Cobalt Viper, Giant

This creature appears to be a metallic blue-scaled snake with crystal eyes. Its forked red tongue flicks from its fanged mouth.

Cobalt Viper, Giant (CR 7)

Large Magical Beast (Extraplanar)
Alignment: Neutral
Initiative: +7
Senses: Darkvision 60 feet, Low-Light Vision, Scent; Perception +14
Aura: poison (20 feet, DC 17)

Speed: 30 feet, Climb 20 feet, Swim 20 feet
Space: 10 feet

Defense

Armor Class: 22, touch 12, flat-footed 19 (+3 Dex, +10 natural, -1 size)
Hit Points: 104 (11d10+44)
Saving Throws: Fort +11, Ref +10, Will +6

Offense

Melee: bite +17 (2d6+9 plus poison)
Reach: 5 feet

Statistics

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
22 (+6)	17 (+3)	18 (+4)	2 (-4)	17 (+3)	12 (+1)

Base Attack Bonus: +11
CMB +18
CMD 31 (can't be tripped)

Feats: Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (Stealth), Vital Strike, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (bite)

Skills: Acrobatics +16, Climb +19, Perception +14, Stealth +12, Swim +14

• Racial Modifiers: +8 Acrobatics, +4 Perception, +4 Stealth

Languages:

Special Abilities

Poison (Ex)

Bite-injury; save DC 21 Fort; frequency 1/ round for 6 rounds; effect 1d6 Con damage; cure 2 consecutive saves. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +2 racial bonus.

Poison Aura (Ex)

A cobalt viper's poison is so potent, that it exudes it in an aura around its body. A creature that starts its turn within the area is subjected to the cobalt viper's poison. The poison from this aura is weaker than its bite however, and deals only 1d2 points of Con damage (instead of 1d6 Con damage).

Ecology

Environment: Any , Great Conflagration
Organization: solitary, pair, or nest (3-6)
Treasure: incidental


Cobalt vipers are poisonous snakes found on the Plane of Molten Skies. Whatever magic transported the Steel Garden to that realm is thought to have brought the vipers here as well. They are indigenous to the Garden and are virtually unknown outside of it. A cobalt viper appears to be constructed of metal; in fact its scales are actually a composite of the steel found within the Steel Garden and normal snake scales. How exactly these creatures came to exist is unknown. A typical cobalt viper is about 5 feet long though species up to 12 feet long or more have been sighted.

Cobalt vipers are sometimes hunted by intelligent races for their scales. The scales are taken and fashioned into various pieces of jewelry or used to adorn armor and weapons. Cobalt vipers are highly aggressive predators that prefer to attack from ambush. Normally, a cobalt viper trails its prey allowing its poison aura to sap the target's strength. After its prey is sufficiently weakened, the cobalt viper lunges from its hiding place and strikes.