[Sponsored by Kodey Bruno. Horned serpents are a common archetype in indigenous North American mythologies, but there's a lot of variation within them. The uktena, a Cherokee iteration, is unusual in that much of the existing information about them is instead about the ulunsuti, the gemstone in their forehead that can be used as a powerful (but dangerous) magical tool. So I wanted to do right by the ulunsuti as much as cover the uktena itself. The artwork was originally on deviantArt (and I've used the same artist's work for my piasa), but the artist deleted their account.
If you'd like to join Kodey in sponsoring your own monsters, or just want to help a girl out, check out the Creature Codex Patreon here!]
UktenaCR 12 CE Magical BeastThis enormous serpent has the horns of a mighty elk growing from its head. Sitting in between the horns is a glittering gemstone. Its scales are banded with bright rings of color, and spikes grow along the sides of its tail.
An uktena is a wicked horned serpent that despises all the sunlit world, but is sometimes sought out for its powers of divination. In the mythic past, uktenas opposed the divine power of the sun, and as such sunlight burns their flesh and causes them to wither and die. They now lair in dark places, like mountain caves and the deepest depths of freshwater, emerging only at night. The magic gemstone in their skull, called the ulunsuti, allows them to see faraway places and predict the future. If they find humans in their vicinity, they strike, punishing them for what they see as the sun’s favor.
At the uktena’s will, the ulunsuti can glow brightly, acting as a lure that draws victims closer and renders them unable to resist its bites and gores. The venom of an uktena rots flesh rapidly, and they can breathe this in a cone to wither multiple foes at once. Uktenas fight to the death, as much out of spite as anything. They know that a creature who slays them is cursed, and one by one their family members will die suddenly, leaving them alone in the world. For some slayers, this is a price worth paying, for the ulunsuti of an uktena can be harnessed into a powerful tool.
The Ulunsuti
If an uktena’s ulunsuti is removed from its corpse, a creature can attune to it with a successful DC 20 Spellcraft or Use Magic Device check. A creature that fails that check can attempt again in one week’s time, and the ulunsuti can only be attuned to a single creature. When attuned, the ulunsuti acts as a crystal ball with a drawback—it must be bathed in the blood of a recently slain creature every week by the creature it is attuned to. Most ulunsuti users use the blood of small game such as birds or rabbits. If the ulunsuti is not properly bathed, it animates 24 hours later as a will-o-wisp with hardness 8 that deals fire damage instead of electricity damage with its touch. This will-o-wisp then takes the blood it needs itself, usually from the community of the ulunsuti user, for a night before returning to its inanimate form. If this will-o-wisp is slain, the ulunsuti is destroyed.
Uktena CR 12
XP 19,200
CE Huge magical beast (aquatic)
Init +4; Senses blindsense 60 ft., darkivision 60 ft., Perception +17, scent
Defense
AC 27, touch 12, flat-footed 23 (-2 size, +4 Dex, +15 natural)
hp 157 (15d10+75)
Fort +14, Ref +13, Will +11; +8 vs. mind-influencing effects
DR 10/magic; Immune divination, poison; SR 23
Weakness sunlight sickness
Offense
Speed 40 ft., climb 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
Melee bite +19 (2d6+6/19-20 plus poison), gore +19 (2d8+6), tail slap +14 (1d8+3)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks death curse, luring light, poison breath
Spell-like Abilities CL 12th, concentration +16 (+20 casting defensively)
Constant—mind blank
At will—anticipate thoughts (DC 16), clairaudience/clairvoyance, scrying (DC 18)
3/day—commune with nature, divination
1/day—moment of prescience
Statistics
Str 22, Dex 19, Con 21, Int 15, Wis 18, Cha 18
Base Atk +15; CMB +23; CMD 37
Feats Cleave, Combat Casting, Great Cleave, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Vital Strike, Iron Will, Power Attack, Vital Strike
Skills Climb +22, Knowledge (history, nature) +18, Perception +17, Stealth +18, Swim +22; Racial Modifiers +4 Knowledge (history, nature), +4 Stealth
Languages Aklo, Draconic
SQ amphibious, thagomizer
Ecology
Environment temperate aquatic and underground
Organization solitary
Treasure special (see above)
Special Abilities
Death Curse (Su) When an uktena is slain, the creature that strikes the killing blow must succeed a DC 21 Will save or be cursed. Immediately upon failing this save, and once per week thereafter, a random member of the slayer’s family is affected as if by a slay living spell (CL 12th, DC 19). This curse is permanent until removed. The save DC is Charisma based.
