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| He watches...(adapted from original and AI images courtesy of NightCafe.) |
Number Encountered (#): 1
Armor Class (AC): 0 [19] (body); 2 [17] (eyes)
Hit Dice (HD): 10 (large eye 20 hp, small eye 10 hp, body 40 hp)
Move (MV): flight 30 ft. (10 ft.)
Attacks (ATK): 1+ (1d6 tentacle or special)
Saving Throw (SV): magic-user 11
Morale (ML): 12
Treasure (TR): I-type treasure plus F-type magic items, or by HD
Alignment (AL): Chaotic
Experience (XP): 2,800 (or HD + five specials)
The being worshiped as the “Snake God” is in truth a malevolent, Chaotic intelligence originating from the depths of the Ovoid From Beyond the Stars. Its levitating, semi-spherical body appears as a dark mass of perpetually writhing, squamous, and tentacular “snakes.” When the Snake God is roused, its “snakes” part to reveal a large, central eye. Up to ten, smaller eyes can also emerge from within the rippling forms when necessary to employ the alien being’s formidable psychic powers.
Its central eye projects psychic waves that disrupt all magical energies in front of it up to 10 feet, and functions as an anti-magic (shell) spell. Spellcasters, such as magic-users and clerics in the way of its central gaze can “hear” a pulsating, or buzzing sensation in their minds that is uncomfortable at best, and maddening at worst. However, it seems to make sense to those given over to Chaos. In combat, its smaller eyes can project psychic beams that manifest random, spell-like effects at will. The GM should decide on offense or defense, then roll 1d8 on the appropriate table:
Offensive beam:
1. Cause Serious Wounds
2.
Magic missile (two missiles)
3. Finger of death
4. Disintegrate
5. Telekinesis
6. Flesh to Stone
7. Fireball
8. Polymorph Others
Defensive beam:
1. Cause Fear
2. Charm Person (or Monster)
3. Slow
4. Confusion
5. Hold Person
6. Sleep
7. Phantasmal Force
8. Protection From Normal Missiles
The creature can reposition these eyes, which sink into its writhing mass, and reemerge from the desired direction. Although it mainly depends on these eye beams for offense, it can also fend off enemies with tentacle slaps. It can produce, and attack with as many tentacles as enemies surrounding it.
The Snake God’s body is so dense that is has an effective Armor Class (AC) of 0 [19.] Its eyes are only slightly more vulnerable, since they can fold back into the mass, and have an AC of 2 [17.] Its central eye can sustain 20 points of damage before it is rendered useless (stopping the anti-magic effect,) while a smaller eye can be destroyed after 10 hp of damage. When ten of these smaller eyes are destroyed, no more will appear.
The body itself can sustain 40 points of damage before it begins to grow unstable, flailing its innumerable appendages, and macerating into a dark, inert mass of semi-solid ichor. Anyone touching the mass will find it extremely corrosive (3d8 damage.) If the mass manages to dissolve and kill a living being, it will become a black pudding with the same hit dice as the slain creature. It will then seek out, and kill other living creatures until it becomes a fully-formed (10 HD) black pudding.
The Snake God currently dwells in its own sanctum within the True Temple of the Snake-Men, where its Noble rulers grant the deity their unholy obeisance. The Snake God does not speak, but seems to communicate tele-empathically with those that understand the language of Chaos. Although only one Snake God has revealed itself to the denizens of the Underworld below the Northern Marklands, it is possible others of its kind exist within the Ovoid. However, no adventuring scholar, sage, or even mad sorcerer has ever returned with such information.
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