Sea Serpent, Spiked, Ancient (CR 20)

Gargantuan Dragon (Water)
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Initiative: +0


AC: 39 (-4 size, +33 natural), touch 6, flat-footed 39
Hit Dice: 31d12+279 (480 hp); DR: 15/magic
Fort +26, Ref +18, Will +22
Speed: 10 ft., swim 100 ft.
Space: 40 ft./15 ft.
Base Attack +31; Grapple +54
Attack: 1 bite +38, 2 claws +33 + 1 tail slap +33
Damage: 1 bite 4d6+11, 2 claws 2d8+5, 1 tail slap 2d8
Special Attacks/Actions: Constrict
Abilities: Str 33, Dex 12, Con 29, Int 10, Wis 21, Cha 20
Special Qualities: Amphibious, spiked body, Wounding spikes, Inflict serious wounds, Launch spikes, Maddening spikes, SR 22, Fear aura (DC 30)
Feats: #Feats: 11
Skills:
Class Skills: Climb, Intimidate, Skill points: 6, and Survival
Advancement: 32-33 HD
Climate/Terrain: Temperate Aquatic
Organization: Solitary (1 dragon, any age), clutch (1d4+1 wyrmlings, very young, young, juvenile, or young adults), family (pair of mature adults and 1d4+1 offspring)
Treasure/Possessions: Double Standard

Source: Dragon #345

Amphibious (Ex): Sea serpents can breathe air as easily as they breathe water.

Constrict (Ex): A sea serpent of Medium size or larger deals damage with a successful grapple check. The amount of damage dealt depends upon the creature's size, as indicated on the following chart. The sea serpent adds 1-1/2 times its Strength bonus on damage rolls made to constrict.

SizeConstrict Damage
Medium1d8
Large2d8
Gargantuan4d8
Colossal6d8

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the sea serpent must hit with its bite or tail slap attacks. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins a grapple check, it establishes a hold. If it gets a hold with its bite it can attempt to swallow the foe the following round. If it gets a hold with its tail slap it can constrict.

Swallow Whole (Ex): A sea serpent can attempt to swallow an opponent at least two size categories smaller than itself by making a successful grapple check. Once inside, the opponent takes bite damage plus 1d8 points of acid damage every round from the serpent's digestive tract. A swallowed creature can attempt to cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal 3 points of damage per age category of the sea serpent to its digestive tract (AC 15). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; other swallowed opponents must cut their own ways out.

A sea serpent's digestive tract can hold up to one opponent of two size categories smaller than itself and four times as many of each size category below that. For example, a Huge sea serpent's digestive tract can hold 1 Medium, 4 Small, 16 Tiny, or 64 Diminutive or smaller opponents.

Older spiked sea serpents launch spikes at their opponents before closing, but once in melee, they wrap themselves about their foes. Unlike other sea serpents, however, after crushing an opponent for 1 round a spiked sea serpent typically disentangles itself and withdraws, letting blood loss from its spikes do its job for it. This is especially true if the spiked sea serpent is fighting multiple opponents.

Maddening Spikes (Su): At the old age category, spiked sea serpents gain the ability to incite madness through the toxin in their spikes. Any living creature wounded by a launched spike or through a constrict attack must also made a Will save (DC equal to 10 + 1/2 dragon's HD + dragon's Con modifier) or become maddened for 1d6 rounds. During this time, the creature acts as if under the effects of confusion. This is a poison effect.

Launch Spikes (Su): An adult or older spiked sea serpent is capable of launching one of its spikes every round as a ranged weapon, up to a maximum often times per day. Treat the spike as a ranged weapon with a range increment of 50 feet. It causes the same damage as a bite from the spiked serpent, but it receives no Strength modifier on damage rolls and uses the spiked sea serpent's Dexterity modifier on the attack rolls.

Spiked Body (Ex): Due to the razor-sharp spikes all along their bodies, spiked sea serpents cause damage with constrict attacks as a sea serpent one size category larger. Colossal spiked sea serpents deal 8d8 points of damage on a constrict attack. One half of a spiked sea serpent's constrict damage is piercing while the other half is bludgeoning.

Wounding Spikes (Ex): A spiked sea serpents spikes develop jagged edges at the very young age. Any time it deals damage with a constrict attack against a living opponent that opponent starts to bleed, taking half the serpent's Strength modifier (minimum 1) in additional damage every round. This continuing blood loss can be stopped by a DC 20 Heal check, a cure spell, or a heal spell. This bleeding is not cumulative with itself.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will - inflict serious wounds. These abilities are all as cast by a sorcerer of level equal to the sea serpent's hit dice (save DC 10 + sea serpent's Charisma modifier + spell level).

Skills: Climb, Intimidate, and Survival are considered class skills for spiked sea serpents.

Water Subtype

This subtype usually is used for elementals and outsiders with a connection to the Elemental Plane of Water. Creatures with the water subtype always have swim speeds and can move in water without making Swim checks. A water creature can breathe underwater and usually can breathe air as well.