Library / Bestiary

Sea Serpent

CR 12.00 Magical Beast N Gargantuan
Spine-frilled neck arching up from the water like a snake ready to strike, this ship-sized serpent hisses a challenge.

Tales of immense sea serpents have colored the accounts of seagoing folk since the first ship sailed beyond sight of land. Yet proof of these immense and elusive creatures is remarkably difficult to come by, for not only is the ocean vast and the true sea serpent rare, but these creatures are quite adept at both avoiding capture and destroying ships bent on such a daunting task. Due to the sea serpent's hermitic nature, many sailors take to ascribing the sighting of such a beast to an omen, although whether the sighting portends peril or providence depends as much upon the ship's morale as it does anything else—the sea serpent itself has little interest in prophecy, and only its hunger determines how dangerous its proximity to a curious ship can be.

Although sea serpents are little more than animals, they possess about them an air of mysticism that even old salts and cynics are forced to admit quickens the heart and buoys (or sinks) the spirit. Reports of sea serpent sightings are just as likely to encourage travel as they are to cause panic among seafarers, as explorers and adventurers flock to the site in hopes of sighting such a legendary creature.

Typical sea serpents are 60 feet in length and weigh 4,500 pounds, but their upward size limit is unknown. Certainly, the sea is a vast and mysterious place more than capable of supporting whales and other such leviathans, and tales of sea serpents that exceed lengths of 300 feet or more are not unheard of. You can generate statistics for a sea serpent of such tremendous size by applying the advanced simple template or the giant simple template to the statistics presented here. Alternatively, you can advance this sea serpent to Colossal size, increasing its Hit Dice to 25 and its CR to 18.

STR
34
DEX
14
CON
25
INT
2
WIS
11
CHA
11
HP
187 (15d10+105)
AC
25, touch 8, flat-footed 23 (+2 Dex, +17 natural, -4 size)
Speed
20 ft., swim 60 ft.
Init
+6
Melee
bite +23 (4d8+22/19-20 plus grab), tail slap +18 (3d6+6 plus grab)
Space
20 ft.
Reach
20 ft.
BAB
+15
CMB
+31 (+35 grapple)
CMD
43 (can't be tripped)
Fort
+16
Ref
+13
Will
+7
Defensive Abilities
elusive

Capsize — A sea serpent can attempt to capsize a boat or ship of its size or smaller by ramming it as a charge attack and making a combat maneuver check. The DC of this check is 25 or the result of the boat captain's Profession (sailor) check, whichever is higher.

constrict (3d6+18)

swallow whole (4d8+18 bludgeoning damage, AC 18, hp 18)

Improved Bull Rush from Feat

<p class="stat-block-1"> You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when performing a bull rush combat maneuver. In addition, you receive a +2 bonus on checks made to bull rush a foe. You also receive a +2 bonus to your Combat Maneuver Defense whenever an opponent tries to bull rush you.</p>

Improved Critical from Feat

<p class="stat-block-1"> When using the weapon you selected, your threat range is doubled.</p>

<p class="stat-block-1"> You get a +4 bonus on initiative checks.</p>

Iron Will from Feat

<p class="stat-block-1"> You get a +2 bonus on all Will saving throws.</p>

Lightning Reflexes from Feat

<p class="stat-block-1"> You get a +2 bonus on all Reflex saving throws.</p>

Power Attack from Feat

<p class="stat-block-1"> You can choose to take a &ndash;1 penalty on all melee attack rolls and combat maneuver checks to gain a +2 bonus on all melee damage rolls. This bonus to damage is increased by half (+50%) if you are making an attack with a two-handed weapon, a one handed weapon using two hands, or a primary natural weapon that adds 1-1/2 times your Strength modifier on damage rolls. This bonus to damage is halved (&ndash;50%) if you are making an attack with an off-hand weapon or secondary natural weapon. When your base attack bonus reaches +4, and every 4 points thereafter, the penalty increases by &ndash;1 and the bonus to damage increases by +2. You must choose to use this feat before making an attack roll, and its effects last until your next turn. The bonus damage does not apply to touch attacks or effects that do not deal hit point damage.</p>

Skill Focus from Feat

<p class="stat-block-1"> You get a +3 bonus on all checks involving the chosen skill. If you have 10 or more ranks in that skill, this bonus increases to +6.</p>

Stealthy from Feat

<p class="stat-block-1"> You get a +2 bonus on all Escape Artist and Stealth skill checks. If you have 10 or more ranks in one of these skills, the bonus increases to +4 for that skill.</p>

Perception +8, Stealth +13, Swim +20

Details
Type
Magical Beast
Alignment
N
Size
Gargantuan
Environment
any ocean
Organization
solitary
Treasure
none
Senses
darkvision 120 ft., low-light vision; Perception +8
Source
Bestiary
Sources Used in This Record
8 House/Core
  • Uses feat: Improved Bull Rush (Feat)
    House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
  • Uses feat: Improved Critical (Feat)
    House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
  • Uses feat: Improved Initiative (Feat)
    House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
  • Uses feat: Iron Will (Feat)
    House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
  • Uses feat: Lightning Reflexes (Feat)
    House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
  • Uses feat: Power Attack (Feat)
    House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
  • Uses feat: Skill Focus (Feat)
    House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
  • Uses feat: Stealthy (Feat)
    House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
OGL 1.0a Notice. Pathfinder-derived Open Game Content on this page is used under the Open Game License v1.0a and Section 15 notice.