General Rules: Monsters - Sewerm

Sewerm (from Serpent Kingdoms)
Small Animal

Hit Dice: 2d8 (9 hit points)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 20 feet, climb 20 feet, swim 20 feet
Armor Class: 17 (+1 size, +3 Dexterity, +3 natural); touch 14, flat-footed 14
BAB/Grapple: +1/+16
Attack: Bite +5 melee (2d4+4, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing, 20 x2)

Full Attack: Bite +5 melee (2d4+4, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing, 20 x2)

Space/Reach: 5 feet by 5 feet/5 feet
Special Attacks: Attach, blood drain, poison
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fortitude +3, Reflex +6, Will +1
Abilities: Str 17, Int 2, Wis 12, Dex 17, Con 11, Cha 2
Skills: Balance +11, Climb +11, Hide +18, Jump +7, Listen +7, Spot +7, Swim +11
Feats: Skill Augmentation (Listen and Spot), Weapon Finesse
Environment: Temperate marshes
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 3 - 4 Hit Dice (Medium); 5 - 6 Hit Dice (Large)

Sewerms are water snakes that have adapted to living in sewers and swamps. They feed on warm blood in a fashion similar to leeches.

A sewerm has tan and brown scales in a reticulated pattern and a mottled green underbelly. It can grow to a length of 8 feet.

Combat
Unless threatened, sewerms attack only warm-blooded creatures. A sewerm typically attaches to a victim's limb (preferably one that extends underwater) with a bite attack, then wraps its body around the limb. Once so secured, it begins draining blood. Because of the anesthetic secretions a sewerm secretes from its fangs and skin, most victims are unaware of its presence. The creature can also coil itself up and spring out of the water to strike a target that cannot be attacked below the water (such as a humanoid wearing hip boots).

Attach (Ex): If a sewerm hits with its bite attack, it latches on to the opponent's body and is effectively grappling its prey. The sewerm loses its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class and has an Armor Class of 14. A sewerm has a +16 racial bonus on grapple checks (already figured into the statistics above). An attached sewerm can be struck with a weapon or grappled itself. To remove an attached sewerm through grappling, the opponent must achieve a pin against it.

Blood Drain (Ex): A sewerm drains blood, dealing automatic bite damage in any round in which it begins its turn attached to a victim. Once it has dealt 30 points of damage, it detaches and flees to digest the meal.

Poison (Ex): A sewerm's "venom" is actually an anesthetic oil secreted through its skin and fangs. This oil prevents its target from feeling pain at the point of contact, even if it is taking hit point damage. The sewerm uses this oil to prevent its victims from noticing its presence while it feeds. Bite, injury or contact, Fortitude DC 11; initial and secondary damage anesthetic. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Skills: A sewerm has a +4 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks and a +8 racial bonus on Balance, Climb, Hide, and Jump checks. A sewerm can always take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened. A sewerm uses either its Strength modifier or its Dexterity modifier for Climb checks, whichever is higher.

A sewerm 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.

Sewerms as Familiars
Sewerms can serve as familiars for characters eligible to obtain familiars including arcane engineers, hexblades, mind weavers, shadowsworn, sorcerers, and wizards. Arcane casters with sewerm familiars gain a +2 bonus to saving throws against effects that cause pain (such as a symbol of pain).

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