Size:
Large
Type:
Construct
Form:
serpentine
Temper:
# App:
± 1
Lair:
Diet:
Combat Dice:
0
Hit Points:
0
Attack Rank:
0
Passive Defense:
0
Active Defense:
Damage Reduction:
0
Role:
leader
Ground:
± 90'
Climb/Arboreal:
Flight:
Swim:
Benthic:
Burrow:
Ethereal:
Actions/Abilities/Traits: OSE
Actions/Abilities/Traits: OSE
Environments
any
Actions/Abilities/Traits: OSE
Actions/Abilities/Traits: OSRIC
Actions/Abilities/Traits: OSRIC
Environments
Frequency:
Very rare
any
Offense
1 Attack
Circumstance: Combat
1d8
Offense
Special Attacks
Circumstance: Combat
Paralysation (and see below)
Defense
Special Defenses
Circumstance: Combat
Immune to poison (and see below)
Resistance
Magic Resistance
Circumstance: innate
See below
Special
Silent Movement
Death worms move completely silently.
Special
Construct Immunities
Immune to sleep, charm, mind-affecting spells; they never check morale and they are immune to poison. In spite of these and other similarities to the undead, the necrophidius is not an undead creature and cannot be turned by a cleric.
Special
Surprise
A necrophidius will surprise its prey 50% of the time.
Special
Dance of Death
If it is not surprised it will begin its Dance of Death. This attack is a swaying, hypnotic dance that will dominate its victim's attention if he or she fails a saving throw vs petrifaction. An individual so dominated will stand completely motionless and unresisting as the necrophidius advances upon him or her.
Special
Paralysing Bite
In combat the necrophidius attacks with a bite for 1d8 hp. This bite inflicts a magical paralysis upon its victim for 1d4 turns unless the target makes his or her saving throw.
Special
Creation
A necrophidius is a construct and there are several ways to go about creating one. First, the basic materials must be assembled: the skull of a cold-blooded murderer who has been killed within 72 hours of the ritual and the complete skeleton of a giant snake. The process will also require 10 days plus the services and laboratory of an alchemist, who will charge his or her full monthly fee plus 500 gp per hp of the completed necrophidius. At the end of 10 days, the potential owner has 24 hours to complete the ritual by one of the methods detailed hereafter;
First, a magical book can be used. These work the same way as a manual of the golems (q.v.) can be used to create a golem. Second, a high level magic user can cast the following spells in this order upon the pre-necrophidius alchemical mixture: limited wish, geas, and charm person. Upon completion of the charm person spell the death worm magically assembles from the various parts, absorbing the fluids of the mixture. Last, a cleric can cast the following divine spells upon the pre-necrophidius alchemical mixture in this precise order: quest, neutralise poison, prayer, silence 15-ft radius, and snake charm. As with the magic user, when the last spell is completed the necrophidius magically assembles from the various parts, absorbing the fluids of the mixture.
A skeletal giant snake with a fanged skull of an adult human male for a head
Known to common folk as the "death worm", the necrophidius is a skeletal giant snake with a fanged skull of an adult human male for a head. Death worms move completely silently, and are immune to sleep, charm, mind-affecting spells; they never check morale and they are immune to poison. In spite of these and other similarities to the undead, the necrophidius is not an undead creature and cannot be turned by a cleric.
Because of the artificial nature of the necrophidius, they are never encountered in a lair or as a wandering monster. Instead, they are created for a specific purpose, usually as an assassin or guard. They are perfect for this role because they never sleep, they never check morale, and they never give up.
Treasure: None, unless set to guard a specific treasure by its master.
OSRIC
Actions/Abilities/Traits: OSRIC
Actions/Abilities/Traits: Pathfinder 2e
Actions/Abilities/Traits: Pathfinder 2e
Ability
Dance of Death
(enchantment, mental, occult, visual) The necrophidius sways, its serpentine form undulating and clattering in a hypnotic rhythm. Each creature that witnesses the dance must attempt a DC 18 Will save. Critical Success The creature is unaffected and is temporarily immune for 24 hours. Success The creature is unnerved by the swaying and becomes flat-footed until the end of the necrophidius's next turn. Failure The creature is distracted by the swaying, becoming stunned 1. After it recovers, it is flat-footed until the end of the necrophidius's next turn. Critical Failure As failure, but stunned 3.
Ability
Necrophidic Paralysis
(incapacitation, occult, necromancy) A living creature bitten by a necrophidius must succeed at a DC 20 Fortitude save or become paralyzed. It can attempt a new save at the end of each of its turns, and the DC cumulatively decreases by 1 for each save attempted. A creature that succeeds at this save is temporarily immune to necrophidic paralysis for 24 hours.
Offense
Melee
Circumstance: combat round (melee)
jaws +8 [+4/+0] (agile, finesse), Damage 1d10+3 piercing plus necrophidic paralysis
Trait
Construct
A construct is an artificial creature empowered by a force other than necromancy. Constructs are often mindless; they are immune to bleed damage, death effects, disease, healing, necromancy, nonlethal attacks, poison, and the doomed, drained, fatigued, paralyzed, sickened, and unconscious conditions; and they may have Hardness based on the materials used to construct their bodies. Constructs are not living creatures, nor are they undead. When reduced to 0 Hit Points, a construct creature is destroyed.
Trait
Mindless
A mindless creature has either programmed or rudimentary mental attributes. Most, if not all, of their mental ability modifiers are -5. They are immune to all mental effects.
Immunity
bleed
death effects
disease
doomed
drained
fatigued
healing
mental
necromancy
nonlethal attacks
paralyzed
poison
sickened
unconscious
Perception
darkvision
Weakness
bludgeoning 5
Actions/Abilities/Traits: Pathfinder 2e
A skeletal giant snake with a fanged skull of an adult human male for a head
Known to common folk as the "death worm", the necrophidius is a skeletal giant snake with a fanged skull of an adult human male for a head. Death worms move completely silently, and are immune to sleep, charm, mind-affecting spells; they never check morale and they are immune to poison. In spite of these and other similarities to the undead, the necrophidius is not an undead creature and cannot be turned by a cleric.
Because of the artificial nature of the necrophidius, they are never encountered in a lair or as a wandering monster. Instead, they are created for a specific purpose, usually as an assassin or guard. They are perfect for this role because they never sleep, they never check morale, and they never give up.
Treasure: None, unless set to guard a specific treasure by its master.
OSRIC
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