Homebrew Yuan-ti Abomination Species Details

Monstrous serpents with burly humanoid torsos and arms, abominations form the highest caste of yuan-ti society, and they most closely resemble the race as the serpent gods intended it. They mastermind elaborate schemes and perform dark rites in the hope of one day ruling the world.

Forsaken Humanity. The yuan-ti were once humans who thrived in the earliest days of civilization and worshiped serpents as totem animals. They lauded the serpent’s sinuous flexibility, its calculated poise, and its deadly strike. Their advanced philosophy taught the virtue of detachment from emotion and of clear, focused thought.

Yuan-ti culture was among the richest in the mortal world. Their warriors were legendary, their empires always expanding. Yuan-ti temples stood at the centers of ancient metropolises, reaching ever higher in prayer to the gods they longed to emulate. In time, the serpent gods heard those prayers, their sibilant voices responding from the darkness as they told the yuan-ti what they must do. The yuan-ti religion grew more fanatical in its devotion. Cults bound themselves to the worship of the serpent gods and imitated their ways, indulging in cannibalism and humanoid sacrifice. Through foul sorcery, the yuan-ti bred with snakes, utterly sacrificing their humanity to become like the serpent gods in form, as well as in thought and emotion.

Serpent Kings of Fallen Empires. The yuan-ti view their physical transformation as a transcendent moment for their race, allowing them to shed their frail humanity like dead skin. Those that did not transform eventually became slaves or food for the blessed of the serpent gods. The yuan-ti empires withered or were defeated by those who fought against their cannibalism and slavery, and the serpent folk were left in the ruins of their great capitals, far removed from other races.

Cold of Heart. Humanoid emotions are foreign to most yuan-ti, which understand sentiment only as an exploitable weakness. A yuan-ti views the world and the events of its own life with such extreme pragmatism that it is nearly impossible to manipulate, influence, or control by nonmagical means, even as it seeks to control other creatures through terror, pleasure, and awe.

Yuan-ti know that the world they hope to rule can’t be bound for long by brute force, and that many creatures will refuse to serve. As a result, yuan-ti first influence other creatures with the promise of wealth and power. Time and again, humanoid cultures make the fatal mistake of trusting the yuan-ti. They forget that a yuan-ti that acts honorably or lends aid in a time of trouble does so only as part of a grander design.

Yuan-ti leaders are cunning and ruthless tacticians who readily sacrifice lesser yuan-ti if potential victory justifies such losses. They have no sense of honorable combat and strike first in decisive ambush if they can.

False Worship. Yuan-ti life revolves around their temples, yet yuan-ti don’t love the gods they worship. Instead, they see worship as a means to attain power. A yuan-ti believes an individual who attains enough power can devour and replace one of the yuan-ti gods. The yuan-ti strive for ascension and are willing to commit the darkest atrocities to achieve it.

Roleplaying a Yuan-ti

When you’re roleplaying a yuan-ti, the following tables contain possible inspiration. They suggest characteristics that a yuan-ti might possess.

Yuan-ti Personality Traits

D8	PERSONALITY TRAIT
1	I see omens in every event and action. The serpent gods continue to advise us.
2	I have very high standards for food, drink, and physical pleasures.
3	I prefer to be alone rather than among other creatures, including my own kind.
4	I sometimes become consumed by philosophy.
5	I believe I am superior to others of my caste.
6	I am driven by wanderlust and want to explore lands far from our cities.
7	I am interested in modern human culture, even as primitive as it is.
8	I await the day when we again conquer lands by force, as we did in the old times.

