| Hit Dice: | 16d10+40 (128 hp) |
| Initiative: | +9 |
| Speed: | 50 ft. (10 squares), burrow 30 ft., climb 20 ft. |
| Armor Class: | 26 (–2 size, +9 Dex, +9 natural), touch 17, flat-footed 17 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +12/+27 |
| Attack: | Bite +17 melee (1d6+10 plus electricity) |
| Full Attack: | Bite +17 melee (1d6+10 plus electricity) |
| Space/Reach: | 15 ft./10 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Constrict 2d8+10, improved grab, shocking bite |
| Special Qualities: | Construct traits, damage reduction 10/adamantine, darkvision 60 ft., electric healing, low-light vision, spell resistance 21 |
| Saves: | Fort +5, Ref +14, Will +6 |
| Abilities: | Str 25, Dex 28, Con —, Int —, Wis 13, Cha 3 |
| Skills: | Climb +15 |
| Feats: | — |
| Environment: | Any land and underground |
| Organization: | Solitary, pair, or cluster (3–5) |
| Challenge Rating: | 10 |
| Treasure: | None |
| Alignment: | Always neutral |
| Advancement: | 17–32 HD (Huge); 33–48 HD (Gargantuan) |
| Level Adjustment: | — |
First seen in tropical lands, bronze serpents are golemlike guardians that resemble the serpent gods whose temples they once protected. Over the course of centuries, the secret of the creatures’ construction has spread far and wide, so now they may appear anywhere.
A bronze serpent is a 20-foot-long snake built of articulated bronze rings. Its eyes glow blue-white, and its powerful jaws are equipped with impressive fangs that drip fat electrical sparks instead of venom.
A bronze serpent cannot speak, but it can understand simple instructions in its creator’s language.
A bronze serpent usually concentrates its initial attacks on the creatures that appear most vulnerable to its shocking bite. Once it hits with that attack, it wraps its body around the opponent, then continues biting while it constricts.
Constrict (Ex): With a successful grapple check, a bronze serpent can crush a grabbed opponent, dealing 2d8+10 points of bludgeoning damage.
Improved Grab (Ex): If a bronze serpent hits an opponent that is at least one size category smaller than itself with a bite attack, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it gets a hold, it can also constrict in the same round. Thereafter, the creature has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use its jaws to hold the opponent (–20 penalty on grapple check, but the bronze serpent is not considered grappled). In either case, each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals bite and constrict damage.
Shocking Bite (Su): A bronze serpent’s bite deals 1d8+16 points of electricity damage in addition to the normal bite damage. The creature receives a +3 bonus on attack rolls against any opponent that is made out of metal, wearing metal armor, or carrying a a significant amount of metal.
Electric Healing (Ex): Because of the bronze serpent’s electrical affinity, any electricity attack directed at it cures 1 point of damage for each 3 points of damage it would otherwise deal. The creature gets no saving throw against electricity effects.
Price (Item Level): 90,000 gp (20th)
Body Slot: —
Caster Level: 16th
Aura: Strong; (DC 23) enchantment, evocation, and transmutation
Activation: Standard (command)
Weight: 1,000 lb.
A bronze serpent’s body is constructed from 1,000 pounds of bronze. Assembling the body requires a successful Craft (armorsmithing) or Craft (weaponsmithing) check (DC 25).
Prerequisites: Craft Construct, geas/quest, limited wish, polymorph any object, shocking grasp.
Cost to Create: 45,000 gp plus 1,500 gp for the body, 3,540 XP, 90 days.
Source: Monster Manual II, page 39. This creature’s statistics block has been updated to version 3.5 as given in the D&D® V.3.5 Accessory Update for Monster Manual II.