This enormous beast has the combined features of an elephant and a serpent. Its tremendous maw sports six frightening tusks.
Grootslang CR 16
CE Gargantuan magical beast
AC 31, touch 11, flat-footed 26 (+4 Dex, +1 dodge, +20 natural, –4 size)
hp 283 (21d10+168)
Fort +20, Ref +16, Will +12
DR 10/magic; SR 27
Speed 40 ft., swim 30 ft.
Melee bite +30 (4d8+13/19–20), 2 stomps +27 (2d6+6), tail slap +27 (2d6+6)
Space 20 ft.; Reach 20 ft.
Special Attacks impaling bite, thunderous stomp (DC 28), trample (2d6+19, DC 33)
Str 36, Dex 19, Con 26, Int 15, Wis 20, Cha 15
Base Atk +21; CMB +38; CMD 53 (55 vs. trip)
Languages Aquan, Common, Draconic
Environment warm lakes and rivers
Treasure double (at least 50% gems)
Aquatic Elusion (Su) As a standard action, a grootslang that is fully immersed in water can teleport to another body of water without error. This ability functions like tree stride, but the grootslang can exit from any body of water within 1 mile so long as both the entry and exit are wide enough for the creature to enter.
Impaling Bite (Ex) A grootslang can make a bite attack against any creature it is grappling. If this attack hits, it is automatically treated as a critical threat.
Thunderous Stomp (Ex) As a full-round action, a grootslang can rear up on its serpentine body to bring its massive forelimbs down with awesome force. The grootslang chooses two adjacent targets to be affected as though trampling them. In addition, each creature within 10 feet must make a DC 28 Reflex save or be knocked prone. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Legends claim that the grootslang is a primordial creature as old as the world itself. Such tales state that in those ancient days, the gods—new to the crafting of things—made a terrible mistake in the grootslang's creation, for they gave it tremendous strength, cunning, and intellect. Upon realizing their mistake, the gods split the grootslang into separate creatures and thus created the first elephants and the first snakes. But one of the original grootslangs escaped, and from this first sire all other grootslangs were born. Scholars debate the veracity of such stories, and have looked to either biological or magical explanations of the creature's origins, but nevertheless bards and sages alike agree that the grootslang's fearsome reputation is well deserved.
A grootslang's thick, leathery hide has a metallic sheen and a dull copper color, shot through with thin veins of green. Both males and females grow to a length of 60 feet and stand 20 feet tall. Little differentiation exists between sexes save for a lighter green hue to the female's hide. Grootslangs can weigh 20 tons and live up to 500 years.
All grootslangs covet gems, particularly diamonds, and despite the creatures' lust for cruelty, victims can often bargain for their freedom by offering a grootslang enough precious gems.