Buy me a coffee“Seps, the Furious Flesh-Dissolving Serpent”
“The Seps is a venomous serpent whose bite corrodes flesh and bone alike, leaving a trail of liquefied horror in its wake.”
A shadowy serpent of legendary venom, the Seps dissolves flesh and bone alike, striking unseen to leave terror and ruin in its wake.
Appearance
A sinuous, obsidian-scaled serpent glides across sun-scorched stone, its oily, iridescent hide rippling like liquid shadow in the burning light. Its narrow, angular head bears lidless, gleaming eyes that reflect the shimmer of heat, and long, hollow fangs drip corrosive venom that hisses where it falls. The creature moves with eerie grace, whispering over sand and ruin alike, leaving behind only the faint scent of acid and the outline of a dissolving shadow.
Behaviour
Solitary and patient, it stalks its territory with calculated caution. It observes potential prey for hours from hidden vantage points, coiling silently and striking without warning. While it avoids unnecessary conflict, any threat to its domain or hunger drives it to lethal aggression.
Habitat
The Seps dwells in arid deserts, rocky hillsides, and the crumbling ruins of long-forgotten settlements. They favor dry, sun-baked terrain scattered with stone and sparse scrub but are equally at home among shaded gullies, caves, or abandoned aqueducts where water still trickles faintly beneath the dust. Native to the vast wastes of North Africa—particularly the Libyan and Egyptian deserts—they thrive where heat, silence, and ruin converge.
Solitary and territorial, a Seps defends a compact hunting ground with obsessive precision, striking from concealment when prey or rival intruders disturb its domain. Its lairs are often marked by the half-dissolved remains of previous victims, etched into the sand and stone by acid and time.
Modus Operandi
Ambush is its signature tactic. It relies on stealth and camouflage, striking swiftly with hollow fangs that liquefy flesh and bone. When threatened, it retreats into crevices or underbrush, using its lithe body to vanish before retaliation.
Motivation
The Seps exists to hunt and dominate its domain, driven by insatiable predatory instinct. It embodies corrosion and death, a silent predator that thrives on the fear and devastation left in its wake.
Seps 5e 2024
Seps Pathfinder
Seps, the Flesh-Melting Serpent of the Wastes
Medium Monstrosity, Neutral Evil
Armor Class: 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points: 153 (18d8 + 72)
Speed: 40 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 (+2) | 18 (+4) | 18 (+4) | 6 (−2) | 14 (+2) | 8 (−1) |
Saving Throws: Dex +8, Con +8, Wis +6
Skills: Stealth +12, Perception +6
Damage Resistances: Poison; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
Damage Immunities: Acid
Condition Immunities: Poisoned
Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Tremorsense 30 ft., Passive Perception 16
Languages: —
Challenge: 10 (5,900 XP)
Proficiency Bonus: +4
Special Traits
Agonizing Corrosion (Enhanced).
When a creature fails its Constitution saving throw against the Seps’s Corrosive Venom or Venom Spray, the acid burns through flesh and nerve, inflicting extreme pain.
- The creature takes an additional 11 (2d10) acid damage at the start of each of its turns for 3 turns.
- While affected, it is blinded by pain, suffering disadvantage on attack rolls and Dexterity saving throws.
- If the save is failed by 5 or more, the creature falls prone and cannot take reactions until the start of its next turn.
- A creature reduced to 0 HP by this effect dies as its body liquefies; only regenerate, wish, or divine magic can restore it.
Creatures immune to acid damage or the Poisoned condition are unaffected.
Corrosive Venom (Recharge 5–6).
When the Seps injects its venom via Bite, the wound begins to dissolve flesh and bone.
Targets must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or take 22 (5d8) acid damage at the start of each of their turns for 3 turns; half damage on a success.
If a target’s HP falls to half or below while affected, one limb becomes maimed, imposing disadvantage on Strength checks and attack rolls using that limb until magically healed.
If reduced to 0 HP, the victim’s body melts, destroying nonmagical metal, leather, and wood equipment.
