Naga, Flame

Flame Naga CR 5

XP 1,600
NE Large aberration (aquatic)
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +12

DEFENSE

AC 18, touch 14, flat-footed 13 (+4 Dex, +1 dodge, +4 natural, –1 size)
hp 52 (7d8+21)
Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +7
Resist fire 10

OFFENSE

Speed 40 ft., swim 60 ft.
Melee bite +8 (2d6+4 plus poison)
Spells Known (CL 5th; concentration +8)

• 2nd (5/day)–glitterdust (DC 15), flaming sphere (DC 15)
• 1st (7/day)–burning hands (DC 14), magic missile, shield, vanish
• 0 (at will)–acid splash, detect magic, light, mage hand, read magic, spark

STATISTICS

Str 17, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 11, Wis 14, Cha 17
Base Atk +5; CMB +9; CMD 24 (can’t be tripped)
Feats Combat Casting, Dodge, Eschew Materials^B, Skill Focus (Swim), Weapon Focus (bite)
Skills Bluff +7, Knowledge (history) +6, Perception +12, Stealth +10, Swim +24
Languages Aquan, Common
SQ amphibious

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Poison (Ex)

Injury; save Fort DC 16; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d3 fire damage; cure 2 consecutive saves.

Spellcasting

A flame naga casts spells as a 5th-level sorcerer.

ECOLOGY

Environment warm water
Organization solitary, pair, or school (3-5)
Treasure incidental

The skin of this great serpent is colored with muted browns and reds. Where the snake’s face should be, is instead the face of a striking human female, twitching with intense fury.

Flame nagas are one of the least powerful types of naga. These solitary serpents dwell in the winding rivers of large jungle environments. They prefer the heat and humidity offered by jungles, while simultaneously having a locale that keeps them close to many poorly defended humanoid settlements. Flame nagas are selfish and prideful, and instead of thinking of themselves as lowest on the naga ‘food chain’, they consider themselves akin to gods—at least, when compared to the humanoid races of the world. They pretend to be gods or powerful spirits to those primitive communities where they can get away with such lies, but even then, flame nagas prefer to quietly roam the waterways of the jungle.

Flame nagas possess minor spellcasting abilities; their sorcerous talents often consisting primarily of fire-based magic. Despite their ability to conjure magical flame, it’s the venom of the flame naga that gives the serpent its moniker.

The poison of a flame naga is a steaming clear liquid, so hot, that when injected, it burns its victim from the inside. Those exposed to the viscous poison of a flame naga and survive the ordeal, report it to be a short-lived agony, but one of intense and continual pain. Creatures slain by the venom of the flame naga have a 10% chance of combusting into ash if the poison slays them. Flame nagas use their venomous bite as a means of punishing humanoids, striking out with their venom and retreating, before their foes realize what has happened to them.

Other types of naga bully flame naga they come across, so their lesser kin find solace in remote lands. Oddly enough, nagaji are one of the species most likely to form any kind of long-term relationship with a flame naga. Nagaji are far enough removed from humanity that they’re seen as something akin to ‘favored children’ by flame naga, who often employ their humanoid naga-like brethren as valued underlings. In this way, a flame naga can easily maintain the guise of being a deity, while their nagaji allies handle the mundane requirements of leadership in a given community. This odd coexistence works well with most nagaji, who enjoy the privilege of being in a position of power, even if that position is based on a grand falsehood.

A flame naga extends almost 10 feet in length and weighs around 260 pounds.