Luring Light (Su) As a standard action, an uktena can cause the gem in its forehead to project bright light in a 60 foot cone. All creatures in the cone must succeed a DC 21 Will save or become captivated, moving towards the light using the most direct means possible. If the path leads to a dangerous area, the subject receives a second saving throw to shake off the effect. Captivated creatures can take no actions except to move and to defend themselves. A creature within 5 feet of the uktena simply stands and offers no resistance to the uktena’s attacks, acting as if flat-footed and suffering a -2 penalty on any saving throws on spells or effects generated by the uktena. If the uktena attacks such a creature, it gets another saving throw to break free of the effect. An uktena must spend a move action each turn to maintain the luring light. A creature that succeeds its save cannot be affected by that uktena’s luring light for the next 24 hours. This is a visual mind-influencing compulsion effect, and the save DC is Charisma based.
Poison (Ex) Bite or poison breath—contact; save Fort DC 22; duration 1/round for 4 rounds; effect 1d4 Con damage; cure 2 consecutive saves. The save DC is Constitution based.
Poison Breath (Ex) An uktena can breathe its poison in a 30 foot cone as a standard action. It can use this ability three times per day, but must wait 1d4 rounds between uses.
Sunlight Sickness (Ex) An uktena is sickened in natural sunlight, and takes 1 point of Constitution damage every minute it remains in the sun.
Thagomizer (Ex) An uktena’s tail slap attack deals bludgeoning and piercing damage.
Welp, the Archives of Nethys lost their partnership with Paizo. This means they're taking down the legacy PRD, which was my preferred site for years! Expect a lot more broken links in the reruns, which I will try to remember to fix.
Still from Chasing the Kidneystone, aka Body Troopers (1996)
[Yet again, I have seen an absolutely wild movie thanks to @bowelfly, and have been compelled to write up one of the monsters from it. Chasing the Kidneystoneis a Norwegian children's film about a kid who goes inside his grandpa's body in order to defeat the kidney stone monsters causing him pain, meeting different characters representing cells and organs along the way, and also helping him break through the suppressed pain of losing his wife at a young age. Think a combination of Fantastic Voyage, Alice in Wonderland, and the Kubler Ross stages of grief. Lots of fantastic costume and design work, and the kidney stone monsters are probably the coolest. They're played by acrobats, so lots of jumping and flipping, which I wanted to convey in the entry. In adapting this into game statistics, I made them the relative size they are to the shrunken character, rather than forcing GMs to set up a Fantastic Voyage scenario in order to use them. The name is a portmanteau of natron for salt and Spenjaghra, a div associated with drought. I linked them to my other drought div in the flavor text.
If you'd like to support my writing, check out the Creature Codex Patreon here!]
Div, Natjaghra
CR 5 NE Outsider (extraplanar)
This humanoid creature is made out of an assemblage of whitish crystals, which are longest and sharpest on its back and claws. Its head is angular and eyeless, with a crest of crystals running down the back of its skull. It carries a large pick.
The natjaghras are divs of thirst, particularly the effects that affliction can have on the body long term. They delight in slowly tormenting their victims by giving them kidney stones, leaving them reeling with pain for weeks or even months. During this time, the natjaghra will periodically check in on their victim, ensuring that their suffering is amplified by cursing them with supernatural thirst, laying traps around their homes, or magically destroying their food and drink. These sadistic reprisals may give a creature the opportunity to slay the div, but natjaghras are sociable creatures and may recruit more and more of their kind to join the fun on subsequent visits.