Yuan-ti Ideals

D6	IDEAL
1	Greed. I display my wealth as a sign of my power and prosperity. (Evil)
2	Aspiration. I strive to follow the path toward becoming an anathema. (Evil)
3	Unity. No leader shall put personal goals above those of our race. (Any)
4	Kinship. My allegiance is to my caste and my city. Other settlements can burn for all I care. (Any)
5	Inspiration. My actions set an example for the lesser castes to emulate. (Any)
6	Power. Everything I choose to do is determined by whether it will make me smarter and stronger. (Evil)

Yuan-ti Bonds

D6	BOND
1	I will see our empire rise again and, in so doing, win the favor of the serpent gods.
2	I am enamored with the culture and trappings of another society and wish to be part of it.
3	I respect my superiors and obey them without question. My fate is theirs to decide.
4	I have an interest in an unsuitable mate, which I can’t suppress.
5	I respect and emulate a great hero or ancestor.
6	An enemy destroyed something of value to me, and I will find where it lives and kill the offender.

Yuan-ti Flaws

D6	FLAW
1	I feel twinges of emotion, and it shames me that I am imperfect in this way.
2	I put too much credence in the dictates of a particular god.
3	I frequently overindulge in food and wine, and I am impaired and lethargic for days afterward.
4	I worship a forbidden god.
5	I secretly believe things would be better if I was in charge.
6	If I could get away with it, I would gladly kill and eat a superior yuan-ti.

Yuan-ti Names

Yuan-ti names have meanings that have been passed down through the generations, although spellings and inflections have changed over time.

Some yuan-ti add more sibilants to their birth names to create an exaggerated hissing sound, based on one’s personal preference and whether an individual’s anatomy can more easily pronounce the name in this altered form. An adopted name of this sort is recognized as a variant of the birth name, rather than a unique name unto itself. A yuan-ti might refer to itself by its birth name, by its adopted name, or (especially among purebloods) by a name it borrows from the local populace.

The Yuan-ti Names table provides yuan-ti birth names suitable for any campaign.

Yuan-ti Names

D20	NAME	D20	NAME
1	Asutali	11	Shalkashlah
2	Eztli	12	Sisava
3	Hessatal	13	Sitlali
4	Hitotee	14	Soakosh
5	Issahu	15	Ssimalli
6	Itstli	16	Suisatal
7	Manuya	17	Talash
8	Meztli	18	Teoshi
9	Nesalli	19	Yaotal
10	Otleh	20	Zihu

Yuan-ti Abomination Traits

Your yuan-ti abomination character — called a abomination for short — has the following racial traits.

Age

Abominations mature at the same rate as humans and have lifespans similar in length to theirs.

Size

Abominations are between 9 and 12 feet tall and weigh between 200 and 300 pounds. Your size is Large.

Creature Type

You are a Monstrosity.

Speed

Your walking speed is 40 feet.

Darkvision

You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray.

Ophidian Body

Due to having the lower torso of a snake you cannot wear legwear or footwear.

Magic Resistance

You have advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Poison Immunity

You are immune to poison damage and the poisoned condition.

Snake Form

You can use your action to transform into a Large snake, or back into your true form. Your statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment you are wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. You don’t change form if you die.

Heavy Hands

You deal one extra damage dice with all unarmed and weapon attacks.

Natural Armor

When you aren’t wearing armor, your base AC is 12 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield’s benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor.

Serpentine Spellcasting

You can cast animal friendship an unlimited number of times with this trait, but you can target only snakes with it. Starting at 3rd level, you can cast suggestion with this trait. Starting at 5th level, you can also cast fear with this trait. Once you cast one of these spells, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast them using any spell slots you have.

Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells when you cast them with this trait (choose when you select this race).

Constrict

You can use your tail to make unarmed strikes. When you hit with them, the strike deals 2d6 + your Strength modifier bludgeoning damage. If the target is Large or smaller, it is grappled (DC = 8 + your Strength modifier + your proficiency bonus). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and you can’t constrict another target.

Bite

You have a fanged maw that you can use to make unarmed strikes. When you hit with it, the strike deals 1d6 + your Strength modifier slashing damage plus 1d6 poison damage. This poison damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 3rd level (2d6), 5th level (3d6), instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Abyssal, and Draconic.