Shadowed Camouflage.
The Seps has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks in dim light or darkness. Its scales ripple to match surrounding terrain, rendering it nearly invisible in shadows.
Evasive Coil.
When a creature the Seps can see hits it with a melee attack, it can use its reaction to move up to half its speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 13 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage plus 11 (5d4) acid damage.
If Corrosive Venom is available, the Seps may inject it with this Bite, triggering Agonizing Corrosion.
Venom Spray (Recharge 6).
The Seps exhales a 15-foot cone of acidic mist.
Each creature in the area must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw, taking 27 (6d8) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much on a success.
Failed saves also trigger Agonizing Corrosion.
Legendary Actions
The Seps can take 2 legendary actions, only one at a time, at the end of another creature’s turn:
- Slither. Move up to its speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
- Bite Attack. Make one Bite attack.
- Venomous Strike (Costs 2 Actions). Make one Bite attack; the target must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute.
Tactics
A predatory ambusher, the Seps waits in shadows, ruins, or crevices until prey wanders near. It strikes with speed, then retreats as Agonizing Corrosion burns through armor and flesh.
Against groups, it favors Venom Spray to scatter foes, focusing on lightly armored targets or those near water or ledges for easier retreat.
It instinctively uses Evasive Coil to avoid counterattacks, and exploits terrain to funnel enemies into lethal zones of acid.
Lore & Ecology
Born from ancient venom pools or cursed earth, Seps are living distillations of decay.
They haunt deep ravines, marshes, and ruined settlements, where their acid pools form toxic lairs littered with partially dissolved prey.
Even carrion feeders avoid their territory.
Cultists revere the Seps as the Serpent of Undoing, believing each corpse it melts brings the world closer to cleansing and rebirth.
Seps
This giant armored snake has large fangs, dripping with venom that hisses when it spatters on the ground.
Seps CR 11
XP 12,800
N Huge magical beast
Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +17
DEFENSE
AC 26, touch 10, flat-footed 24 (+2 Dex, +16 natural, –2 size)
hp 147 (14d10+70)
Fort +14, Ref +11, Will +6
Defensive Abilities acid blood; Immune acid, poison
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee bite +23 (3d8+15/19–20 plus poison)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Special Attacks poison
STATISTICS
Str 30, Dex 14, Con 21, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 11
Base Atk +14; CMB +26; CMD 38 (can’t be tripped)
Feats Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Perception), Skill Focus (Stealth), Weapon Focus (bite)
Skills Perception +17, Stealth +11; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception, +4 Stealth
SQ liquefaction
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Acid Blood (Ex)
A metal, wooden, or natural weapon that deals piercing or slashing damage to a seps takes 4d6 points of acid damage unless the weapon’s wielder succeeds at a DC 22 Reflex save at the listed DC. The DC is Constitution-based.
Liquefaction (Su)
Any creature killed by seps poison dissolves into an acidic liquid that deals 2d6 points of acid damage per round to anything in its square (including the dead creature’s equipment).
Poison (Ex)
Bite—injury; save Fort DC 22; frequency 1/round for 10 rounds; effect 1d8 acid damage and 1d4 Con drain; cure 2 consecutive saves.
ECOLOGY
Environment temperate or warm deserts or forests
Organization solitary or nest (2–5)
Treasure incidental (acid-proof items)
A seps is an exotic snake-like creature whose powerful jaws contain acidic venom so potent that it quickly dissolves prey into liquid.
An adult seps is 30 feet long and weighs 1,500 pounds.
Sepses are born live. A hatchling soon grows up to 7 feet long and weighs 10 pounds.
Section 15: Copyright Notice
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 4 © 2013, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Dennis Baker, Jesse Benner, Savannah Broadway, Ross Byers, Adam Daigle, Tim Hitchcock, Tracy Hurley, James Jacobs, Matt James, Rob McCreary, Jason Nelson, Tom Phillips, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Sean K Reynolds, F. Wesley Schneider, Tork Shaw, and Russ Taylor.