Sea Serpent

Spine-frilled neck arching up from the water like a snake ready to strike, this ship-sized serpent hisses a challenge.

Sea Serpent
CR 12

XP 19,200
N Gargantuan magical beast ( aquatic)
Init +6; Senses darkvision 120 ft., low-light vision; Perception +8

DEFENSE

AC 25, touch 8, flat-footed 23 (+2 Dex, +17 natural, –4 size)
hp 187 (15d10+105)
Fort +16, Ref +13, Will +7
Defensive Abilities elusive; Immune cold; Resist fire 30

OFFENSE

Speed 20 ft., swim 60 ft.
Melee bite +23 (4d8+22/19-20 plus grab), tail slap +18 (3d6+6 plus grab)
Space 20 ft.; Reach 20 ft.
Special Attacks capsize, constrict (3d6+18), swallow whole (4d8+18 bludgeoning damage, AC 18, hp 18)

STATISTICS

Str 34, Dex 14, Con 25, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 11
Base Atk +15; CMB +31 (+35 grapple); CMD 43 (can’t be tripped)
Feats Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Skill Focus ( Stealth), Stealthy
Skills Perception +8, Stealth +13, Swim +20

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Capsize (Ex)

A sea serpent can attempt to capsize a boat or ship of its size or smaller by ramming it as a charge attack and making a combat maneuver check. The DC of this check is 25 or the result of the boat captain’s Profession (sailor) check, whichever is higher.

Elusive (Su)

Sea serpents have long been the stuff of maritime legends, but despite countless attempts to hunt them, they are rarely encountered unless they wish it. As a full-round action while in water, a sea serpent can move up to its run speed (300 ft.) without leaving any trace of its passing (identical in effect to a pass without trace). An elusive sea serpent gains a +40 circumstance bonus to its Stealth check. In addition, except when in combat, a sea serpent is considered to be under the effects of a nondetection spell. Both of these spell effects are at caster level 20th and cannot be dispelled.

ECOLOGY

Environment any ocean
Organization solitary
Treasure none

Tales of immense sea serpents have colored the accounts of seagoing folk since the first ship sailed beyond sight of land. Yet proof of these immense and elusive creatures is remarkably difficult to come by, for not only is the ocean vast and the true sea serpent rare, but these creatures are quite adept at both avoiding capture and destroying ships bent on such a daunting task. Due to the sea serpent’s hermitic nature, many sailors take to ascribing the sighting of such a beast to an omen, although whether the sighting portends peril or providence depends as much upon the ship’s morale as it does anything else—the sea serpent itself has little interest in prophecy, and only its hunger determines how dangerous its proximity to a curious ship can be.

Although sea serpents are little more than animals, they possess about them an air of mysticism that even old salts and cynics are forced to admit quickens the heart and buoys (or sinks) the spirit. Reports of sea serpent sightings are just as likely to encourage travel as they are to cause panic among seafarers, as explorers and adventurers flock to the site in hopes of sighting such a legendary creature.

Typical sea serpents are 60 feet in length and weigh 4,500 pounds, but their upward size limit is unknown. Certainly, the sea is a vast and mysterious place more than capable of supporting whales and other such leviathans, and tales of sea serpents that exceed lengths of 300 feet or more are not unheard of. You can generate statistics for a sea serpent of such tremendous size by applying the advanced simple template or the giant simple template to the statistics presented here. Alternatively, you can advance this sea serpent to Colossal size, increasing its Hit Dice to 25 and its CR to 18.

Variant: Sea Serpent, Thresher (CR 13)

Named for and easily recognized by their exceptionally long, thresher-like fin tails, which can be as long as the total body length, thresher serpents are active predators; the tail is actually used as a weapon to stun prey or to create powerful waves.

Melee Tail slap +23 (4d8+22 plus push [75 ft.] and stun/19-20), bite +18 (3d6+6); this replaces a sea serpent’s normal melee attacks.

Stun (Ex)

The thresher serpent’s tail slap attack can push its foe and deliver a powerful, stunning blow. A creature struck by this attack must make a DC 29 Fortitude save or be dazed for 1 round. If the strike is a critical hit and the target fails its save, it is instead stunned for 1d4 rounds (and could begin to drown). The save DC is Strength-based.

This ability replaces a sea serpent’s grab and swallow whole special attacks.

Create Wave (Su)

The thresher serpent can create a wave of water (which moves at approximately 50 mph) once every four rounds as a standard action that originates from it, affecting all creatures in its path. All creatures in this area (20 ft. wide by 10 ft. high, by 10 ft. deep by 220 ft. long) that are Large or smaller must make a DC 20 Swim check or be swept away 110 ft. and take 10d6 points of damage. This effect can move a creature beyond the limit of its range. In the area of the create wave all flames are automatically extinguished (wall of fire, torch, lanterns etc.).

In addition to the effects noted, a create wave can do anything that a 10-ft. wave would be expected to do. It can overturn wooded, unsecured buoyant structures, heel over a small boat, and blow gases or vapors to the edge of its range.

This ability replaces a sea serpent’s capsize and constrict special attacks.

Feats Improved Critical (tail slap); this replaces a sea serpent’s Improved Critical (bite).

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