General Rules: Monsters - Copper Asp

Copper Asp (from Dragon Magazine #341)
Tiny Construct

Hit Dice: 1d10 (5 hit points)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 15 feet, climb 15 feet
Armor Class: 19 (+2 size, +3 Dexterity, +4 natural); touch 15, flat-footed 16
BAB/Grapple: +0/-10

Attack: Bite +5 melee (1d3-2, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing, 20 x2)

Full Attack: Bite +5 melee (1d3-2, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing, 20 x2)

Space/Reach: 2½ feet by 2½ feet/0 feet
Special Attacks: Poison spray

Special Qualities: Construct traits, scent

Saves: Fortitude +0, Reflex +3, Will +1
Abilities: Str 6, Int 6, Wis 12, Dex 17, Con -, Cha 4

Skills: Balance +12, Climb +12, Hide +16, Listen +5, Spot +6

Feats: Weapon Finesse
Environment: Any

Organization: Solitary

Challenge Rating: ½
Treasure: -
Alignment: Any
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

A copper asp looks like a curled up fine copper armband in the shape of a snake. Its scales catch the light beautifully and its green-jeweled eyes reflect images with an emerald cast.

The copper asp is obsessive regarding status and respect. Those who don't show the asp's master the proper deference often end up covered in its venom. The asp may be instructed to restrict its reactions to verbal berating but it retains its fixation. Construct familiars are common among mages of the Collegium.

Copper asps speak one common language such as Enslaic, Rhadynnic, Sorglish.

Combat
Copper asps avoid melee combat whenever possible, preferring to stay in the shadows and spitting at any opponent that draws too close.

Poison Spray (Ex): Up to three times per day, the copper asp may spit poison with a 10-foot range (+5 ranged touch). If struck, the target is subject to the asp's contact poison. Fortitude DC 10, initial and secondary damage 1d4 Constitution. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Construct: Immune to mind-influencing effects, poison, disease, death effects, paralysis, stunning, sleep, and similar effects. Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage, energy drain, or death from massive damage. Destroyed when reduced to 0 hit points, cannot be raised. Cannot be healed with healing magic unless it specifically says it works on constructs, and does not heal on its own.

Skills: Copper asps have a +4 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, and Spot checks and a +8 racial bonus on Balance and Climb checks. A copper asp can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened. Copper asps use either their Strength modifier or Dexterity modifier for Climb checks, whichever is higher.

Copper Asps as Familiars
Copper asps can serve as familiars for characters eligible to obtain familiars including arcane engineers, hexblades, mind weavers, shadowsworn, sorcerers, and wizards. To do so, the character must take the Improved Familiar feat, be at least a 3^rd-level caster, and must meet the prerequisites required to construct the familiar, including the creation cost, experience point cost, and time spent.

The creation of a copper asp requires the molding and sculpting of dozens of copper rings as well as the installation of a pair of valuable emeralds (costing a total of 500 shillings). This requires either a DC 15 Craft (Gemcutting) check or DC 15 Craft (Coppersmithing) check. After creating the body, the spellcaster continues by summoning a familiar in the normal manner. Upon completion of the summoning ritual a spark of the creator's consciousness inhabits and animates the prepared body. This personality mimics the animal form that it inhabits, but retains some of the creator's habits and traits.

Should a construct familiar become damaged, its master may repair it. This may be accomplished through spells like repair light damage, or through more mundane means. Physically repairing a construct familiar takes one hour and costs 10 shillings in supplies per hit point repaired.

Caster Level: 3^rd; Prerequisites: Craft Construct, animate rope, Melf's acid arrow, caster must be at least 3^rd level; Market Price: 3,500 shillings; Cost to Create: 2,000 shillings + 120 experience points.

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