Natjaghras are blind, sensing the world around them through sound, smell and vibrations. They favor heavy picks for their piercing blows and use for dismantling objects, but their claws and horns are deadly even when they are unarmed. Natjaghras are surprisingly agile, and often weave between opponents, leaping across the battlefield to inflict kidney stones and strike at vulnerable party members. Fresh water melts a natjaghra’s rocky flesh like acid does to an ordinary mortal. Natjaghras are somewhat cowardly creatures, preferring to flee a battle after trading blows if they cannot quickly win, then circling around to amplify their enemies’ torments. If their enemies are able to bring water against them, however, the natjaghras are likely to flee for good.
By the standards of divs, natjaghras are brutish and dim-witted. They prefer to live in the Material Plane in order to have more opportunities to make mortals suffer, but restrict themselves to the driest habitats. Their lairs are often caves and crevasses that natjaghras can navigate in three dimensions. Natjaghras rarely make plans beyond picking targets for repeated torture, but they can be rallied by smarter divs like pairakas and apaush to become threats to a whole region.
Natjaghra CR 5
XP 1,600
NE Medium outsider (div, earth, evil, extraplanar)
Init +3; Senses blindsight 60 ft., blind, Perception +10
Defense
AC 18, touch 14, flat-footed 14 (+3 Dex, +1 dodge, +4 natural)
hp 57 (6d10+24)
Fort +6, Ref +8, Will +6
DR 5/bludgeoning and good; Immune fire, poison, visual spells and effects; Resist acid 10, electricity 10; SR 16
Weakness vulnerable to water
Offense
Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft.
Melee 2 claws +9 (1d4+3), gore +9 (1d6+3) or masterwork pick +10/+5 (1d6+3/x4), claw +4 (1d4+1), gore +4 (1d6+1)
Special Attacks touch of stones
Spell-like Abilities CL 6th, concentration +8
At will—detect good, detect magic, putrefy food and drink (DC 12)
3/day—cup of dust (DC 15), dimension door, ray of enfeeblement (DC 13)
1/day—spike stones (DC 16), summon (level 4, 1 natjghra 25%)
Statistics
Str 16, Dex 16, Con 18, Int 9, Wis 13, Cha 15
Base Atk +6; CMB +9; CMD 23
Feats Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack
Skills Acrobatics +12, Climb +15, Intimidate +10, Perception +10, Stealth +12 (+16 in rocky environments), Survival +10; Racial Bonuses +4 Stealth in rocky environments
Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Infernal, telepathy 100 ft.
SQ master leaper, slow fall (50 ft.)
Ecology
Environment warm mountains and deserts (Abaddon)
Organization solitary, pair or gang (3-8)
Treasure standard (masterwork heavy pick, other treasure)
Special Abilities
Master Leaper (Ex) A natjaghra can make Acrobatics checks made to jump without penalty without a running start. If it does get a running start, it doubles the distance traveled.
Slow Fall (Su) A natjaghra takes falling damage as if the fall was 50 feet shorter. Regardless of whether it takes falling damage or not, it always lands on its feet.
Touch of Stones (Su) As a standard action, a natjaghra can touch a living creature to give it kidney stones. A creature touched must succeed a DC 15 Fortitude save or be sickened. Every day, the creature can attempt another DC 15 Fortitude save to pass the stone, taking 1d4 points of slashing damage but removing the penalty. Otherwise, the stones are permanent unless removed with a remove disease or similar effect. A creature that succeeds its save against a natjaghra’s touch of stones is immune to that natjghra’s touch for the next 24 hours. The save DC is Charisma based.
Vulnerable to Water (Ex) A splash of fresh water deals 1d6 points of damage to a natjaghra. Immersion in fresh water deals 10d6 points of damage a round (no save). Water spells and effects that deal damage are treated as empowered, dealing 150% damage, when used against a natjaghra.
[The lagodaemon joins my cockentrice as part of a recurring series of food themed monsters. In this case, the inspiration was rabbit starvation, a form of malnutrition from consuming nothing but lean protein by rugged (read: stupid) men during the Age of Exploration. The problem is that malnutrition doesn't exist in Pathfinder; there's rules for starvation, which kills very slowly, and a realistic equivalent of malnutrition would kill even more slowly. So it took me a while to figure out how I wanted to model it mechanically, before hitting on a riff on the geas/quest spell. And, because it's me, developing a rabbit themed monster became a means of adapting a specific Bugs Bunny cartoon. It's Hare Tonic, btw.
