Homebrew Yuan-ti Anathema Species Details

Description

With their almost completely serpentine form and vaguely humanoid arms able to use weapons and tools, anathemas were immortal and considerably larger than abominations, with claw-like hands and six snake heads.

Society

Anathemas were incredibly rare and held a unique position in the usual yuan-ti caste system. Anathemas did not live among other yuan-ti, as their presence within a yuan-ti city was so powerful it lead to societal and structural collapse. As a result, they lived alone outside yuan-ti settlements.

As anathemas were usually considered divine beings of Sseth, other yuan-ti organized cults around a anathema. Sometimes an anathema thought of itself as the living avatar of an elder god or even a new god entirely. Anathemas were considered by their followers to be the pinnacle of the yuan-ti race.

Religion

The yuan-ti’s dispassionate attitude toward religion is especially evident among the powerful yuan-ti that take one of the lesser serpent gods as an object of worship. The worshiper of a serpent god pays homage not out of respect or fear, but because it aspires to emulate the entity, beseeching it to reveal the secret of transcending mortality. Then, once armed with that knowledge, the yuan-ti sets out to supplant its deity and become a new serpent god.

The serpent gods don’t wish to be brought low, or to be bled of power as Merrshaulk was, so they mollify their worshipers with pronouncements that hint at what the supplicants seek. The truth is never easy to ferret out, but rarely an exceptionally clever yuan-ti succeeds in attaining divine form and vanquishing its benefactor. This cannibalistic pressure from mortals means that the lower ranks of the serpent gods experience a change every century or so, although often it is the newest yuan-ti godling that falls prey to the next one’s ambitions.

Ecology

The ritual that transformed an abomination into an anathema was cruel and painful, involving the sacrifice of hundreds of snakes and requiring the abomination to bathe in the blood of its enemies. Some yuan-ti disliked the idea of creating a new anathema because they were far more aggressive and brutal leaders than abominations.

By means of grafting, anathemas were able to attach or replace body parts, transforming both humanoids and monstrous humanoids into creatures resembling yuan-ti. This complicated process was extremely painful for the victim and was demanding on the anathema. Each modification took up to an hour and required the full concentration and focus of the anathema for the graft to be successful. Common grafts included adding or replacing a victim's legs with a reptilian tail, replacing a victim's teeth with poisonous fangs, replacing a victim's arm with a prehensile appendage that ended in a snakes head or replacing a victim's skin with scales. After a graft, the anathema was exhausted and required rest. The anathema was vulnerable while in this state as they were unable to defend themselves physically, use any spells or innate abilities or engage in any task that was mentally or physically demanding. Anathemas created a special potion that transformed humanoids into broodguards and tainted ones.

History

The yuan-ti were once human. Long before humankind dominated the continent of Faerûn, the Creator Races ruled Toril. The reptilian Creator Race, the sarrukh, were foremost amongst these and built up great empires. They bred the first yuan-ti by magically experimenting with and breeding men with snakes, also creating nagas and, through a similar process, lizardmen. They eventually fell from power and the resourceful yuan-ti rose up to claim their Creators' power vacuum, even while sustaining the empire of Mhairshaulk. Of the fragmented World Serpent deity that the sarrukh had worshiped, the yuan-ti venerated the strongest aspect, a cruel and despotic deity, Merrshaulk, who grew distant and aloof.

As the yuan-ti's power became less visible on Faerûn, and they instead fell to infiltrating human and demihuman society through their organizations and long-sighted plots, Merrshaulk had sunk into a slumber, ignoring his followers. Eventually, around the time of the collapse of the human empire of Netheril, Merrshaulk himself was also reborn as a winged yuan-ti avatar named Sseth, who became the yuan-ti's new primary deity. In the end, though, Sseth too sank into somnolence. At this point some sarrukh, long suffering a heavy war on other planes or sunken in hibernation in their ruins, began to return in some numbers. They crucially needed help from their deity, but Sseth was not answering prayers in his slumber. So for aid in their endeavors some of the sarrukh made a bargain with the Mulhorandi deity Set, that put Sseth into a deeper sleep but allowed Set to assume Sseth's mantle and grant the sarrukh their aid. Most yuan-ti do not even know of this transaction, though now Sseth struggles at his bonds some are being made aware of it.

