Yuan-Ti Anathema (CR 18)
Huge Aberration
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Initiative: +5 (+1 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Senses: all-around vision, darkvision 60 ft., scent, Listen +32, and Spot +36
Languages: Yuan-Ti, Common, Draconic, and Abyssal
AC: 29 (-2 size, +1 Dex, +20 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 28
Hit Dice: 22d8+198 (297 hp); DR: DR 15/good and magic
Fort +16, Ref +10, Will +20
Speed: 40 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.
Space: 15 ft./15 ft.
Base Attack +16; Grapple +32
Attack: Garganruan +1 blasphemous falchion +23, or claw +22 melee)
Full Attack: Gargantuan +1 blasphemous falchion +23/+18/+13, or 2 claws +22 melee and 6 bites +20 melee
Damage: Gargantuan +1 blasphemous falchion 2d8+13 (+2d6 against good), claw 1d8+8, bite 1d8+4 plus poison
Special Attacks: Constrict 1d8+8, improved grab, poison, psionics, spell-like abilities
Abilities: Str 27, Dex 13, Con 29, Int 24, Wis 24, Cha 22
Special Qualities: Acid immunity, attach grafts, electricity resistance 10, fire resistance 10, poison immunity, regeneration 5, SR 26
Feats: Blind-fight; Cleave; Dodge; Combat Expertise; Improved Initiative; Lightning Reflexes; Multiattack; Power Attack
Skills: Climb +33, Concentration +34, Craft or Knowledge (any two) +32, Hide +18*, Listen +32, Move Silently +26 Search +36, Spot +36, Survival +7*, and Swim +16
Advancement: By character class
Climate/Terrain: Warm forest and underground
Organization: Solitary or cult (1 anathema plus 2-13 purebloods, 2-5 halfbloods, and 2-4 abominations)
Treasure/Possessions: Double standard
Source:
Fiend Folio
Revered as divine incarnations of their unspeakable deity, these creatures are the most loathsome form of the vile yuan-ti race. They represent such a perversion of their original human nature that their very existence is heresy against all the deities of humanity no matter how evil - thus, they proudly call themselves anathema.
An anathema's basic shape is that of an enormous serpent, some 25 feet long. A pair of arms and the vague shape of a humanoid torso are the last vestiges of its original humanity. The arms end in clawed hands with only three fingers. In place of a head, six long serpents project from the top of the torso, allowing the creature to see in all directions and attack as many as eight different opponents at once. The creature's scales range in shade from deep maroon to midnight blue or violet black, usually lighter on the torso and underbelly. Its twelve eyes glitter yellow with malice and intelligence. It has a musky odor about it that most mammals find unsettling.
Like other yuan-ti, anathemas speak their own language, plus Common, Draconic, and Abyssal
Combat
When found with other yuan-ti, an anathema prefers to let its minions handle the mundane work of melee combat while it uses its psionics and spell-like abilities to weaken the enemy ranks. Alone, or when forced into melee, an anathema grapples opponents, using its dissolving touch psionic power to melt foes in its grasp, and blasting enemies who are hanging back from combat (archers and spellcasters) with its spell-like abilities.
Constrict (Ex): With a successful grapple check, an anathema can constrict a grabbed opponent, dealing 1d8+8 points of bludgeoning damage.
Improved Grab (Ex): If an anathema hits an opponent that is at least one size category smaller than itself with a bite attack, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity (grapple bonus +32). If it gets a hold, it also constricts on the same round. Thereafter, the anathema has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use one of its six serpent-heads to hold the opponent (-20 penalty on grapple check, but the anathema is not considered grappled). It usually chooses the latter option.
Poison (Ex): An anathema delivers its poison (Fort DC 30 negates) with each successful bite attack. Initial and secondary damage are the same (1d4 Con).
Psionics (Sp): An anathema can produce the following effects at will.
Alternate Form: An anathema can assume the form of a Tiny to Huge viper. This ability is similar to a shapechange spell cast by a 19th-level sorcerer but allows only viper forms. In viper form, the anathema's poison deals 1d6 points of Constitution damage instead of 1d4.
In addition, an anathema can assume the form of a viper swarm.
Chameleon Power: An anathema can change the coloration of itself and its equipment to match its surroundings. *An anathema using chameleon power receives a +10 circumstance bonus on Hide checks.
Detect Poison: As the spell cast by a 20th-level sorcerer.
Dissolving Touch: An anathema can exude acid from its body, dealing 7d6 points of acid damage to anything it touches. If it uses this power when grappling or constricting an opponent, the acid deals 10d6 points of damage instead. The acid is effective only on the round when this power is used, and it becomes inert when it leaves the anathema's body.
Mass Aversion: An anathema creates a compulsion effect targeting all enemies within 30 feet. The targets must succeed on a Will save (DC 27) or gain an aversion to snakes for 10 minutes. Affected subjects must stay at least 20 feet from any snake, yuan-ti, or ti-khana creature, whether alive or dead; if already within 20 feet, they move away. A subject can overcome the compulsion by succeeding on another Will save (DC 27), but still suffers from deep anxiety. This causes a -4 reduction to Dexterity until the effect wears off or the subject is no longer within 20 feet of a snake, yuan-ti, or ti-khana creature. This ability is otherwise similar to antipathy as cast by a 16th-level sorcerer.
Spell-like Abilities: 3/day - animal trance, cause fear, deeper darkness, entangle, haste, neutralize poison, suggestion, baleful polymorph, unholy blight; 1 day - blasphemy, unholy aura. Caster level 20th; save DC 16 + spell level.