I'm not dying of malnutrition, thank Holda, but the Creature Codex Patreon does put food on my table. Chip in, won't you?]
Daemon, Lagodaemon
CR 7 NE Outsider (extraplanar)
This tall humanoid is monstrously gaunt, with its ribs and hip bones visible underneath its skin. Its skin is covered in suppurating sores, and its hands and feet bear curved claws. Its head is a parody of a rabbit’s skull, albeit with fleshy ears.
Lagodaemons are cruel tricksters that represent death by malnutrition. Their bodies are rabbit like, but they have a surprising affinity for passing themselves off as human. As little as a white coat and a stethoscope can have people assuming that a lagodaemon is really a doctor, for example, and most lagodaemons carry a number of costumes and wigs on hand in order to be able to change their role on the fly. Lagodaemons are social creatures, and use their gift of gab with magical compulsions to convince people to focus their diets on a particular type of food, reject eating some type of food, or simply to cut their diet down to the bare minimum. People who succumb to this dietary geas begin to waste away with alarming speed, although they remain convinced that their new diet is in fact helping them. Attempting to resume normal eating habits without magical intervention causes rapid and dramatic pain and weakness, bolstering these delusions. Once victims are weakened to the point of frailty, the lagodaemon strikes to finish them off.
A lagodaemon will gladly fight to defend itself and eliminate any naysayers before its magical malnutrition can take its full effect. They have sharp teeth and claws, but their primary strengths are magical; those fighting a lagodaemon can be afflicted with magical starvation, horrible rashes and weakening beams. The bite of a lagodaemon carries the dread disease rabbititis, which causes spots before the eyes, coating of the tongue, violent fits, blindness, and delusions of being a rabbit. Especially brazen lagodaemons will loop back around to rabbititis infected patients in a different guise, claiming that their affliction can be cured with just the right change to their diet.
It is thought that the first lagodaemons were created by the meladaemons in order to have a servitor species to push around without having to deal with the goals of other Horsemen or daemonic lineages. If that is the case, it was a decidedly mixed success, as the charming lagodaemons are very good at getting daemons of multiple types to cooperate. They are especially successful as liaisons between leukodaemons and meladaemons, as the malnutrition they spread causes mortals to be much more susceptible to diseases. Their shared skill at manipulating mortal behavior makes them natural allies of placebodaemons, and the two types often work together to soften up a city to prepare it for a mass casualty event.
Lagodaemon CR 7
XP 3,200
NE Medium outsider (daemon, evil, extraplanar)
Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +16
Defense
AC 20, touch 14, flat-footed 16 (+4 Dex, +6 natural)
hp 85 (9d10+36)
Fort +7, Ref +10, Will +8
DR 5/good and bludgeoning; Immune acid, death effects, disease, poison; Resist cold 10, electricity 10, fire 10; SR 18
Offense
Speed 40 ft.
Melee 2 claws +12 (1d6+3), bite +12 (1d6+3 plus disease)
Special Attacks dietary geas
Spell-like Abilities CL 7th, concentration +11 (+15 casting defensively)
At will—fabricate disguise, greater teleport (self plus 50 lbs objects), misdirection (DC 16)
3/day—feast of ashes (DC 16), pox pustules (DC 16), ray of exhaustion (DC 17)
1/day—blight (DC 18), explosion of rot (DC 18), hollow heroism (DC 18)
Statistics
Str 17, Dex 19, Con 18, Int 15, Wis 14, Cha 18
Base Atk +9; CMB +12; CMD 26
Feats Alertness, Combat Casting, Confabulist, Improved Initiative, Persuasive
Skills Acrobatics +16 (+20 jumping), Bluff +18, Diplomacy +13, Disguise +18, Knowledge (local) +9, Knowledge (planes) +14, Perception +16, Sense Motive +16
Languages Abyssal, Common, Daemonic, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 100 ft.
