Linnorm, Forest

These resemble a huge, grotesque snake more than a dragon. Their bodies are mottled green and brown. They possess a great ego, a natural cunning, and an unending taste for cruelty. It considers all creatures beneath it and passionately hates beautiful things.

This great serpent’s scales is mottled green and brown. Its wide head is clearly draconic, and caustic liquid drips from its maw.

Originally Posted by Shade of the En World forums.

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More bestial than most linnorms, the forest linnorm is nevertheless as egotistic and cruel as its more intelligent brethren. Forest linnorms are cunning tricksters, using illusions and their ability to mimic animal’s voices to lure prey to their ambushes.

Forest linnorms are highly territorial, claiming an overgrown area of forest of 100 square miles as its own, only allowing another forest linnorm within it to mate. A male always enters a female’s territory, leaving as soon as mating is complete. A forest linnorm hatchling resembles a large green lizard, bearing four weak legs which atrophy as it ages until they are gone. The female allows the hatchlings to remain only until their legs begin to disappear.

Although they prefer temperate climes, forest linnorms can survive in extremely warm or cold forests as well. They spend their time wrapped around the bases of trees and undergrowth, their camouflaged bodies nearly indistiguishable from roots and trunks. Their greatest natural enemies are forest-dwelling giants who hunt them for their hides.

Forest linnorms hate beauty and enjoy destroying it. Their hoards consist of the broken remains of jewelery, art objects, and fine items strewn about large piles of coins. Although ominvorous, linnorms prefer to hunt creatures they view as beautiful, such as great stags and giant eagles. Humans are the favored prey of forest linnorms, as the linnorms view them as the epitome of beauty, and therefore things that must be defiled and destroyed.

Forest linnorms speak Draconic and Abyssal.

Forest linnorm
Huge Dragon
Hit Dice	11d12+66 (137 hp)
Initiative	+0
Speed	60 ft. (12 squares), Fly 60 ft. (good), Swim 30 ft.
Armor Class	25 (-2 size, +17 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 25
Base Attack/Grapple	+11/+28
Attack	Bite +18 melee (2d6+13)
Full Attack	Bite +18 melee (2d6+13)
Space/Reach	15 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks	Breath weapon, crush 2d8+13, ferocity, sound imitation, spell-like abilities, spells, sticks to snakes
Special Qualities	Blindsense 60 ft., damage reduction 10/magic, immunity to disease, Paralysis, and sleep, keen senses, Spell Resistance 24, water breathing
Saves	Fort +13, Ref +7, Will +11
Abilities	Strength 28, Dexterity 10, Constitution 23, Intelligence 10, Wisdom 18, Charisma 18
Skills	Bluff +18, Concentration +20, Diplomacy +8, Disguise +4 (+6 acting), Hide -8*, Intimidate +20, Listen +18, Sense Motive +18, Spot +18
Feats	Cleave, Flyby Attack, Power Attack, Snatch
Environment	Temperate or warm forests
Organization	Solitary
Challenge Rating	13
Treasure	Double coins, 50% goods, 50% items
Alignment	Usually chaotic evil
Advancement	12-22 HD (Huge); 23-33 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment	–

COMBAT

A forest linnorm uses its illusions and natural stealth to set ambushes and draw prey near. It opens with its breath weapon, attempting to weaken powerful opponents, then enters melee. Forest linnorms fight with a primal ferocity, considering no adversary dangerous enough to force its retreat.

Breath Weapon (Su): 90-foot line of caustic liquid, once every 1d4 rounds; damage 12d4 acid, Reflex DC 21 half. Additionally, a creature damaged by the breath weapon must succeed on a DC 21 Fortitude save or a random limb is withered. Withered legs force a subject to fall prone while at the same time reducing the subject’s land speed to 5 feet. Withered arms make it impossible for the subject to use objects or cast spells with somatic components. A withered limb can be restored to normal by a successful dispel magic or similar effect, with a dispe check DC equal to the linnorm’s breath weapon DC. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Crush (Ex): A flying linnorm can land on opponents three or more sizes smaller than itself as a standard action, using its whole body to crush them. A crush attack affects as many creatures as can fit under the linnorm’s body. Each creature in the affected area must succeed on a DC 24 Reflex save or be pinned, automatically taking 2d8+13 points of bludgeoning damage. The save DC is Constitution-based. Thereafter, if the linnorm chooses to maintain the pin, treat it as a normal grapple attack. While pinned, the opponent takes crush damage each round. The save DC is Strength-based.

Ferocity (Ex): A forest linnorm is such a tenacious combatant that it continues to fight without penalty even while disabled or dying.

Sound Imitation (Ex): A forest linnorm can mimic the sound of injured animals, anytime it likes. Listeners must succeed on a DC 19 Will save to detect the ruse. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Spells: A forest linnorm can cast arcane spells as a 12th-level sorcerer, preferring spells of the illusion school.

Typical sorcerer Spells Known:

• 0 (6/day) — acid splash (+9 ranged touch), detect magic, dancing lights, flare (DC 14), ghost sound (DC 14), open/close, read magic, touch of fatigue (+18 melee touch, DC 14), ventriloquism
• 1st (7/day) — animate rope, color spray (DC 15), disguise self, silent image (DC 15), ventriloquism (DC 15)
• 2nd (7/day) — blur, invisibility, mirror image, misdirection (DC 16), see invisibility
• 3rd (7/day) — deep slumber (DC 17), displacement, major image (DC 17), wind wall
• 4th (7/day) — greater invisibility, phantasmal killer (DC 18), rainbow pattern (DC 18)
• 5th (5/day) — mirage arcana (DC 19), persistent image (DC 19)
• 6th (3/day) — permanent image (DC 20)
• Spell-Like Abilities: At will — fly, hide from animals (DC 15);
• 3/day — plant growth, spike growth (DC 17), tree stride, warp wood (DC 16).

Caster level 12th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

Sticks to Snakes (Sp): A forest linnorm can turn up to two dead branches or other long slender pieces of wood (arrow shafts, sticks, staffs, and so on) into Huge vipers. The object is entitled to a DC 17 Will save to avoid transformation. Any snakes created by this spell do not attempt to harm the linnorm, and the linnorm can control their actions telepathically as a free action. Left to their own devices, the snakes attack whomever or whatever is near them, but while the linnorm controls them they can perform any stunt or action they are physically capable of doing. When reduced to 0 hit points or less, the snakes revert to their original, undamaged form.

Water breathing (Ex): A forest linnorm can breathe underwater indefinitely and can freely use its breath weapon, spells, and other abilities while submerged.

Skills: A forest linnorm has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action when swimming, provided it swims in a straight line. *They have a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks when in forest environments. This bonus on Hide checks increases to +8 when the linnorm is immobile.

Originally appeared in Dragon #182 (1992) and MCA1.