Large Monstrous Humanoid
Hit Dice: 9d8+27 (67HP)
Initiative: +6
Speed: 30’ (6 squares), Climb 20’ (4 squares), Burrow 20’ (4 squares, sand only)
Armor Class: 24 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +12 natural, +1 masterwork light shield); touch 11; flat-footed 22
Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+16
Attack: Masterwork Spear +12 melee (2d6+3/×3, 20’ range increment)
Full Attack: Masterwork Spear +12 melee (2d6+3/×3, 20’ range increment) & Bite +7 melee (2d6+1 plus Poison)
Space/Reach: 10’/10’
Special Attacks: Aversion, Constrict 1d6+4, Improved Grab, Poison, Produce Acid, Spell-Like Abilities
Special Qualities: Alternate Form, Chameleon Power, Darkvision 60’, Detect Poison, Monstrous Humanoid traits, Scent, Spell Resistance 18
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +8, Will +11
Abilities: Str 17 (+3), Dex 15 (+2), Con 17 (+3), Int 18 (+4), Wis 20 (+5), Cha 20 (+5)
Skills: Bluff +17, Disguise +17, Hide +14, Listen +19, Sense Motive +17, Spot +19
Feats: Alertness (Bonus), Blind-Fight (Bonus), Combat Expertise, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Mobility
Environment: warm deserts (Siraaj)
Organization: solitary, pair, gang (3-6), nest (3-12 Lessers, 2-6 Greaters, & 2-4 Elders) or tribe (25-150 Lessers, 10-90 Greaters, & 10-40 Elders)
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: standard
Alignment: usually Neutral Evil
Advancement: by character class
Level Adjustment: +5
Combat
The undisputed leaders of the she-da-zhong, the elders are eager to display their superiority & dominance. In groups, they will order any purebloods under their command to attack first, & then any present halfbloods. They will freely use their magical powers against opponents, favoring
contagion &
bestow curse to more personal attacks, such as
slay living &
shocking grasp. If necessary, they will enter melee, constricting & biting every creature within reach in a violent frenzy.
Aversion (Sp): An elder asp can magically create a compulsion effect targeting one creature within 30’. The target must succeed a Will save (DC23) or gain an aversion to serpents for 10 minutes. Affected creatures must stay at least 20’ away from any snake or she-da-zhong, alive or dead; if already within 20’, they are compelled to move away. A subject unable to move away, or one attacked by serpents, is overcome with revulsion, which reduces their Dexterity score by 4 points until the effect wears off or the subjects is no longer within 20’. This ability is otherwise similar to an
antipathy spell (caster level 16th). The save DC is Charisma-based.
Constrict (Ex): An elder asp deals 1d6+4 points of damage with a successful grapple check.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, an elder asp must hit a Large or smaller creature with its Bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, then it establishes a hold & can Constrict.
Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude save (DC17), initial damage 1d6 Dexterity, secondary damage 1d6 Constitution; the save DC is Constitution-based.
Produce Acid (Sp): An elder asp has the magical power to exude acid from its body, dealing 3d6 points of acid damage to the next creature that it touches, including a creature that is hit by its bite attack. If the she-da-zhong is grappling or pinning a foe when it uses this power, then its grasp deals 5d6 points of acid damage. The acid becomes inert when it leaves the she-da-zhong’s body, & the she-da-zhong are immune to its effects.
Spell-Like Abilities
- At-will: blindness/deafness (DC17), shocking grasp
- 3/Day: contagion (DC18), hold person (DC18), solid fog
- 1/Day: bestow curse (DC19), slay living (DC20)
- Caster level 10th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
Alternate Form (Sp): An elder asp can assume the form of a Tiny-Large size asp (see the Snake entry of the
Monster Manual, page 280) as a spell-like ability. The she-da-zhong loses its natural weapons (if any) & gains the natural weapon of the asp form that it assumes. If the she-da-zhong has a venomous bite of its own, then it uses its own or the asp’s venom, whichever is more potent.
Chameleon Power (Sp): An elder asp can magically change the coloration of itself & its equipment to match its surroundings, granting it a +10 circumstance bonus on Hide checks.
Detect Poison (Sp): An elder asp can use
detect poison (as the spell; caster level 6th) as a spell-like ability.
Monstrous Humanoid traits: All creatures with the Monstrous Humanoid type possess the following traits:
- Darkvision out to 60’.
- Proficient with all simple weapons.
- Monstrous humanoids not indicated as wearing armor are not proficient with armor or shields.
- Monstrous humanoids eat, sleep, & breathe.
Scent (Ex): An elder asp can detect opponents by sense of smell within 30’ (×2 for upwind opponents, ×½ for downwind opponents).
Skills: An elder asp can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened.
She-Da-Zhong Lore
Characters that have ranks in Knowledge (Nature) can learn more about she-da-zhong. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DC’s.
- DC13: “Hailing from the Western Continent, a race of snake-worshippers have come to Admaja with an unknown agenda.” A character making this check recalls all monstrous humanoid traits.
