Sepia Snake

Huge monstrosity, neutral

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 147 (14d12 + 56)
Speed 40 ft., fly 50 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
23 (+6)	16 (+3)	19 (+4)	4 (-3)	13 (+1)	19 (+4)

Saving Throws Dexterity +7, Constitution +8
Skills Perception +9, Stealth +7
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities poisoned, prone
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 19
Languages –
Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)

Special Traits

• Flyby. The sepia snake doesn’t provoke an opportunity attack when it flies out of an enemy’s reach.
• Gaze. When a creature that can see the sepia snake’s eyes starts its turn within 30 feet of the sepia snake, the snake can force it to make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw if the sepia snake isn’t incapacitated and can see the creature. On failure, the creature is frightened for 1 minute. Unless surprised, a creature can avert its eyes to avoid the saving throw at the start of its turn. If the creature does so, it can’t see the sepia snake until the start of its next turn, when it can avert its eyes again. If the creature looks at the sepia snake in the meantime, it must immediately attempt the save. While averting its eyes, any attacks on the sepia snake are done at disadvantage.

Actions

• Multiattack. The sepia snake makes two melee attacks: one with its bite and one with its tail sting.
• Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) piercing damage. The target is grappled (escape DC 16) if the sepia snake isn’t already grappling a creature, and the target is restrained until the grapple ends. While the snake has a creature grappled with its bite, it can’t bite a different creature.
• Tail Sting. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (2d12 + 6) piercing damage and 27 (6d8) poison damage, and the target must make a successful DC 16 Constitution saving throw or is paralyzed for 1 minute. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself with a success.
• Cocoon (Recharge 5-6). A sepia snake can fire a line of webbing to a range of 20 feet. Creatures in this area must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, the creature is restrained by webbing. If a creature is completely covered in webbing, it must make a successful DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be placed in a state of magical suspended animation for 1d4 + 12 days. During this time, the creature does not need food or water. In one round, the sepia snake can spit enough webbing to cover one Medium or smaller creature. For each size category larger than Medium, the snake must fire another line of webbing to completely encase an opponent. As an action, creatures hit by the webbing but not completely covered can make a DC 16 Strength check, bursting the webbing on a success. A creature that is completely wrapped in the webbing cannot break free and must rely on others to remove the webs. The webbing can be attacked and destroyed (AC 10; hp 10; vulnerability to fire damage; immunity to bludgeoning, poison, and psychic damage).

About

Winglessly flying forth, a monstrously-sized anaconda-like serpent descends from the sky. Its 30-foot body is nearly two-feet thick and covered in muddy brown scales with strange patterns and symbols on its dorsal side. Large glowing yellow orbs set in its wide, triangular head emit a haunting glare and arching its tail aggressively, it exposes a vicious looking barbed stinger.

Wizards and other sages well-versed in arcane lore agree that the sepia snake was the inspiration for the spell sepia snake sigil. The similarities between the creature and the spell are simply too great to be coincidental. Though a sepia snake can be found just about anywhere, it usually makes its lair deep underground in abandoned mines, dungeons, or subterranean caverns. It has been said that to look into the eyes of the sepia snake is to look into one’s own doom. A sepia snake begins combat by using its gaze on what it believes to be its most dangerous opponents so it can safely deal with them later.