Snake/Serpant themed character 5e

[Pandreas]

Hello everyone,

i am building a snake themed character (Yuan ti) with focus on poison spells, snakes as familiar and summons, as well as seduction and manipulation.

What build ideas come to your mind when reading this description, i am curious :D

[Mastikator]

Druid. Wildshape into snakes, summon snakes with spells. Snakes for days.

[GooeyChewie]

Druid. Wildshape into snakes, summon snakes with spells. Snakes for days.

This, plus be a Yuan-Ti if your DM will allow it, or a Green Dragonborn if they don't.

[Millstone85]

Druid. Wildshape into snakes, summon snakes with spells. Snakes for days.With the Wild Companion feature from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything in order to summon a familiar specifically.

[da newt]

Warlock w/ a maralith patron and a Imp adjacent familiar w/ a snake head and scales who bites rather than tail pokes, and whose EB are spectral snake missiles etc ...

You can snake up most anything.

[Xihirli]

Druid Yuan-Ti with Ritual Caster (Wizard) to get a snake familiar.

[J-H]

Get your DM to allow it, and splice together a few different features to make a Cleric of Talona, the goddess of poison and disease, as well as curing same.

[Trask]

If only Sticks to Snakes was still around...

[QuickLyRaiNbow]

Seduction and manipulation, plus the yuan-ti synergy, says Lore Bard to me, using your level 6 magical secrets pick to get conjure animals for bonus snake. You could use the other pick for find familiar, or get it some other way, potentially with a warlock dip.

[SouthpawSoldier]

If third party content is allowed;

Tome of Heroes by Kobold Press has a snake-themed Ranger that gets access to a bunch of enchantment spells, (Charm Person, etc), along with a ton of other features. There's also a Serpent Domain for Clerics in that book.


Serpent Domain: https://www.5esrd.com/database/classoption/serpent-domain/

Snake Speaker (Ranger): https://www.5esrd.com/database/classoption/snake-speaker/

[tieren]

For a high charisma character I would look at Sorcerer Draconic Bloodline (green). I once had a Yuan-ti character that was a spy and tried to hide the fact she was a Yuan-ti by claiming she was a draconic bloodline sorcerer to explain some of her serpentine features (shimmering scales, or slitted eyes, etc...)

[Psyren]

What build ideas come to your mind when reading this description, i am curious :D

The Poisoner feat from Tasha's applies to both normal poison and spells, so I would definitely aim for that.


If only Sticks to Snakes was still around...

Refluff Conjure Animals?

[nickl_2000]

Spore Druid seems like it would be a good fit for this theming. You would need to do a little re-fluffing for the main ability, but you can get poison damage easily, you can summon snakes, and you can turn into a snake.

[J-H]

Get your DM to allow it, and splice together a few different features to make a Cleric of Talona, the goddess of poison and disease, as well as curing same.

I found some notes I had on a poison cleric (Talona, Yurtrus)


Domain 1 Ray of Sickness
Domain 1 Purify Food & Drink
Domain 2 Ray of Enfeeblement
Domain 2 Protection from Poison
Domain 3 Bestow Curse
Domain 3 Stinking Cloud
Domain 4 Blight
Domain 4 Aura of Purity
Domain 5 Cloudkill
Domain 5 Contagion

Unique Channel Divinity: Subtle casting of a spell that inflicts poison or disease.
Use this to poison or sicken people with a touch in social situations.

1st level feature (cantrip/proficiency + minor boon): learn the Poison Spray cantrip, Detect Poison & Disease at will.

6th level feature (sometimes modified CD): Bypass poison resistance; reduce immunity to resistance
Alternate CD: Bonus action, cause enemy to have Disadvantage on its next Con save.

8th level feature (usually +damage to cantrip or weapon damage): As a bonus action, create poison on a weapon within 5', causing it to deal +1d6 poison damage on the next hit. At 14th level, this upgrades to 2d6.
Slightly weaker than the +1d8/+2d8 of a Trickery cleric, but you can use it to buff allies, so it deserves to be slightly weaker

17th level feature: As an action, spread poison or disease from a single creature or object carrying it to all chosen creatures or weapons within 30'. Alternatively, remove it. 1/LR.
That dose of purple worm poison? It just became a grenade to your enemies, and just got applied to all of your allies' weapons.


The kit doesn't include Con saves or poison resistances because too many species already have it. The cleric can handle self-protection with domain spells.

[Witty Username]

Yuan-ti enchanter wizard, use some illusions like phantasmal force for snakes.

[BlueHydra]

You could be a swarm keeper ranger and the swarm could be your medusa like hair or naga or hydra like multiple snake heads.

[Ogre Mage]

A yuan-ti bard snake charmer.

[Bobthewizard]

Yuan-ti shepherd druid. Use conjure animals for flying snakes, giant poisonous snakes, constrictor snakes and giant constrictor snakes.

Get a Staff of the Python and a Staff of the Adder.

[PallyBass]

Yuan-ti enchanter wizard, use some illusions like phantasmal force for snakes.

Enchanter wizards hypnotic gaze let's you RP as Kaa from the jungle book :)