Gray-Scale Inphidian

This hulking brute is covered in slate gray scales. It has the head of a giant venomous snake, and its long, muscular arms end in large snake heads where its hands should be.

Gray-Scale Inphidian (CR 6)

Large Monstrous Humanoid (Reptilian)
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Initiative: -1
Senses: Darkvision 60 feet; Perception +12

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

Defense

Armor Class: 17, touch 8, flat-footed 17 (-1 Dex, +9 natural, -1 size)
Hit Points: 76 (8d10+32)
Saving Throws: Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +7

Offense

Melee: 2 snake-hands +13 (1d8+6 plus poison and Grab), bite +13 (2d6+6/19-20 plus poison)
Reach: 10 feet

Statistics

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
22 (+6)	8 (-1)	18 (+4)	6 (-2)	12 (+1)	12 (+1)

Base Attack Bonus: +8
CMB +15 (+19 Grapple)
CMD 24

Feats: Cleave, Improved Critical (bite)

Skills: Climb +14, Intimidate +8, Perception +12, Stealth +2, Swim +14

Languages: Inphidian

Special Qualities: magic bane (see text)

Special Abilities

Magic Bane (Ex)

There is a 50% chance that any gray-scale encountered has this ability. It grants the gray-scale a +2 bonus on attack and damage rolls against spellcasters. A gray-scale with this special ability also takes a -2 penalty on all saves against spells and spell-like abilities.

Poison (Ex)

Bite-injury; save DC 20 Fort; frequency 1/ round for 6 rounds; effect 1d4 Str and 1d4 Con; cure 2 consecutive saves. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +2 racial bonus.

Uncontrolled Rage

Uncontrolled Rage is a new feat detailed in the appendix.

Ecology

Environment: Warm Forests or Plains or Underground
Organization: solitary or gang (1 gray-scale inphidian plus 2-3 cobra-back inphidians)
Treasure: incidental


The gray-scale inphidian (also called the abomination inphidian) is the result of a magical experiment gone awry. Foul, dark magic brought down by inphidian sorcerers on others of their race resulted in this creature; the strongest of the inphidian race perhaps, but also the most weak-minded and slowest. Most gray-scales seemingly have no memories of their past life or the tortures inflicted on them; those that do however, have both a hatred and fear for magic and those that wield it.

Gray-scales are considered by many inphidian nests to be dangerous, unstable, and an abomination against the race, particularly the gray-scales with the magic bane quality. These feelings, often times come from inphidian night adders (some of whom likely assisted in helping the gray-scale into its current state). Most often, gray-scales are shunned by their inphidian nest and cast out, left to wander the world and survive on their own, by whatever means they can. In some instances, a gray-scale stays with its nest, never fully accepted by many of the other inphidians, but tolerated, feared and respected for their battle skills. In these cases, one or more gray-scales serve as guards for the nest, or the muscle for an inphidian raiding party.

A gray-scale inphidian appears as an 8-foot tall hulking and slightly hunched humanoid with slate gray scales, the head of a giant viper with elongated fangs and red eyes, and the distinguishing inphidian characteristic: the heads of vipers in place of its hands. They shun wearing both armor and clothing. Gray-scales understand the Inphidian language, but seemingly have trouble speaking it; communicating in a slow and broken tone.

Perhaps a side-effect of the experiments conducted on them, or perhaps by design, but no sightings of female gray-scales have ever been reported. Likewise, gray-scales appear to be sterile, unable to reproduce with others of the inphidian race.

In battle, a gray-scale inphidian prefers to overwhelm its opponents with its pure strength instead of attacking from ambush. It lashes out with both snake hands followed closely with a vicious bite from its viper head. A grabbed opponent is repeatedly bitten by the gray-scale until either it is dead or wounded enough to be out of the fight. The gray-scale then turns its attention to another opponent. If faced with a spellcasting opponent, it usually focuses all attention in the spellcaster's direction, even pushing through other opponents to get to the spellcaster.