She-Da-Zhong, Cobra (Greater)

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3E Material
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Medium Monstrous Humanoid
Hit Dice: 7d8+14 (45HP)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 30’ (6 squares)
Armor Class: 19 (+4 natural, +3 masterwork studded leather, +2 masterwork heavy shield); touch 10; flat-footed 19
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+10
Attack: Masterwork Flail +11 melee (1d8+3) or Masterwork Shortbow +8 ranged (1d6+3/×3, 60’ range increment)
Full Attack: Masterwork Flail +11/+6/+1 melee (1d8+3) & Bite +5 melee (1d6+1 plus Poison) or Masterwork Shortbow +8/+3 ranged (1d6+3/×3, 60’ range increment)
Space/Reach: 5’/5’
Special Attacks: Poison, Cower, Spell-Like Abilities
Special Qualities: Alternate Form, Chameleon Power, Darkvision 60’, Detect Poison, Monstrous Humanoid traits, Scent, Spell Resistance 19
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +9
Abilities: Str 17 (+3), Dex 11 (+0), Con 15 (+2), Int 18 (+4), Wis 18 (+4), Cha 16 (+3)
Skills: Disguise +13, Intimidate +13, Craft or Knowledge (any) +14, Listen +16, Spellcraft +14, Spot +16
Feats: Alertness (Bonus), Combat Expertise, Dodge, Improved Initiative
Environment: warm deserts (Siraaj)
Organization: solitary, pair, gang (4-8), nest (3-12 Lessers, 2-5 Greaters, & 4-8 Elders) or tribe (25-150 Lessers, 10-80 Greaters, & 15-50 Elders)
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: standard
Alignment: usually Lawful Evil
Advancement: by character class
Level Adjustment: +3

Combat
Wickedly intelligent, greaters are more martially-oriented than their pure-blooded brethren. As such, they will more readily enter close-quarter melee, using their venomous bites & magical abilities to great advantage. They often employ obscuring mist & stinking cloud to control the battlefield, dispatching foes with sleep & vampiric touch.

Cower (Su): A greater cobra can daunt its enemies by unfurling its hood. Once per minute, as a move action, it can open its hood. All opponents within 20’ must make a Will save (DC16) or become shaken for 1d6+4 rounds. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude save (DC15), initial damage 1d6 Constitution, secondary damage 2d6 Constitution; the save DC is Constitution-based.

Spell-Like Abilities
  • 3/Day: obscuring mist, sleep (DC14), touch of idiocy
  • 1/Day: charm monster (DC17), stinking cloud (DC16), vampiric touch
  • Caster level 8th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

Alternate Form (Sp): A greater cobra can assume the form of a Tiny-Large size cobra (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 cobra form that it assumes. If the she-da-zhong has a venomous bite of its own, then it uses its own or the cobra’s venom, whichever is more potent.

Chameleon Power (Sp): A greater cobra 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): A greater cobra 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): A greater cobra can detect opponents by sense of smell within 30’ (×2 for upwind opponents, ×½ for downwind opponents).

Greater Cobra Variants
The statistics above reflect the most common form of a greater cobra, with the head & scaly skin of a serpent but otherwise human features. The curse of the she-da-zhong produces a wide variety of greaters, however, manifesting their serpentine nature in different ways. To generate a random she-da-zhong greater, roll d% & consult the following table:
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{table=head]d%|Variant
01-25|As described above
26-50|Human head, but arms are snakes (2 bite attacks instead of 1, 1d4+1 plus poison)
51-75|Snake tail in addition to human legs (speed 30’, can constrict Small or smaller creatures for 1d4+1 damage)
76-00|Snake tail instead of human legs (speed 20’, climb 15’, can constrict Medium or smaller creatures for 1d6+1 damage)[/table]

Constrict (Ex): A greater cobra with a snake tail deals extra damage (1d4+1 points if it also has legs, or 1d6+1 points if it does not) with a successful grapple check against a creature small enough for it to constrict.

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
Greater cobra characters possess the following racial traits:
  • Strength +4, Constitution +2, Intelligence +4, Wisdom +8, Charisma +8.
  • Monstrous Humanoid: A greater cobra 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.
  • Medium Size: As Medium creatures, greater cobras have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  • Racial Hit Dice: A greater cobra begins with 7 levels of humanoid, which provide 7d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +7, & base saving throw bonuses of Fortitude +2, Reflex +5, & Will +5.
  • Racial Skills: A greater cobra’s humanoid levels give it skill points equal to 10 × (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1). Its class skills are Disguise, Intimidate, Craft or Knowledge (any 1), Listen, Spellcraft, & Spot.
  • Racial Feats: A greater cobra’s humanoid levels give it 2 feats. Also, a greater cobra has Alertness as a bonus feat.
  • A greater cobra’s base land speed is 30 feet.
  • Darkvision out to 60 feet.
  • Natural Weapon (Ex): Bite (1d6 + Str plus Poison); piercing damage.
  • Cower (Su): A greater cobra can daunt its enemies by unfurling its hood. Once per minute, as a move action, it can open its hood. All opponents within 20’ must make a Will save (DC16) or become shaken for 1d6+4 rounds. The save DC is Charisma-based.
  • Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude save (DC15), initial damage 1d6 Constitution, secondary damage 2d6 Constitution; the save DC is Constitution-based.
  • Spell-Like Abilities
    • 3/Day: obscuring mist, sleep (DC14), touch of idiocy
    • 1/Day: charm monster (DC17), stinking cloud (DC16), vampiric touch
    • Caster level 8th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
  • Alternate Form (Sp): A greater cobra can assume the form of a Tiny-Large size cobra (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 cobra form that it assumes. If the she-da-zhong has a venomous bite of its own, then it uses its own or the cobra’s venom, whichever is more potent.
  • Chameleon Power (Sp): A greater cobra 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): A greater cobra can use detect poison (as the spell; caster level 6th) as a spell-like ability.
  • Scent (Ex): A greater cobra can detect opponents by sense of smell within 30’ (×2 for upwind opponents, ×½ for downwind opponents).
  • Greater Cobra Variants: As the same quality in the monster entry above.
  • +4 natural armor bonus.
  • Spell Resistance 19.
  • Automatic Languages: Najai-She (Cobra She-da-zhong). Bonus Languages: Alhaggi, Common, & Draconic.
  • Favored Class: Wizard.
  • Level Adjustment: +3.

4E Material
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Please see Yuan-ti in the Monster Manual 1, pages 269-273.


This creature has the body of a smooth-skinned human with sharp features & slim hips. Its sallow skin is covered with lustrous scales, & its lithe frame is topped with an ophidian head, complete with long fangs & forked tongue. The strange being’s unblinking eyes are slit like a cat’s, & gleam with an unnerving intellect.

Known amongst themselves as the Naja Xian, the she-da-zhong of the Cobra Party are strict, authoritarian, & utterly evil. The greaters (Lojing) are in charge of labor concerns, performing much of the physical work that isn’t done by slaves. They often must construct temples & excavate tunnels, but their real joy lies in the forging of wicked blades & vicious torture devices.

A greater cobra is about 5’-6’ tall, & weighs around 90-160 pounds. They speak Alhaggi, Common, Draconic, & Najai-She.

Plot Hooks
  • Rumor has it that a temple is being built in a nearby cliff-side by some mysterious snake-like creatures.
  • A rumor has spread that the zhong with destroy a temple unless a local official is killed, & the locals are beginning to panic.
  • A zhong has challenged a local noble to a duel-to-the-death, a fight that the nobleman cannot hope to win.