Inphidian, Rattler

Ornate diamond shaped patterns cover the flesh of this serpentine horror. The most noticeable feature of his humanoid torso is its arms—they end in snake heads rather than hands. Its snake arms and heads have a distinctive triangular shape with a pit above the nostrils and before the slit-like eyes. This creature has no legs but instead has the lower half of a monstrous rattlesnake complete with a foot long rattle which twitches ominously at the tip.

Rattler Inphidian CR 4

XP 1,200
NE Medium monstrous humanoid (reptilian)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +15

DEFENSE

AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16 (+2 Dex, +6 natural)
hp 51 (6d10+18)
Fort +5; Ref +7; Will +7;

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.
Melee 2 snake-hand bites +11 (1d6+4 plus poison)
Special Attacks death rattle, poison (DC 18)

STATISTICS

Str 18, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 13
Base Atk +6; CMB +10; CMD 22
Feats Blind-Fight, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (snake-hand bites)
Skills Climb +21, Diplomacy +7, Intimidate +10, Perception +15, Stealth +11, Swim +12; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception
Languages Common, Inphidian

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Death Rattle (Su)

Once every 1d4 rounds, a rattler inphidian can unleash a death rattle in a 40-foot radius around itself. Creatures caught in the area take 3d6 points of damage. A DC 16 Fortitude save reduces the damage by half. The save DC is Constitution-based. This is a sonic effect.

Poison (Ex)

Bite—injury; save Fort DC 18; frequency 1/round for 4 rounds; effect 1d4 Strength damage; cure 1 save. The save is Constitution-based and includes a +2 racial bonus.

Rattler Inphidian Characters

  • +8 Strength, +4 Dexterity, +6 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, +4 Wisdom, +4 Charisma
  • Base Speed: A rattler inphidian’s base land speed is 30 feet. They have a climb speed of 20 feet and a swim speed of 20 feet.
  • Darkvision: Rattler inphidians can see in the dark to a range of 60 feet.
  • Racial Hit Dice: A rattler inphidian begins with six levels of monstrous humanoid, which provide 6d10 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +6, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +2, Ref +5, and Will +5.
  • Racial Skills: A rattler inphidian’s monstrous humanoid levels give it skill points equal to 6 x (4 + Int modifier). It has a +4 racial bonus on Perception checks. A rattler inphidian has a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened. It has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
  • Racial Feats: A rattler inphidian’s monstrous humanoid levels give it three feats.
  • AC: Rattler inphidians have a +6 natural armor bonus.
  • Natural Weapons: Snake-hands (1d6 plus poison).
  • Special Attacks: Death rattle and poison.

See Inphidians for more details on playable inphidians.

ECOLOGY

Environment warm forests and plains or underground
Organization solitary or band (1 rattler plus 2–5 common inphidians and 1 cobra-back inphidian)
Treasure standard

Rattler inphidians are one of the more powerful sub-races of inphidians and are often found in leadership roles such as commanders (though never generals or overseers) and tribal leaders (in the less-civilized inphidian nests). They are wicked killers who care nothing for life, valuing their own survival above anyone else’s. This alone would seem to make them poor leaders (and has in some instances), but what they lack in compassion for others, they more than make up for with their leadership skills, instincts, and ability to ferret out spies, intruders, trespassers, and others who seek to disrupt the inphidian culture.

A rattler inphidian is 6 feet tall and about 8 feet long. It appears as an inphidian with the lower torso of a giant rattlesnake. Colors vary along the spectrum but most are brown, black, or dark gray with bands and diamond-shaped patterns covering its entire body. Like all inphidians, its hands are non-existent, a viper head being in its place. A rattler’s eyes, as well as the eyes on its snake-hands are an iridescent red.

Cool calculating observers of their foes, rattlers are intelligent enough to pick their battles and fight only at a time and place of their own choosing. If overwhelmed or outnumbered, a rattler attempts to save itself, even using its allies as fodder if necessary. In combat, a rattler relies on its physical attacks and death rattle to vanquish its foes. A particular nasty tactic of a rattler is to paralyze a foe with its poison and then leave it to bake in the hot desert sun.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Rattler Inphidian from the Tome of Horrors Complete, Copyright 2011, Necromancer Games, Inc., published and distributed by Frog God Games; Author Scott Greene.

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