Guardian Naga — Warden of the Sacred Threshold
A sacred serpent that does not merely guard a place—it judges whether anyone has the right to cross its threshold.
The Guardian Naga remains because something still matters: a tomb, a seal, a relic, a lineage, a sanctuary, a road or a truth that must not pass into careless hands. It does not think of itself as a monster defending a lair. It is an office-holder, a witness and a warden whose duty can outlive the kingdom or priesthood that first entrusted it.
At a Glance
Run It Tonight
Make the first scene a judgment, not an ambush. The naga asks why the party has come, what authority they claim and what they intend to do with whatever lies beyond the threshold. Honest travellers may be warned away or tested. Grave robbers, oath-breakers and deliberate defilers receive far less patience.
Rules by Edition
Guardian Naga
Large Celestial, Lawful Good
AC 18; Initiative +4 (14)
HP 136 (16d10 + 48)
Speed 40 ft., Climb 40 ft., Swim 40 ft.
19 (+4)
18 (+4)
16 (+3)
16 (+3)
19 (+4)
18 (+4)
Saving Throws Dex +8, Con +7, Int +7, Wis +8, Cha +8
Skills Arcana +11, History +11, Religion +11
Immunities Poison; Charmed, Paralyzed, Poisoned, Restrained
Senses Darkvision 60 ft.; Passive Perception 14
Languages Celestial, Common
CR 10 (5,900 XP); PB +4
Traits
Celestial Restoration. If the naga dies, it returns to life in 1d6 days with all its Hit Points unless dispel evil and good is cast on its remains.
Actions
Multiattack. The naga makes two Bite attacks. It can replace either attack with Poisonous Spittle.
Bite. Melee Attack Roll: +8, reach 10 ft. Hit: 17 (2d12 + 4) Piercing damage plus 22 (4d10) Poison damage.
Poisonous Spittle. Constitution Saving Throw: DC 16, one creature the naga can see within 60 feet. Failure: 31 (7d8) Poison damage, and the target has the Blinded condition until the start of the naga’s next turn. Success: Half damage only.
Spellcasting. The naga casts one of the following spells using Wisdom (spell save DC 16): at will—thaumaturgy; 1/day each—clairvoyance, cure wounds (6th level), flame strike (6th level), geas, true seeing.
Guardian Naga
Large monstrosity, lawful good
Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
Hit Points 127 (15d10 + 45)
Speed 40 ft.
19 (+4)
18 (+4)
16 (+3)
16 (+3)
19 (+4)
18 (+4)
Saving Throws Dex +8, Con +7, Int +7, Wis +8, Cha +8
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities charmed, poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Celestial, Common
Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)
Traits
Rejuvenation. If the naga dies, it returns to life in 1d6 days with all its hit points. A wish spell can prevent this.
Spellcasting. The naga is an 11th-level Wisdom-based spellcaster (spell save DC 16, +8 to hit) requiring only verbal components. Its prepared cleric magic includes command, cure wounds, shield of faith, calm emotions, hold person, bestow curse, clairvoyance, banishment, freedom of movement, flame strike, geas and true seeing.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) piercing damage plus 45 (10d8) poison damage on a failed DC 15 Constitution saving throw, or half poison damage on a success.
Spit Poison. Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, range 15/30 ft., one creature. On a hit, the target makes the same DC 15 Constitution save against 45 (10d8) poison damage.
Guardian Naga CR 10
XP 9,600
LG Large aberration
Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +23
Defense
AC 24, touch 15, flat-footed 18 (+6 Dex, +9 natural, −1 size)
hp 114 (12d8+60)
Fort +9, Ref +12, Will +12
Offense
Speed 40 ft.
Melee bite +13 (2d6+7 plus poison)
Ranged spit +14 touch (poison)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Spells Known CL 9th
4th (5/day)—divine power, greater invisibility
3rd (7/day)—cure serious wounds, dispel magic, lightning bolt
2nd (7/day)—detect thoughts, lesser restoration, see invisibility, scorching ray
1st (7/day)—cure light wounds, divine favor, expeditious retreat, mage armor, magic missile
Statistics
Str 21, Dex 23, Con 20, Int 16, Wis 19, Cha 18
Base Atk +9; CMB +15; CMD 31 (can’t be tripped)
Feats Alertness, Blind-Fight, Combat Casting, Combat Expertise, Eschew MaterialsB, Improved Trip, Lightning Reflexes
Skills Bluff +16, Diplomacy +16, Knowledge (arcana) +18, Perception +23, Sense Motive +20, Spellcraft +18, Stealth +17
Languages Celestial, Common
Special Abilities
Poison (Ex). Bite—injury or spit—contact; Fort DC 21; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d4 Con damage; cure 2 consecutive saves.
