Giant Constrictor Snake
Snake, Giant Constrictor (CR 10)
Giant constrictor snakes travel in packs. They are aggressive predators who rely on their massive size, colossal strength, and scaly hides to protect them from any prey that tries to defend itself against being eaten.
Like all constrictor snakes, giant constrictor snakes crush their prey to death and then swallow them whole. Giant constrictor snakes are not poisonous, but don't really need to be. They are surprisingly fast, given how large they are, easily able to chase down prey that evades their initial assault.
Giant constrictor snakes can use their Keen Scent ability to hunt prey even when line of sight is restricted, though they also use their normal vision and hearing to ignore the miss chance that using Keen Scent alone would give them.
General
CR 10 Hit Dice 15
XP 9,600
N Huge Magical Beast
Init +5; Senses Keen Scent 60 ft., Perception +15
Defense
AC 30, touch 19, flat-footed 25 (+6 armor, +5 dex, +5 natural, +4 deflection)
hp 175
Fort +10, Ref +13, Will +10
Aura: -
SR: -
Special Defenses: DR 5/-
Immunities: Prone
Weaknesses: -
Offense
Speed 40 ft., Climb 40 ft.
Space / Reach: 15 ft. / 10 ft.
Single Melee Bite +15 (2d8+4/19-20x2)
Full Melee Bite +15 (2d8+4/19-20x2)
Ranged -
Special Attacks Constrict, Lunge
Action Points 0
Statistics
Str 40, Dex 16, Con 19, Int 5, Wis 6, Cha 12
Base Atk +10; CMB +16; CMD 26
Feats Improved Grapple (EFFECT: +4 to Grapple checks, does not provoke AOO's when attempting a grapple)
Skills Survival +16 (+20 to detect stealth because of Keen Scent)
Languages Common (pidgin; can understand, but not speak)
Special Abilities
- Constrict
As a standard attack action, the constrictor snake may attempt to constrict a target within its reach. To do so, it makes a CMB check (at +4 because of the Improved Grapple feat: 1d20 + 20) versus the target's CMD. If it succeeds, the constrictor snake grapples the target and immediately deals 5d6+1 crushing damage to the target. The constrictor snake may maintain the grapple each round, and each round it succeeds, it continues to deal 5d6+1 crushing damage to the target, without the need for a separate attack roll.
Furthermore, a constrictor snake can be engaged in a Constrict-initiated grapple with up to two medium-sized creatures simultaneously (or one large creature), dealing damage to all Constricted creatures each round, assuming it maintains the grapple.
While in a grapple that the constrictor initiated with the Constrict ability, the constrictor snake does not suffer from any of the penalties associated with being in a grapple, can make attacks of opportunity (using its bite attack) against nearby enemies who provoke it, and it retains its full move speed.
If the constrictor snake fails its grapple check, the target creature is not grappled and takes no damage.
- Lunge
Once per round, if the constrictor is not currently grappling anyone, it may lunge at a target up to 40 feet away as part of a constrict attack. This is essentially a charge action that allows the use of the Constrict special ability against the target, instead of requiring a standard attack. Lunges must follow all the standard rules for a charge, except that the constrictor does not take any penalties to its AC when using Lunge.
Treasure
sell value of approximately 5,000 gp
Combat Tactics
Giant constrictor snakes want to use Constrict early and often, both to hamper their prey and to quickly turn the fight from any sort of running melee (and potentially ranged attacks, which are bad for the snake) into a strength contest. In a battle of pure muscles, the snake will nearly always win.
Constrictor snakes have 5 points of DR/-, which helps them defend against any light weapons that their grappled opponents might try to use against them.
With lunge, the constrictor can rely entirely on Constrict as their primary attack action and easily catch up to prey. Even after starting a Constrict-grapple with up to two medium-sized enemies, the snake can move its full speed (including its climb speed), and make attacks of opportunity.
Giant snakes aren't particularly stealthy, so they rely on speed and their very capable grappling abilities to capture and devour prey.
Giant constrictor snakes are just a little too intelligent for beasts, able to understand limited bits of Common they hear, and also able to choose terrain that favors their speed. It is truly unnerving to watch a 900-pound snake stop to listen to what you're saying to your companions.
Constrictors have the Keen Scent sense, allowing them to easily track the location of prey within 60 feet without line of sight, though they always try to augment this in combat with their vision and hearing to avoid taking the 20% miss chance that Keen Scent alone would cause. Keen Scent provides a +4 bonus to perception checks to detect stealthed creatures, and also allows the use of the Survival skill in lieu of Perception if that skill is better.