SQ paper thin disguise
Ecology
Environment any land or underground (Abaddon)
Organization solitary, pair or warren (3-8)
Treasure standard
Special Abilities
Dietary Geas (Su) By spending 1 full round talking with a creature, a lagodaemon can compel it to change its diet in such a way to cause harm. An affected creature must succeed a DC 18 Will save to resist this effect, otherwise it is affected as by a geas/quest spell that compels it to only eat a particular food or to cut a particular food out of its diet completely. If the creature refuses to follow the geas, its ability scores are penalized as normal: if the creature follows the geas, it suffers a -2 penalty to its Constitution score each day, to a maximum of -12. As usual for the geas spell, these penalties cannot decrease a creature’s ability scores below 1. A creature suffering Constitution penalties from a dietary geas does not recognize that it is suffering penalties and believes that its new diet is beneficial. This effect is permanent, but can be removed with a remove curse, break enchantment, or similar effect. The penalties to Constitution accrued by this effect recover at a rate of 1 per day after the dietary geas is lifted. This is a mind-influencing curse effect and the save DC is Charisma based.
Disease (Ex) Rabbititis; bite—injury; save Fort DC 18; onset 1 minute; frequency 1/day; effect 1d4 Wis damage; if subject takes more than 2 points of Wis damage, subject treats all creatures as if they had concealment for 1 day; if subject takes 4 Wis damage, subject must succeed an additional Fortitude save or be permanently blinded; cure 2 consecutive saves. The save DC is Constitution based.
Paper Thin Disguise (Ex) A lagodaemon does not take penalties to disguise itself as a different species, gender or age, so long as it is wearing appropriate clothing, makeup and/or wigs to suit the role it is playing. Creatures immune to charm effects ignore this ability.
[Sponsored by Jasper Crow on the Patreon. I've been doing a number of mermaid themed monsters lately, so I figured this would be a fun Monster Hunter beastie to cover. In the interests of not driving the GM crazy, I did simplify it a bit from its game incarnation, mostly in terms of winnowing down its abilities where there were multiple options to choose from. A typical fight in Pathfinder 1e only lasts 3-5 rounds, so I figure that with a monster with four showcase abilities, giving its shell cracking ability as many options as are in MHR:S would just be gilding the lily. And blastblight isn't a thing in Pathfinder anyway.
If you'd like to join Jasper Crow in sponsoring your own monsters, head on over to the Creature Codex Patreon here]
Somnacanth
CR 10 CN Dragon
This sinuous quadrupedal reptile has yellow scales and large purple fins along its head, back and tail. Smaller yellow fins grow on its forelimbs, as do long curved claws. Glowing blue patches illuminate the underside of its neck and tail. Its face is short and surprisingly human-like, with an overbite and short horns growing from its brow.
The somnacanth is an aquatic dragon with otter-like behaviors. They often swim on their backs, and feed on shellfish, which they crack open on the hardened scales of their belly. The presence of a somnacanth is a sign of large stocks of mollusks, crustaceans or echinoderms, which they guard violently from other foragers, including humanoids. Somnacanths sing eerie songs, which are sometimes mistaken for the songs of mermaids, sirens and other more intelligent species.
A somnacanth will attack creatures they think pose a threat to their shellfish beds, or in order to claim a beach as part of their territory. Somnacanths use their soporific breath as much as possible, putting foes to sleep before striking them with their long claws and the razor sharp fin that grows on the back of their head. They are much faster in water than on land, and when stopping to fight, rear up and balance on their tails in order to increase their reach. If foes clump up, a somnacanth will drop forward from this posture to land on enemies and crush them with its body weight. Against creatures that are resistant to sleep, like other dragons, the somnacanth will conjure magical shells that erupt with stunning sonic force. Somnacanths are quick to flee a losing battle, but if cornered will fight to the death.
Somnacanths are sapient but not very intelligent, being preoccupied mostly with finding and guarding food. Their songs can echo for miles, delineating territories, boasting of combat achievements and advertising mating status. Sea drakes sometimes listen for these songs in order to find somnacanths to attack and territories to raid—the battles between these two species are legendary for their ferocity. True dragons, such as bronze and brine dragons, view somnacanths as something of country cousins and pay them little heed. In turn, somnacanths view true dragons with envious awe, and may hunt their wyrmlings to prevent them from growing old enough to steal the somnacanth’s territory.
