Sessenek Halfblood (Serpent Folk) (2.5e Race)

Ability Adjustments

+1 Intelligence, +2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma, -1 Constitution

Race Background

The Sessenek more commonly known as Serpentfolk, are an ancient race that some scholars say predate the Yuan-Ti, although their existence has just been discovered. The Sessenek were discovered by an archaeological expedition on some island temples that were half buried and overgrown with jungle. Archaeologists discovered some tunnels that led deep underground and discovered the Serpentfolk as statues surrounding a massive sculpture of a 5 headed snake. The archaeologists examined the sculpture and and read a inscription which transformed the statues into their living counterparts. The Sessenek had apparently been like that for thousands of years.

Sessenek Halfbloods are a subspecies of the Sessenek race, they were created from the union of a Sessenek Pureblood and a Yaun-Ti, They are higher in status than a Yaun-ti in Sessenek society though they are lower than a Pureblooded Sessenek. Sessenek Halfbloods along with their Pureblood brethren were defeated by the elven races and both harbor a deep hatred for them. Halfblooded Sessenek are typically ambassadors or spies for Sessenek Purebloods. They are sometimes known as Ophidian lords, as they sometimes rule over tribes of Ophidians.

Physical Description

Sessenek Halfbloods appear to be a mixture of humanoid and snake, they have the heads of cobras and the body of a man and two muscular arms with 5 fingered hands, however they have no legs only a long serpentine tail. They are covered in scales which can range in a variety of colors from black to brown and green to blue and red to golden and even white. Their eyes are that of snakes, slitted with both inner and outer eyelids. Sessenek halfbloods stand about 5-6ft tall and weigh 150-250lbs, larger ones can be up to 7ft tall and weigh up to 300lbs.

Special Advantages

The hoods of a sessenek halfblood have slits like gills in their underside, from these a sessenek halfblood may excrete an poisonous gas in a 10' diameter cloud around themselves. The gas is not harmful as it will put anyone within the cloud (except the sessenek) to sleep. Anyone within the cloud must make a save vs poison or fall unconscious for 1d2 turns. Anyone who passes the initial saving throw must make consecutive saves on each round that they stay within the cloud with a cumulative -1 penalty per round or until they leave the cloud. The cloud dissipates after 2d4 rounds and it does not follow the sessenek if he/she moves from the area they produced the cloud of gas in.

A Sessenek halfblood also has a venomous bite but it is not lethal, on the contrary it is a weak poison, however those that fail a saving throw vs poison with a +3 bonus will become infected with their mutanagenic venom and begin slowly transforming into either a Sessenek Halfblood or an Ophidian(75% chance of becoming a sessenek and 25% of becoming an Ophidian;see monstrous manual/compendiums for entry on Ophidians). Once infected after 1d10 days the mutagen has become fully active and the victim begins transforming, the transformation takes up to a month to complete, 2d4 days later the victim loses all body hair and patches of scales appear on the victims body, 2d4 days later the legs of the victim begin shrinking and the victim is covered in scales and the head is losing its humanoid shape, 2d4 days later the victims legs have been replaced with a serpentine tail and the head has become a lot more snakelike, 2d4 days later the transformation is complete and the victim is now a sessenek halfblood or an Ophidian. The victim retains its former knowledge and memories however they now have all the abilities of their new species which replaces their previous racial abilities, they also view the sessenek that transformed them as one would view their parent or a trusted friend. A cure disease and neutralize poison spell can be cast on the victim during the transformation process in order to reverse the transformation and cure the victim. Once transformed however only a wish will make the victim revert back to their original form. The venom of a sessenek halfblood can only transform humanoids no larger than an ogre, giant kin humanoids are immune to the effects of their mutanagenic venom, large humanoids become larger versions of a halfblood/ophidian but only a foot or two bigger as their legs make up half their height. Sesseneks may also choose to dry bite instead and not inject venom.

The sessenek halfblood has an innate camouflage ability like a chameleon, they can change their body colors to match their surroundings making them 90% undetectable in natural surroundings without armor or 60% in non-natural surroundings , camouflage only works without armor for only the skin color changes.

Sessenek Halfbloods also have a highly developed sense of taste, they taste the air just like an ordinary snake and may track as a ranger by tasting the air around a trail, footprints, or objects handled/left by their target, each hour since the trail was made incurs a cumulative -1 penalty to their tracking. Due to their highly developed sense they may also attempt to detect poisonous substances by taste, they have a 70% chance to detect common poisons, 50% chance to detect uncommon poisons, 25% chance to detect rare and deadly poisons, and 10% to detect unusual and magical poisons.

A Sessenek Halfblood can constrict only man sized or smaller foes. Upon making 2 successful claw attacks A sessenek halfblood is able to wrap their foe and constrict them, victims may attempt to make a save vs wands in order to avoid the constriction though a sleeping or otherwise immobilized foe may be automatically constricted. Constricted foes who are not sleeping may attempt a BBLG(bend bars lift gates) roll in order to break free, otherwise constriction deals 1d6 points of damage per round and immobilizes the victim. A Sessenek Halfblood cannot move or perform any action while constricting, they must concentrate on constricting their foe otherwise they may release in order to do an action the following round. Foes that are put to sleep by the gas of the sessenek and are then constricted will wake up in 1d4 rounds and may attempt to break free.

Sessenek halfbloods also are immune to poisons, have 60' infravision and may communicate with any serpentine creature. Halfbloods have a movement rate of 9 and can swim at a rate of 18, they also can make 2 claw attacks(1d4/1d4) or a bite attack(1d4).

Special Disadvantages

The Sessenek Halfbloods are cold blooded, if they are exposed to prolonged periods of extreme cold they will fall into a torpor known as cold sleep. A Sessenek halfblood can resist the torpor for 1d10 turns before becoming unconscious. Time can be doubled if a Sessenek halfblood wears insulated clothing or uses other methods to attempt to stay warm, removal from the cold will revive a Sessenek in 2 hours however more than a day in the cold will cause death.

Beautiful music fascinates the Serpentfolk to the point that they go into a trance like state and become highly suggestible as per the suggestion spell. A Sessenek can attempt to not be entranced by the music by a save vs spell modified by wisdom, otherwise they are entranced and begin swaying in tune with the music until the Sessenek is either attacked, suggested to do something or the music stops.

The Sessenek Halfbloods have a great hatred for all elves, so much so that they may become blind with rage and attempt to kill an elf on sight. A Sessenek Halfblood may attempt a wisdom check with a -3 penalty in order to resist the rage, even still though, a Sessenek Halfblood has a -6 reaction penalty when dealing with elves. Elves in turn will automatically recognize a Sessenek Halfblood, and they will either be hostile or fearful towards them(50% of either) upon initial encounter with a Sessenek Halfblood. In battle a Sessenek Halfblood will always seek out and attack elves first and foremost, disregarding other types of combatants.

Armor must be specifically made to fit their unusual forms, normal human/demihuman armor will not fit.

Sessenek halfbloods are often confused with Yuan-ti and Ophidians and as such issues may arise from those who might view them as evil creatures.

Thief skill Adjustments and Other information

• PC's may be any alignment
• The Sessenek mostly worship and revere Serpos (2.5e Deity)
• Average lifespan / starting age is 12 - 500years

+20% climb walls, +10% Move Silently

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