Snake Dancer
Fighting a Snake Dancer as a mythic encounter is equivalent to taking on two challenge rating 17 creatures in one encounter. Award a party 36,000 XP for defeating a Snake Dancer after it uses Shed Skin.
Snake Dancer
Medium humanoid (shapechanger), neutral evil
- Armor Class 14
- Hit Points 127 (17d8 + 51)
- Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 10 (0) 18 (+4) 16 (+3) 15 (+2) 13 (+1) 16 (+3)
- Saving Throws DEX +10, CHA +9
- Skills Deception +9, Insight +7, Perception +7, Stealth +10
- Damage Immunities poison
- Condition Immunities poisoned
- Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive perception 17
- Languages Common
- Challenge 17 (18,000 XP) Proficiency +6
Magic Weapons. The dancer's weapon attacks are magical.
Poison Splash. When the dancer takes damage of any type but psychic, each creature within 5 feet of the dancer takes 10 (3d6) poison damage.
Reactive Heads. For each snake the dancer has, it gets an extra reaction that can be used only for opportunity attacks.
Regeneration. The dancer regains 10 hit points at the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point.
Shapechanger. The dancer can use its action to polymorph into a Large constrictor snake, or back into its true form, which is humanoid. Its statistics, other than its size and AC, are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Shed Skin (Mythic Trait; Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). If the dancer is reduced to 0 hit points, it doesn’t die or fall unconscious. Instead, it sheds its skin, regains hit points, and moves up to its speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
Speak with Snakes. The dancer can communicate with snakes as if they shared a language.
Striking Snakes. The dancer can extrude up to eight snakes at a time. Each snake can be attacked (AC 15; 10 hit points; immunity to poison damage; immunity to being charmed). Destroying a snake deals no damage to the dancer, which can extrude a replacement snake on its next turn or with a Snake Bite attack. A snake can also be ripped free if a creature takes an action and succeeds on a DC 15 Strength check against it. While it has more than one snake, the dancer has advantage on saving throws against being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, stunned, and knocked unconscious.
Actions
Multiattack. The dancer makes four snake bite attacks.
Snake Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 50 ft., one creature. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 17 Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Instead of dealing damage, the dancer can grapple the target (escape DC 14). Until the grapple ends, the dancer can't use the same snake on another target.
Constrict. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 50 ft., one Large or smaller creature. Hit: 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage and the target is also grappled (escape DC 14). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and it takes 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage at the start of each of its turns. The dancer can constrict only one creature at a time.
Poison Spit (Recharge 5-6). The dancer spits poison in a 60foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a DC 17 Constitution saving throw, taking 42 (12d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Innate Spellcasting. The dancer's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 17). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: animal friendship (snakes only), disguise self
3/day each: charm person, suggestion
1/day each: conjure animals (snakes only), fear
Snake Charm. The dancer targets one humanoid that it can see within 30 feet of it. If the target can see the dancer, it must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or be magically charmed. The charmed creature regards the dancer as a trusted friend to be heeded and protected. Although the target isn't under the dancer's control, it takes the dancer's requests or actions in the most favorable way it can. Each time the dancer or its allies do anything harmful to the target, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. Otherwise, the effect lasts 24 hours or until the dancer dies, is on a different plane of existence from the target, or ends the effect as a bonus action. If a target's saving throw is successful, the target is immune to the dancer's Snake Charm for the next 24 hours. The dancer can have no more than one humanoid charmed at a time.
Art Credit: Justice Wong https://justicewong.artstation.com/