Yuan-ti Anathema Traits

Your Yuan-ti Anathema gains these traits

Languages

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

Size

Anathemas are the largest fellow Yuan-ti standing between 10-15 feet tall and 20-30 feet long, you are a being of pure muscle and weigh between 1,000-6,000 pounds. Your size is huge also you are no longer considered a humanoid due to your transformation you are now considered a monstrosity.

Age

Anathemas don’t age, allowing them to pursue their goals until the end of days. Truly powerful ones can grow to rule multiple yuan-ti cities and bring entire regions, including humanoid realms, under yuan-ti control.

Speed

Your walking speed is 40 feet, a climb speed of 30 feet and a swimming speed of 30 feet.

Ophidian Sight

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 can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. You have  Blindsight out to 30 feet.

Ability Score Increase

One ability score of your choice increases by 3 and Three other ability scores of your choice all increase by 2. Your ability score maximum is now 23.

Poison Immunity

You are immune to poison damage and the poisoned condition

Unearthly Resistance

You have resistance against Acid, Fire and Lightning damage.

Thick Scales

While not wearing armor your natural armor class is 15 + dexterity Mod (Maximum+2). if you wish to wear armor for your massive figure you must have it specifically tailored to fit your dimensions. 

Magic Resistance

You have advantage on against spells and other magical effects.

Ophidian Perfection

You are proficient in Stealth and Perception. You gain an 1 extra hitpoint for every class level you have.

Innate Spellcasting

You can cast animal friendship an unlimited number of times with this trait, but you can target only snakes with it. Starting at 1st level you can cast entangle once per day with this trait as a 1st-level spell. Starting at 3rd level, you can also cast suggestion and darkness once per day with this trait as a 2nd-level spell, at 5th level you can cast fear and haste once per day with this trait as a 3rd-level spell. Starting at 7th level you can cast polymorph with this trait once per day with this trait as a 4th-level spell. Starting at 13th level you can cast divine word with this trait once per day with this trait as a 7th-level spell. You regain the ability to cast suggestion, fear, darkness, entangle, haste, polymorph and divine word  this way when you finish a long rest.  You can also cast this spell using spell slots you have of the appropriate level. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Ophidiophobia Aura

Any creature of your choice, other than a snake or a yuan-ti, that starts its turn within 30 feet of you and can see or hear it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw equal to 8 + Charisma mod + Proficiency bonus or become frightened of snakes and yuan-ti. A frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a target’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the target is immune to this aura for the next 24 hours.

Change Shape

You can use your action to polymorph into a ( Giant constrictor snake ) or back into your true form and can use your bonus action to drop it. your statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment you're wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. If you drop to 0 hit points you stay in that form.

Six Heads

You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks and on saving throws against being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, stunned, or knocked unconscious.

Multiattack

 When you take the Multiattack action you can make 2 Claw attacks, 1 Constrict attack, and 1 Flurry Of Bites attack. Your claw, constrict and Flurry of Bites count as melee weapon attacks. You are also proficient with all these attacks. 

Claw. Your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes with a range of 10 feet. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 2d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Flurry of Bites. You can bite a creature within 10ft of you and inject them with a lethal toxin dealing 6d6 + STR piercing damage, the creature must then immediately make a Constitution saving throw equal to your 8 + constitution Mod + Proficiency Mod if the creature fails it takes 4d6 poison damage and half as much on a success.

Constrict. You can use your powerful serpentine lower half to constrict the life out of your enemies that you can reach within 15 feet of you. When you have a large or smaller creature grappled, you can use your action to deal 3d6 + STR modifier bludgeoning damage + 2d6 acid damage to them on each of your turns, On the same turn, you can attack as a bonus action if using a melee weapon. You gain the grappler feat

(you must roll for each attack individually)