All-Around Vision (Ex): An anathema's six heads allow it to see in all directions at once. Because of this ability, it has a +4 racial bonus on Search and Spot checks, and it cannot be flanked.
Attach Grafts (Su): An anathema has the ability to transform humanoid and monstrous humanoid creatures, making them more like yuan-ti. Each day, an anathema can attach eight yuan-ti grafts to one or more creatures. This requires 1 hour of uninterrupted work per graft, during which the anathema can do nothing else. Between grafts, the anathema can rest or engage in light activity such as talking or walking, but cannot fight, cast spells, use magic items, conduct research, or perform any other physically or mentally demanding task.
In addition, anathemas can create the mixture of venom, roots, and herbs required to create either a tainted one or a broodguard .
Regeneration (Ex): An anathema takes normal damage from force effects and adamantine weapons. Attack forms that don't deal hit point damage ignore regeneration, and an anathema does not restore hit points lost from starvation, thirst, or suffocation.
Scent (Ex): An anathema can detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell.
Skills:Anathemas have a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened. Anathemas have a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard and can always choose to take 10 on Swim checks, even if distracted or endangered. Anathemas have a +8 racial bonus on Survival checks when tracking by scent.
Anathema Society
Anathemas are extremely rare among the yuan-ti, and yuan-ti society as a whole seems not quite sure what to do with them. They are never found in yuan-ti cities, for the power they represent is such a destabilizing force that order and structure collapse around them. Many live as solitary outcasts in the wilds near larger collections of yuan-ti.
Most anathemas, however, quickly gather cults of other yuan-ti around them, sometimes involuntarily. The most warped and unstable yuan-ti of that whole warped and unstable species are irresistibly drawn to the unspeakable evil that the anathemas exude, and a violent cult is the natural result.
A cult centered around an anathema is always a plague on the surrounding lands. No race or kind of creature can live in peace with such a cult nearby, for the yuan-ti will not rest until they have obliterated any other civilization within a week's travel of their lair. An anathema's only creed is annihilation in service to the great serpent who, the yuan-ti believe, will one day devour the world.
Anathema Items
Anathemas are known for a number of unique items, both magical and mundane. Finding these items in the hands of lesser yuan-ti is an almost certain sign that they are members of an anathema cult.
Blasphemous Weapons: Weapons with this property are a blight upon the world, and a paladin or good cleric who learns of one's existence is duty-bound to work unceasingly toward its destruction. A blasphemous weapon is evilly aligned due to the fiendish spirit bound within it. Like an unholy weapon, it deals 2d6 points of bonus unholy (evil) damage against all of good alignment; on a critical hit this damage is increased to 2d10 and the weapon unleashes a limited blasphemy effect that targets only the creature hit.
A blasphemous weapon bestows two negative levels on any good creature attempting to wield it. The negative levels remain as long as the weapon is in hand and disappear when the weapon is no longer wielded. These negative levels never result in actual level loss, but they cannot be overcome in any way (including restoration spells) while the weapon is wielded. Blasphemous bows, crossbows, and slings bestow the property upon their ammunition.
Anathemas often equip their most powerful cultists with blasphemous scimitars and falchions.
Caster Level: 13th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, blasphemy, unholy blight, creator must be evil; Market Price: +4 bonus.
Serpent Symbol: This silver disk represents the world with a snake coiled around it, mouth gaping wide as if to consume it. This is a holy symbol used by anathema cults, symbolizing their devotion to destruction and giving them some concrete magical abilities to back it up. Once per day, a serpent symbol can generate either a disintegrate spell or a destruction spell, according to the command of the wearer. The save DC for both effects is 20. The device functions only in the hands of a yuan-ti. (However, a character with the Use Magic Device skill can emulate the yuan-ti race to make the serpent symbol function.)
Caster Level: 13th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Heighten Spell, destruction, disintegrate, creator must be a yuan-ti; Market Price: 50,000 gp.
Sickening Weapon: A sickening weapon functions as an unholy weapon that releases extra unholy power upon striking a successful critical hit against a good creature. The struck creature hit must make a successful Fortitude save (DC 16) or take a -2 penalty on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saves, skill checks, and ability checks for 1d4 rounds.
Lower-level yuan-ti cultists often wield sickening weapons.
Caster Level: 9th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, unholy blight, creator must be evil; Market Price: +3 bonus.
Venomous Fire: This alchemical creation is an insidious method of delivering toxic venom. In essence, venomous fire is similar to alchemists fire - it is a viscous substance that burns when exposed to air. However, it is also mixed with yuan-ti venom, so that, in the round after taking any damage from the fire itself, a character must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 17) against the poison that entered the body through the wounds from the fire. Initial and secondary damage from the poison are the same (1d6 Con). If the fire is allowed to burn for another round (thus causing the character to take damage on successive rounds), the character is exposed to two doses of poison.
A flask of venomous fire is a grenadelike weapon with a range increment of 10 feet. It deals 1d6 points of fire damage on a direct hit, plus 1d6 points of fire damage in the next round if it is not extinguished (requiring a full-round action and a Reflex save against DC 15). A splash deals 1 point of fire damage, and a target hit by the splash has +4 circumstance bonus on the Fortitude save against the poison.
Cost: 220 gp; Weight: 1 lb.
Anathema Characters
An anathema's favored class is cleric. Like other yuan-ti clerics, anathemas worship Merrshauulk and can choose any two of the following domains: Chaos, Evil, Destruction, and Plant.
Because of its numerous special abilities, an anathema PC's effective character level (ECL) is equal to its class level + 28. Thus, a 1st-level anathema cleric has an ECL of 29 and is the equivalent of a 29th-level character.