Snakes

Legends say the first oracles were priestesses of snake gods. The serpent, with its unblinking eyes and penetrating stare, knew ancient lore hidden from most other creatures.

Class Skill(s): An oracle with the snakes mystery adds Acrobatics, Escape Artist, Knowledge (nature), and Stealth to her list of class skills.

Bonus Spells: pass without trace (2nd), skinsend (4th), poison (6th), spit venom (8th), snake staff (10th), starry vision* (12th), creeping doom (snakes, 14th), animal shapes (snakes and reptiles, 16th), summon elder worm (18th).

Revelations: An oracle with the snakes mystery can choose from any of the following revelations.

Armor of Scales (Su)

You can conjure armor made from scales, and it grants you a +4 natural armor bonus to AC. At 7th level, and every four levels thereafter, this bonus increases by +2. At 13th level, the scales also grant you DR 5/bludgeoning. You can conjure these scales for 1 hr. per day per oracle level. This duration does not need to be consecutive, but it must be spent in 1-hr. increments.

Coils (Ex)

You gain Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. Whenever you hit with an unarmed melee attack, you can make a grapple check without provoking an attack of opportunity, and you gain a +4 racial bonus to such checks. When making grapple checks, use your oracle level as your base attack bonus plus your Charisma modifier to calculate your CMB. On a successful grapple, you can constrict an opponent and deal 1d8 + half oracle level + Charisma modifier hp damage each round you maintain the grapple.

Command Snakes (Su)

You can command snakes at will as per command animals. Creatures with the reptilian subtype are also susceptible to this ability. You must choose speak with snakes (below) before choosing command snakes.

Crawl (Ex)

You can crawl at your speed for 1 round without provoking an attack of opportunity. You may use this revelation a number of rounds per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier. When standing up from crawling after using this ability, you do not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Fangs (Ex)

You can make a bite attack as a standard action. This bite is considered a natural weapon so you are always considered armed and you do not gain additional attacks for a high base attack bonus. This attack deals 1d6 hp damage plus your Strength modifier (1d4 if you are Small).

At 5th level, this bite is considered a magic weapon for the purposes of overcoming DR, and any creature you bite must make a saving throw against black adder venom. The save DC equals 10 + half your oracle level + your Charisma modifier. At 11th level, the damage increase to 1d8 (or 1d6 if you are Small).

Serpent Companion (Ex)

You gain an animal companion as a druid equal to your oracle level. The animal companion must either be a constrictor snake or a venomous snake. Your oracle levels stack with your druid levels when determining the powers of your animal companion. This ability does not allow you to have two animal companions at once.

Snake Body (Ex)

Your senses become more acute, and your form becomes lithe and sinewy. You gain a +2 bonus to Acrobatics, Escape Artist, and Perception checks. This bonus increase to +4 at 11th level. At 7th level, you also gain tremorsense 30 ft. This increases to 60 ft. at 11th level.

Snake Summoner (Su)

You add all summon monster and summon nature’s ally spells to your list of known spells, but you may use these spells only to summon a snake or a reptilian creature. If you cast a summon monster or summon nature’s ally spell gained through this revelation to summon a snake or reptilian creature, you summon one extra monster of that type, and the creatures gain the benefit of the Augment Summoning feat.

Speak with Snakes (Su)

You can speak with snakes as per speak with animals as an at-will, spell-like ability. You gain a +4 bonus to Diplomacy and Intimidate checks made to influence snakes or creatures with the reptilian subtype.

Final Revelation: Upon reaching 20th level, the serpent infuses your body and soul. You count as reptilian as well as your original race for effects related to race or creature subtype. You can crawl at your speed without provoking attacks of opportunity, and you can squeeze into areas two sizes smaller than you without suffering any penalties for squeezing.

You can escape a grapple or pin without making a combat maneuver check.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Deep Magic. © 2014 Open Design LLC. Authors: Wolfgang Baur, Tom Benton, Creighton Broadhurst, Jason Bulmahn, Ross Byers, Charles Lee Carrier, Tim Connors, Adam Daigle, Jonathan Drain, Mike Franke, Ed Greenwood, Frank Gori, Jim Groves, Amanda Hamon Kunz, Sam Harris, Brandon Hodge, Phillip Larwood, Jeff Lee, John Ling, Jr., Chris Lozaga, Ben McFarland, Nicholas Milasich, Carlos Ovalle, Richard Pett, Marc Radle, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Wade Rockett, Stephen Rowe, Adam Roy, Amber E. Scott, Neil Spicer, Owen K.C. Stephens, Joshua Stevens, Christina Stiles, Matt Stinson, Stefen Styrsky, Dan Voyce, and Mike Welham.

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