRAC/Landwyrms.png

Desert, Hill, and Forest Landwyrms from the Draconomicon. Forest is large size, CR 10, advanced to 20 HD it's huge size, CR 13. There's a landwyrm for every even-numbered CR from 8 to 22.

[Scheming Wizard]

There is a monster in the Monster Manual 2 called a Bronze Serpent that is a construct and could be good for what you want. I always thought it would be neat to have the pcs come upon one in the jungle that was guarding something. It is either cr 10 or cr 12 I can't remember.