- DC18: “These serpent-folk are the she-da-zhong; they can transform into snakes, & lie to you in both shapes.” A character making this check knows the workings of the Alternate Form & Detect Poison qualities.
- DC23: “They seek to corrupt & dominate all within their venomous grasp, & they have many magical powers at their disposal to do as such.” A character making this check remembers a she-da-zhong’s spell-like abilities, as well as any other special attacks & qualities.
- DC28: “They worship Martuakh, a sinister god that demands gory sacrifice, so their idols of the Serpent Lord are often covered in blood.” A character making this check is familiar with the she-da-zhong’s culture, society, & habits. This also grants the character basic knowledge about Martuakh.
- DC33: “The she-da-zhong of the Asp faction are in a kind of civil war with the she-da-zhong of the Cobra faction, separated by their differing religious & cultural tenets.” A character making this check knows the history of the she-da-zhong, & the reason for the separation between the Asps & the Cobras.
Abilities & Racial Features
Elder asp characters possess the following racial traits:
- Strength +6, Dexterity +2, Constitution +4, Intelligence +4, Wisdom +10, Charisma +12.
- Monstrous Humanoid: An elder asp is not subject to spells or effects that affect humanoids only, such as charm person or dominate person. It is still subject to charm monster or dominate monster, however.
- Large Size: As a Large creature, an elder asp gains a -1 size penalty to Armor Class, a -1 size penalty on attack rolls, & a -4 size penalty on Hide checks, but he or she uses Medium-size weapons, gains a +4 size bonus on Grapple checks, & his or her lifting & carrying limits are 2× of those of a Medium character.
- Racial Hit Dice: An elder asp begins with 9 levels of humanoid, which provide 9d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +9, & base saving throw bonuses of Fortitude +3, Reflex +6, & Will +6.
- Racial Skills: An elder asp’s humanoid levels give it skill points equal to 12 × (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1). Its class skills are Bluff, Disguise, Hide, Listen, Sense Motive, & Spot. Also, an elder asp can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened.
- Racial Feats: An elder asp’s humanoid levels give it 3 feats. Also, an elder asp has Alertness & Blind-Fight as bonus feats.
- An elder asp’s base land speed is 30 feet.
- An elder asp’s base climb speed is 20 feet.
- An elder asp’s base burrow speed is 20 feet, but it only works when travelling through sand.
- Darkvision out to 60 feet.
- Natural Weapon (Ex): Bite (2d6 + Str plus Poison); piercing damage.
- Aversion (Sp): An elder asp can magically create a compulsion effect targeting one creature within 30’. The target must succeed a Will save (DC23) or gain an aversion to serpents for 10 minutes. Affected creatures must stay at least 20’ away from any snake or she-da-zhong, alive or dead; if already within 20’, they are compelled to move away. A subject unable to move away, or one attacked by serpents, is overcome with revulsion, which reduces their Dexterity score by 4 points until the effect wears off or the subjects is no longer within 20’. This ability is otherwise similar to an antipathy spell (caster level 16th). The save DC is Charisma-based.
- Constrict (Ex): An elder asp deals 1d6+4 points of damage with a successful grapple check.
- Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, an elder asp must hit a Large or smaller creature with its Bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, then it establishes a hold & can Constrict.
- Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude save (DC17), initial damage 1d6 Dexterity, secondary damage 1d6 Constitution; the save DC is Constitution-based.
- Produce Acid (Sp): An elder asp has the magical power to exude acid from its body, dealing 3d6 points of acid damage to the next creature that it touches, including a creature that is hit by its bite attack. If the she-da-zhong is grappling or pinning a foe when it uses this power, then its grasp deals 5d6 points of acid damage. The acid becomes inert when it leaves the she-da-zhong’s body, & the she-da-zhong are immune to its effects.
- Spell-Like Abilities
- At-will: blindness/deafness (DC17), shocking grasp
- 3/Day: contagion (DC18), hold person (DC18), solid fog
- 1/Day: bestow curse (DC19), slay living (DC20)
- Caster level 10th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
- Alternate Form (Sp): An elder asp can assume the form of a Tiny-Large size asp (see the Snake entry of the Monster Manual, page 280) as a spell-like ability. The she-da-zhong loses its natural weapons (if any) & gains the natural weapon of the asp form that it assumes. If the she-da-zhong has a venomous bite of its own, then it uses its own or the asp’s venom, whichever is more potent.
- Chameleon Power (Sp): An elder asp can magically change the coloration of itself & its equipment to match its surroundings, granting it a +10 circumstance bonus on Hide checks.
- Detect Poison (Sp): An elder asp can use detect poison (as the spell; caster level 6th) as a spell-like ability.
- Scent (Ex): An elder asp can detect opponents by sense of smell within 30’ (×2 for upwind opponents, ×½ for downwind opponents).
- +12 natural armor bonus.
- Spell Resistance 18.
- Automatic Languages: Azbai-She (Asp She-da-zhong). Bonus Languages: Alhaggi, Common, & Draconic.
- Favored Class: Cleric.
- Level Adjustment: +5.
Re: [Hourglass of Zihaja] Chapter 9: Creatures
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