The Serpent Master

   This particular power package empowers an evil spellcaster of about fifth or sixth level, and has a cost of eighty-six character points – roughly half the total available to a character of that level. It allows it’s user to summon a variety of variously-enhanced serpents, to use a selection of serpent-related magics, and to master a few other evil spells. The user also enjoys a great rapport with serpents, allowing him or her to communicate with them, resist their poisons, and free them from anyone else’s control. It also includes three new Paths – The Serpent’s Gaze, The Serpent’s Venom, and The Summoning of Serpents.

   Unlike most of the standard d20 spellcasters, the Serpent Master uses a pure spell-point system; he or she knows the spells he or she knows, and can keep casting whichever ones he or she likes as long as his or her power holds out.

• Mindspeech with Beastspeech, Specialized and Corrupted/only works with snakes (and sufficiently snake-like creatures at the option of the game master), only (4 CP).
• Immunity/Poison (Common, Major, Major, Specialized for Half Cost/only protects against snake and reptile venoms, reduces the damage from such sources by 30 points of hit point damage or 15 points of attribute damage, 4 CP).
• Presence, Specialized/only affects snakes (and snake-related creatures at the option of the game master) for Double Effect: snakes summoned or controlled by others which come within then feet of the caster are released from control as if by Protection from Evil and snakes always have an initial attitude of “friendly” towards the character (6 CP).
• Shapeshift with Growth and Shrinking, Specialized/only allows the user to take on snake-forms (6 CP).
• Eight levels of the Wilder Power Progression based on Intelligence (divide total power by 1.8 to convert to generic spell levels) to power his other spells and the Paths of the Serpent (48 CP).
• The Paths of the Serpent: The Serpent’s Gaze, The Serpent’s Venom, and The Summoning of Serpents (18 CP).

   The Path of the Serpent’s Gaze:

• L0) Daze, L1) Hypnosis, L2) Suggestion, L3) Confusion, L4) Hold Monster, L5) Mass Suggestion, L6) Eyebite, L7) Mass Charm Monster, L8) Mass Hold Monster, and L9) Dominate Monster.

   The Path of the Serpent’s Venom:

• L0) Acid Spit (Splash), L1) Chill Touch, L2) Ghoul Touch, L3) Bestow Curse, L4) Poison, L5) Greater Vampiric Touch [good for 1d4+1 touches), L6) Harm, L7) Destruction, L8) Create Greater Undead, and L9) Energy Drain.

   The Path of the Summoning of Serpents:

   The basic characteristics of the spells on this path have the same basic statistics as Summon Nature’s Ally. Note that several of these spells allow the caster to summon a creature with a template or templates. In each case these are selected when the spell is acquired and are subject to GM approval. Note that the progression for summoning lesser creatures is 1d4+1 at -1 level, 4d4 at -2 levels, and doesn’t go any further than that for most creatures – although Dreamsnakes may be summoned by the dozens (L1), hundreds (l2), thousands (L3), tens of thousands (or wall) (L4), or by the tidal wave/mountain (L5).

• L0).
  • Tiny Constrictor: CR0, essentially harmless save to rats and such, CR0, +0 BAB, 1-2 HP, can curl around a limb of any one creature of up to medium size on a hit to inflict a -1 circumstance penalty on their actions
  • Tiny Viper: CR0, essentially harmless save to rats and such, +0 BAB, DC10 Fortitude versus irritating venom, which makes the victim feel itchy and a bit ill for about an hour.
  • 1d4+1 Diminutive Grass Snakes: CR0, harmless save to bugs and small mice and such, can be dumped over someone to distract them for 1-4 rounds [Will save negates] or as until they vanish, whichever is less)
  • 4d4 Dreamsnakes: CR0. These look like small vipers but are essentially illusions. They hiss, look menacing, and crawl around a bit. They may be enough to deter pursuit for a few moments.
• L1) Small Viper (CR ½), either normal or with any one of three possible +0 ECL templates.
• L2) Small Viper with +1 ECL Template (select four possible templates). (All CR1)
• L3) Constrictor, Large Viper, Small Viper with +2 ECL Template (select two possible templates). (All CR2)
• L4) Huge Viper, Constrictor with +1 ECL Template, Large Viper with +1 ECL Template, Small Viper with +3 ECL Template. (All CR3).
• L5) Giant Constrictor, Huge Viper with +2 ECL Template, Constrictor with +3 ECL Template, Large Viper with +3 ECL Template. (All CR5)
• L6) Giant Constrictor with +1 ECL Template, Huge Viper with +3 ECL Template, Constrictor with +4 ECL Template, Large Viper with +4 ECL Template. (All CR6).
• L7) Giant Constrictor with +3 ECL Template, Huge Viper with +5 ECL Template, Constrictor with +6 ECL Template, Large Viper with +6 ECL Template. (All CR8)
• L8) Giant Constrictor with +4 ECL Template, Huge Viper with +6 ECL Template, Constrictor with +7 ECL Template, Large Viper with +7 ECL Template. (All CR9)
• L9) Giant Constrictor with +6 ECL Template, Huge Viper with +8 ECL Template, Constrictor with +9 ECL Template, Large Viper with +9 ECL Template. (All CR11)