Monday Monster: Ice Asp

Compatible with Dragonbane RPG.

Ice Asp.

Description: A long, icy, blue snake with dark blue scales. The head is similar to that of a moray eel.

Ice Asps were originally conceived as lair guardians for an archmage’s fortress in the icy northern reaches. Unfortunately, nature took its course, and the Ice Asps began to reproduce naturally. Soon, the fortress was overrun, and the Ice Asps began to spread out wherever ice could be found. They prefer to live as solitary or in small clutches for survival purposes.

Ice Asps usually appear in clutches of 1-3 asps. They prefer to freeze a victim, burrowing into its body (if large enough,)eat, lay 1d4 eggs, and move onto the next host. After three months, the eggs hatch and make their way out into the world, seeking icy cold areas of their own to inhabit.

Should any creature be fortunate enough to capture an Ice Asp, they make excellent lair guardians as long as they are fed a supply of frozen meat on a regular basis. Most Ice Asps will not turn on their newfound owners as long as they are fed.

Resistance: Cold, Drowning, Water attacks do no damage.
Ice Asps are unable to attack out of ice/water.
Ferocity: 2        Size: Medium
Movement: Regular: 6m, Burrow: 10m, Ice Climb 10m, Swim 10m
 Armor: 3 natural      HP: 24

MONSTER ATTACKS

D6 Attacks:

1: Icy Fangs of Doom! The Asp delivers a crushing bite that does 2d8 piercing damage and delivers a moderate (12) paralytic poison.

2: Icy Blast: The asp spews a mixture of ice, slush and toxic venom on one target within 10 meters that does 2d6 cold damage and delivers a moderate (12) paralytic poison. Armor does not effect this damage.

3: Icy Spray: The Ice Asp sprays a mixture of frost, slush, and venom that forms a cone 6 meters long whose width at any given point is equal to the distance from the asp’s mouth. Everyone in the cone who fails to EVADE takes 1d8 cold damage and is affected by mild (9) paralytic poison.

4: Icy Trap: The creature dives under the ice and snow beneath a target and carves a chamber of ice, water, and slush beneath them. The target must make an ACROBATICS with a Bane on the roll or drop 2 meters into the trap. The target takes 1d6 cold damage for each turn in the hole, is knocked prone, and suffers the Exhausted condition until moved to a warm, dry location. Additionally, the target suffers from being Cold as per the Dragonbane rulebook.

The hole/chamber created by this attack requires an Acrobatics roll to avoid if anyone tries to move over it. A failed roll will land that character in the hole for the same effects and damage described above.

5: Latch On: The asp bites onto one creature and holds on until its next turn. The bite itself delivers 1d8 piercing damage, delivers moderate (12) paralytic poison, and knocks the victim prone. Any attempt to move or perform an action requires an opposed STR roll. The Ice Asp has an effective STR of 12 for this check. While latched on, the asp is also considered prone until it lets go.

6: Disappear: The Ice Asp tunnels beneath the ice/snow becoming impossible to hit and holds its remaining action (if any) and attempts to ambush one creature within 4 meters of itself with a bite attack that does 2d8 piercing damage and delivers a moderate (12) paralytic poison. This ambush may be circumvented completely if the target creature succeeds on a (free) AWARENESS roll.