Spells. A guardian naga casts as a 9th-level sorcerer and can choose from the cleric list as well as the normal sorcerer list.
Spit (Ex). The naga can spit venom up to 30 feet as a ranged touch attack.
Ecology
Environment temperate plains
Organization solitary, pair or nest (3–6)
Treasure standard
Guardian Naga
Large Aberration
Hit Dice 11d8+44 (93 hp)
Initiative +2
Speed 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class 18 (−1 size, +2 Dex, +7 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple +8/+17
Attack bite +12 melee (2d6+7 plus poison) or spit +9 ranged touch (poison)
Full Attack bite +12 melee (2d6+7 plus poison) or spit +9 ranged touch (poison)
Space/Reach 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks poison, spit, spells
Special Qualities darkvision 60 ft.
Saves Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +11
Abilities Str 21, Dex 14, Con 19, Int 16, Wis 19, Cha 18
Skills Bluff +18, Concentration +19, Diplomacy +8, Listen +13, Sense Motive +18, Spellcraft +17, Spot +13
Feats Alertness, Combat Casting, Dodge, Eschew MaterialsB, Lightning Reflexes
Environment temperate plains
Organization solitary, pair or nest (3–6)
Challenge Rating 10
Treasure standard
Alignment usually lawful good
Poison (Ex)
Bite—injury; Fortitude DC 19; initial and secondary damage 1d10 Constitution.
Spit (Ex)
A guardian naga can spit its poison up to 30 feet as a ranged touch attack.
Spells
Guardian nagas cast spells as 9th-level sorcerers and can also learn cleric spells and spells from the Good and Law domains as arcane spells.
Behaviour
Guardian nagas are patient, composed and severe. They observe before acting and measure speech, posture, intent and the nature of the intrusion. A respectful pilgrim, lost traveller or desperate supplicant may receive a warning or test. Someone breaking a tomb seal while carrying excavation tools will be judged much more quickly.
Once the naga decides that an intruder is deliberately faithless, destructive or profane, mercy narrows sharply. Its calm does not vanish; the judgement simply changes.
Signs Before Initiative
- A ruined sanctuary is clean only along one processional path.
- Old boundary inscriptions remain freshly painted or magically legible.
- Previous intruders were carried outside the sacred precinct rather than eaten.
- Poison marks appear on shields and doors at exactly the point where trespassers crossed a threshold.
- Relics remain untouched even though more portable treasure lies nearby.
- Several generations of locals describe the guardian by the same name, although the physical naga may not be the original bearer of it.
If Violence Starts
The guardian fights to restore the boundary. It pushes, blinds, poisons, restrains or drives intruders back toward the point they crossed rather than pursuing every fleeing enemy. A creature carrying the stolen relic, opening the forbidden seal or directing the intrusion becomes the primary target.
In the 2024 rules, mobility and repeated Bite/Spittle attacks make the naga a direct combatant. In 2014 and older editions, its broader spellcasting makes preparation and magical control more important.
Counterplay
The most reliable counter is legitimacy. Learn the old law, identify the guardian’s actual charge and find out whether the party can satisfy it without fighting. In combat, poison protection is vital, and anti-charm or restorative magic helps against the naga’s broader spell suite.
Killing a guardian may solve nothing if the edition’s restoration or rejuvenation trait is active. A permanent solution may require completing, transferring or lawfully ending the duty itself.
Charge, Lineage and Succession
Some guardian nagas serve a single site for extraordinary spans of time. Others form a lineage: a pair breeds near a place worth protecting, and an adult offspring eventually inherits the office. Successive guardians may deliberately take the same name, allowing outsiders to believe that one immortal serpent has watched the threshold for centuries.
The charge matters more than wealth. A tomb guardian may protect bones, a seal, a legal succession or a ritual truth even when the gold in the next chamber means nothing to it.
Using a Guardian Naga in an Encounter
The forgotten password. The naga still recognises the lawful rite of entry, but no living priest remembers it.
The false heir. Two claimants arrive with equally convincing proof that they descend from the ruler whose tomb the naga guards.
The broken charge. The relic has already been stolen. The guardian refuses to leave its post until someone can assume responsibility for the empty sanctuary.
The inherited name. Records prove the “same” naga has served for six centuries, but the current guardian is the fourth generation to hold the office.
Related Nagas
Return to the Naga Bestiary, or compare the Guardian Naga with the Royal Naga and the more dangerous Spirit Naga.
Rules Sources and Licensing
The 5.5e/2024 Guardian Naga is from SRD 5.2.1, released under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International. The 5e/2014 Guardian Naga is from SRD 5.1, also available under CC BY 4.0.
The Pathfinder 1e statistics derive from the open Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary. The D&D 3.5e statistics are Open Game Content from the Revised d20 System Reference Document.
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