Fold Viper

Description:

Fold Vipers are extra-dimensional giant snakes, that exist in more than three spatial dimensions, making encounters with them unnerving and dangerous. A Fold Viper manifests as a cluster of scaled spheres that hover in the air, scattered over a wide radius, shrinking and expanding as the creature intersects with our spatial dimensions and slithers through others. When these spheres intersect, they form an elongated tube that resembles the body of a snake. These tubes can constrict and entangle victims, and can pull them into other spatial dimensions. Additionally, a sphere might momentarily become a sphere of fangs as it bites into this spatial dimension.

Special:

An encounter with a Fold Viper has several special rules. The first turn a Fold Viper appears it manifests as a small snake-skin sphere that grows to 1 hex in diameter. It is unlikely this will be seen, as the Fold Viper will prefer to attack with surprise. On the second turn, as it closes in, two more spheres appear, separating from the first. The third turn, three more spheres appear - one separating from each of the others - for a total of six. These six spheres are portions of the Fold Viper’s body that are intersecting with our three normal spatial dimensions. They each have a move of 8, and can move in any direction, including into the air - though at least two must always be on the ground. At any given time, all of them must be within the same 14 hex spherical radius.

A Fold Viper attacks either by Constricting and Entangling, or by Biting. It can do both in the same turn. When a Fold Viper Bites, it always attacks with surprise, striking from an unperceived dimension. A sphere of venomous fangs appears and attacks, and then becomes another ordinary scaled sphere and one of the other six spheres disappears.

When two spheres are adjacent to the same target the Fold Viper can attempt a Constrict attack. As with all Constrict attacks, the first attack must be an attempt to Entangle using the Effect Attack, after which, each turn that the victim does not escape, the Fold Viper can roll a 21 Challenge against a helpless target to apply either Fast or Strong Constrict damage. While Entangled, the two spheres merge into a longer tube that wraps around the victim.

Anyone under the effects of a Plane Shift Spell can perceive the Fold Viper in its entirety. They are immune to Extraspatial Shock and the Fold Viper loses the benefit of surprise for its bite attacks, though the effects of its venom remain unchanged.

Other:

Trauma: Extraspatial Shock If a victim is Entangled for 3 consecutive turns, they are pulled into an extraspatial dimension. If conscious, the victim takes 4d Composure and 4d Concentration damage - a 21 Challenge using Mental (-3) halves this damage. The following turn, the ‘tube’ and the victim will return to normal space for 3 more turns - repeating in a loop. If a victim dies or loses consciousness while in an extraspatial dimension they can only be recovered by the Plane Shift spell. If the Fold Viper is killed, the victim is returned to normal space