Blade Hood

Large beast, unaligned

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
18 (+4)	15 (+2)	14 (+2)	2 (-4)	12 (+1)	16 (+3)

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 45 (6d10 + 12)
Speed 40 ft.
Skills Athletics +8, Intimidation +7, Perception +3, Stealth +4
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages –
Challenge 2 (450 XP)

Special Traits

• Constrict. The blade hood squeezes a grappled target, causing 7 (1d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage and 8 (1d8 + 4) slashing damage.
• Quick Strike. The blade hood can spend its movement to coil itself up without moving and then use its bonus action to lash out at a target within 20 feet of it, making a grab attack.

Actions

• Grab. Melee Weapon Attack. +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: the target is grappled (escape DC 18) and takes 8 (1d8 + 4) slashing damage.

Tactics

Blade hoods only attack when their territories are trespassed, or they are directly threatened. On rare occasions they attack medium prey if food is scarce. They will approach cautiously, trying to sneak up on prey, then using their quick strike feature to launch themselves at a target. Determining a blade hood’s territory can be difficult, as they often see entire caves as their own. The only tell-tale sign of a being in a blade hood area is the shed snakeskin and carcasses it leaves behind on its trail.

Description

Large, cunning serpents, blade hoods inhabit wilderness areas, making their lairs underground or in tall grass. Although not venomous, their sheer size and vicious natural blades make them a dangerous serpent.

As their name implies, they have a series of razor-sharp scales on the outside of their hoods. They usually come in variations of violet and rose, with tan belly scales. Adults reach an average length of 20 feet uncoiled, although much larger specimens have been reported. Their dense musculature can crush even heavily-armored, man-size prey with ease.

Serpent’s Maneuvering. The blade hood’s most distinctive feature are the knifelike growths that emerge from its hood and flanks, protruding immediately behind its jaws and covering its upper back. When the serpent inflates its hood, these long scales spread out like the spokes on a chariot wheel. The serpent uses these appendages to tear through clustered prey or strike solitary targets with a devastating slashing attack. The shorter blades running the length of the snake’s sides are used to shred constricted victims.

Selected Prey. Blade hoods burrow deep lairs that usually have at least one chamber. If a serpent kills several creatures at once, it devours one immediately and drags the other back to its lair for later consumption, leaving the rest to rot. Valuables are occasionally left in the dust of these chambers or scattered en route.