General Rules: Monsters - Mlarraun

Mlarraun (from Serpent Kingdoms)
Medium Magical Beast

Hit Dice: 2d10 (11 hit points)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 20 feet, climb 20 feet, swim 20 feet
Armor Class: 16 (+3 Dexterity, +3 natural); touch 13, flat-footed 13
BAB/Grapple: +2/+1
Attack: Bite +5 melee (1d4-1 plus poison, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing, 20 x2) or spit +5 ranged touch (poison)

Full Attack: Bite +5 melee (1d4-1 plus poison, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing, 20 x2) or spit +5 ranged touch (poison)

Space/Reach: 5 feet by 5 feet/5 feet
Special Attacks: Poison
Special Qualities: Darkvision, 60 feet, low-light vision, scent, stone torpor
Saves: Fortitude +3, Reflex +6, Will +1
Abilities: Str 8 Int 1, Wis 12, Dex 17, Con 11, Cha 2
Skills: Balance +11, Climb +11, Hide +12, Listen +5, Spot +5, Swim +7
Feats: Weapon Finesse
Environment: Warm plains
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: -

The "spitting snakes" are common in the Llaithcoed Forest and the neighboring regions of the At'viras Steppes. They spend their days sleeping, sunning, and hunting. When the opportunity presents itself, a mlarraun may slay several herd beasts of other large creatures at once and leave then as ready food. Mlarrauns eat rotting carrion as readily as they do fres hmeat, and they suffer no ill effects from ingesting flesh tainted with their own poison.

Mlarrauns are best known for their ability to assume a stone-like form as a kind of torpor when targeted with spells or magical effects. These "stone snakes" are often placed as traps by yuan-ti, nagas, or other scaled ones.

A mlarraun resembles a dark brown or black serpent with an arrowhead-shaped head.

Combat
Though mlarrauns are quite effective in stalking their prey, they are neither cunning nor capable of anticipating danger. Many are trampled by the hooves of beasts that are unaware of their presence.

Poison (Ex): Bite or spit, injury or contact, Fortitude DC 11, initial damage blindness for 2d6 hours, secondary damage blindness for 4d6 hours and 1d4 points of damage. The save DC is Constitution-based. The poison needs not touch the eyes to cause blindness.

Stone Torpor (Su): Any spell or magical effect that specifically targets a mlarraun causes it to instantly lapse into a torpor that lasts for 1d100 days. Its scales become hard and gray, though its body remains flexible. Contact with magic weapons or other magic items tat do not specifically target the mlarraun does not trigger this change.

While in this state, the mlarraun can be posed by manually adjusting its body. Enterprising artisans and trap designers sometimes shape the creature into handles for chests, ornamental "scrollwork", and the like. Such adjustments do not wake the mlarraun. In this form, the creature's natural armor bonus rises to +10.

Damage in excess of one-half its original hit points awakens the mlarraun instantly, as does ny spell that targets it. When it awakens, naturally or by other means, it bites or spits poison at the nearest creature.

Skills: A mlarraun has a +4 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, and Spot checks, and a +8 racial bonus on Balance and Climb checks.

A mlarraun can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened.

A mlarraun can use either its Strength or its Dexterity modifier for Climb checks, whichever is better.

A mlarraun has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. it can always choose to 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.

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