Somnacanth CR 10
XP 9,600
CN Huge dragon (aquatic)
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Perception +15, scent
Defense
AC 24, touch 13, flat-footed 19 (-2 size, +4 Dex, +1 dodge, +11 natural)
hp 126 (12d12+48)
Fort +12, Ref +12, Will +11
DR 10/magic; Immune paralysis, sleep; SR 21
Offense
Speed 20 ft., swim 80 ft.
Melee razor fin +16 (2d6+6/19-20), 2 claws +16 (1d8+6)
Ranged 4 quills +14 (1d8+6 plus trip)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Special Attacks crush, soporific breath, stun shell
Statistics
Str 23, Dex 19, Con 18, Int 5, Wis 16, Cha 14
Base Atk +12; CMB +18; CMD 33
Feats Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Critical (razor fin), Mobility, Point Blank Shot, Power Attack
Skills Acrobatics +13, Perception +15, Perform (sing) +11, Swim +26
Languages Draconic
SQ amphibious, luminous
Ecology
Environment cold and temperate aquatic
Organization solitary or pair
Treasure standard
Special Abilities
Crush (Ex) As a standard action, a somnacanth can land on foes in an area equal to its space. Medium or smaller creatures in the area must succeed a DC 22 Reflex save or be pinned and take 2d8+9 points of bludgeoning damage. If the somnacanth chooses to maintain the pin, it must succeed CMB checks as normal; pinned foes take bludgeoning damage every round if they don’t escape. The save DC is Strength based.
Luminous (Ex) A somnacanth radiates dim illumination in a 5 foot radius.
Quills (Ex) As a standard action, a somnacanth can fire up to four quills. Treat these as ranged attacks with a range of 120 feet and no range increment that deal piercing damage on a successful hit. All targets of the quills launched in a single action must be within 30 feet of each other. A somnacanth that hits a creature with a quill can make a CMB check to trip that creature as a free action without provoking attacks of opportunity—if a single target is struck by multiple quills, the somnacanth gains an additional +1 bonus to the CMB roll per quill. A somnacanth can fire up to 40 quills a day.
Razor Fin (Ex) The razor fin of a somnacanth is a primary natural weapon that deals slashing damage.
Soporific Breath (Su) As a standard action, a somnacanth can breath glittering blue dust in a 60 foot line or 30 foot cone. All creatures in the area must succeed a DC 20 Fortitude save or fall asleep for 1 minute. Sleeping creatures are helpless, but can be awoken with a standard action or if they take damage from an attack. A somnacanth can use this ability once every 1d4 rounds. The save DC is Constitution based.
Stun Shell (Su) As a standard action, a somnacanth can conjure a shell and crack it open on its belly, creating a burst of concussive energy. All creatures in a 30 foot cone take 6d6 points of sonic damage and are stunned for 1 round. A successful DC 18 Fortitude save halves the damage and negates the stun effect. A somnacanth can use this ability three times per day, and must wait 1d4 rounds between uses. The save DC is Charisma based.
Hi. Im on a mad quest to document all of the obediences in Pathfinder, 1st and 3rd party. I've started looking through your content and noticed your Empyreal Lords don't have any. Would you be willing to share what you think they would be?
Short answer: no. Long answer: eventually.
I didn't give my two empryeal lords, Holda and Glycon obediences or boons because those are a fair amount of work. Celestial boons grant a unique ability at each stage instead of simply being a spell-like ability. And when I was capable of churning out a monster a day (sigh), I didn't want to slow down to write player facing mechanics I thought were even less likely to be used than a stat block for a good aligned CR 21+ monster.
But if there is demand for those, I could write them. Eventually. It's not going to be a top priority, but I do have another older entry I want to revise on account of consistency and completionism. When I get around to rebalancing Ogremoch (which will be in a couple of months, most likely), I can also revisit the empryeal lords and give them some obediences and boons
[The jaculus originally was a Roman legendary snake, one of many ludicrously lethal serpents encountered by Lucan's armies in Libya in his epic Pharsalia. For some reason, in D&D it's always been inherently plural as "jaculi". The Fiend Folio version always confused me; since it doesn't do more damage with its plummeting charge and isn't venomous, why use it over a normal snake? Rereading the entry for this project, and seeing references to them eating algae and insects and living in groups of up to 40, made me realize that the AD&D jaculi is intended as a piercer analogue. If you find the idea of killer stalactite mollusks showing up in outdoor adventures ridiculous, replace them with killer javelin snakes! In 3.5's Forgotten Realms book Serpent Kingdoms, the "jaculi" became sapient, psionic and rather stronger than the original 1 HD version. I am ignoring that take on the jaculus while making the 1e version a bit more like the folkloric jaculus (making it smaller, having the gore actually be more dangerous on a charge) while also making it more like a plausible speculative animal.
