[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.
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