General Rules: Monsters - Whipsnake

Whipsnake (from Serpent Kingdoms)
Medium Animal

Hit Dice: 3d8+6 (19 hit point)
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/+5
Attack: Bite +5 melee (1d3+4, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing, 20 x2)

Full Attack: Bite +5 melee (1d3+4, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing, 20 x2)

Space/Reach: 5 feet by 5 feet/5 feet
Special Attacks: Coil slam 1d4 (see text), constrict 1d6+4, improved grab
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fortitude +4, Reflex +6, Will +2
Abilities: Str 17, Int 1, Wis 12, Dex 17, Con 13, Cha 2
Skills: Balance +11, Climb +14, Hide +10, Listen +7, Spot +7, Swim +11
Feats: Skill Augmentation (Listen and Spot), Toughness
Environment: Temperate marshes
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 4 - 6 Hit Dice (Medium); 7 - 9 Hit Dice (Large)

This slender constrictor snake sometimes moves through tangled growth or across mud or quicksand by flailing its coils in the rapid arcing, wriggling movement from which it gained its name. This creature is unrelated to the similar but smaller snakes that live in the deserts and warm plains, and the so-called striped whipsnakes that don't constrict.
A whipsnake's scales are primarily brown, with a mottling of deep green and black. Its head is angular and broad.

Combat
Whipsnakes usually lurk on sturdy tree branches, ready to drop or slither onto creatures passing underneath. They have also been known to lie on the ground stretched across a trail amid fallen tree branches, waiting to coil around the legs of creatures using the part and trip them. A whipsnake's first attack is always a coil slam.

Coil Slam (Ex): A whipsnake can whip its body against an opponent with a +5 melee attack bonus, dealing 1d4 points of damage on a successful hit. In addition, the target must make a DC 12 Reflex save to escape the coils, Failure means the opponent lands peone in its square and the whipsnake automatically establishes hold on it and can constrict as if it had made a successful grapple check.

Constrict (Ex): On a successful grapple check, a whipsnake deals 1d6+4 points of damage.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a whipsnake must hit with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check it establishes hold and can constrict.

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

A whipsnake can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened. A tree python uses either its Strength modifier or its Dexterity modifier for Climbs checks, whenever is higher.

A whipsnake 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.

Whipsnakes as Familiars
Whipsnakes 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, and be at least a 3^rd-level caster.

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