Incidentally, the name jaculus appears in the scientific literature associated with multiple North African animals. The genus name for jerboas is Jaculus, and Eryx jaculus is the javelin sand boa. Sand boas in general are noted for being folklorically lethal despite being harmless, probably because of their elaborate threat displays. Greek "snake bombs", which were clay pots filled with snakes catapulted at the enemy, included sand boas as much as they did venomous snakes (which is credited for being why E. jaculus is found in places like Sicily and Romania), and sand boas in Mongolia are identified with the olgoi-khorkhoi, the notorious Mongolian Death Worm.
If you appreciate all the research that goes into my monster writing, please join the Creature Codex Patreon. ]
Jaculus
CR ½ N Animal
This snake is long and sinuous, with eye spots covering the scales of its body. Its head is angular, and the large scales reinforcing the head give it the impression of being a living javelin.
The jaculi are unusual snakes in that they hunt large game in groups. They are ambush predators capable of surviving in a wide variety of habitats, although they require vegetation such as trees or shrubs to hunt. When waiting in ambush, a jaculus can change the color of its scales to better blend in with its habitat. A jaculus is not venomous, but instead uses the scales on its head and its ability to spring great distances to launch itself at prey like a missile. Multiple jaculi often attack the same target, the most impatient serpent launching itself and the rest following its example to bring down a prey item. Once on the ground, jaculi change their colors to bright display, hoping to scare off a response with the speed of their initial attack. This is because a jaculus relies on momentum as much as strength for its blows, and once grounded is relatively weak.
Like most snakes, jaculi live lives of quick bursts of energy followed by extensive periods of rest. Their fast twitch muscles and leaping ability require more food than usual for a snake of its size, but still less than a mammalian predator of the same size. Most jaculi eat somewhere between once a week and once a month. Their usual prey are ungulates ranging in size from goats to camels, but they will not hesitate to attack humanoids if particularly hungry. Jaculi have small and inflexible mouths for snakes, but uniquely can slice off strips of meat with their head scales and swallow prey in pieces. Jaculi are not sexually dimorphic, but males change color dramatically during their mating displays, showing bands and ripples of color in order to impress females and scare off rival males. Eggs are laid in communal dens and multiple females rotate in and out to guard the eggs. Parental care extends a few weeks after hatching, whereupon the young disperse to find their own hunting grounds.
Jaculi as Animal Companions
Starting Statistics: Size Small; Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft; AC +1 natural armor; Attack gore (1d4); Ability Scores Str 12, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 5; Special Attacks javelin charge; Special Qualities low-light vision, scent
4th Level Advancement Ability Scores Str +2, Con +2
Jaculus CR ½
XP 200
N Small animal
Init +6; Senses low-light vision, Perception +6, scent
Defense
AC 14, touch 13, flat-footed 12 (+1 size, +2 Dex, +1 natural)
hp 6 (1d8+1)
Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +2
Offense
Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
Melee gore +2 (1d4+1)
Special Attacks javelin charge (gore, 2d4+2)
Statistics
Str 12, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 5
Base Atk +0; CMB +0; CMD 12 (cannot be tripped)
Feats Improved Initiative
Skills Climb +9, Perception +6, Stealth +14; Racial Modifiers +8 Stealth
Ecology
Environment warm and temperate land
Organization solitary, knot (2-5) or grove (6-20)
Treasure none
Special Abilities
Javelin Charge (Ex) Once per minute, a jaculus can launch itself up to 60 feet in a straight line as part of a charge. When doing so from a height, it ignores falling damage from the first 30 feet fallen. Creatures struck by a jaculus’ javelin charge take double damage, as if from the powerful charge ability.
